Get to know your housemates
Building relationships with your housemates early in the year makes it easier to talk through any conflicts that may come up. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
- Sign up for an intramural team sport together.
-
Choose one night a week to cook and/or eat dinner as a house.
-
Make a list of Kingston attractions you want to explore together.
-
Pick a weekly time to go for a walk in one of Kingston’s many green spaces.
-
Do a "house reset" hour once a week where everyone tidies a shared space together.
-
Start a small house tradition (e.g., Sunday morning pancakes, Friday night walks, monthly potluck).
Introduce yourself to your neighbours
Living off campus gives you the chance to connect with the broader Kingston community. Your neighbours may be working professionals, families, seniors, or other students.
You can start building positive relationships by doing small things like offering to help rake leaves or shovel snow, or exchanging contact information in case of an emergency.
Getting to know your neighbours has many benefits, including:
-
Making new friends.
-
Resolving small issues through conversation instead of involving by-law or police.
-
Expanding your social support network.
-
Having someone who can pick up a package when you're away.
-
Building a sense of belonging beyond campus life.
Educate yourself and your housemates on local by-laws
Kingston, like all municipalities, has by-laws in place to help keep the community clean, safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Be sure to explore the links below to learn about local laws, by-laws, and regulations.
Educate yourself and your house!
Interacting with housemates
It's always helpful to talk about living styles and expectations before signing a lease. These conversations can help you assess compatibility and avoid misunderstandings later on. Once you've decided to live together, it's important to discuss expectations, whether you're close friends moving in for the first time or acquaintances becoming housemates.
After you've moved into your new home, do your part to create a living environment that feels inclusive, respectful, and enjoyable for everyone. Review these tips early in the year, ideally before the semester begins.
Decide together how you want to communicate as a household. Keeping communication open and raising concerns as they come up can prevent small issues from turning into bigger conflicts. Whenever possible, have challenging conversations in person rather than over text; it reduces misunderstanding and helps maintain a more comfortable living environment. Remember that healthy relationships involve give-and-take, so be prepared to compromise. If a conversation becomes emotional, taking a short break to reflect can be helpful.
Conflict is a normal part of living with others. Ignoring it, however, can damage relationships and could even put your housing arrangement at risk. That's why clear, respectful communication should be a priority in your household.
If you need support navigating conflict, the offer resources and conflict-coaching appointments.
Before planning a gathering, make sure everyone in your house is comfortable with hosting. No one should feel pressured to participate if they're not up for it. As a group, agree on key details such as how many people to invite, how you'll keep noise under control, and how you'll handle unexpected guests. You can also review the Responsible Hosting page for more guidance.
It's also helpful to discuss expectations around guests in general. Consider questions like:
- When are guests welcome in the house?
- How long can guests stay?
- How to handle increased utility costs if someone stays for an extended period.
- What responsible hosting looks like for your household.
Talk as a house about your expectations for keeping shared spaces cleaned. Creating a cleaning schedule or chore chart can help everyone stay on the same page. Tasks might include cleaning bathrooms, taking out garbage and recycling each week, tidying the kitchen, and picking up litter in the front yard.
Use the Chore Chart Template to set expectations early!
Get informed as a house about how waste management works in Kingston. Discuss questions like:
- What will you do if you miss a garbage day?
- How will you rotate responsibility for putting out garbage and recycling?
- Where you'll store bins and how you'll keep the area tidy.
See attached resource for waste management information.
Visit the Waste Management section of our guide for more details!
Decide early on who will set up the Utilities Kingston account, who will arrange the wi-fi, and how you'll organize and split bills. Talk about whether groceries will be shared or kept separate to avoid misunderstandings later. A whiteboard, shared document, or expense tracking app can help keep everything organized.
Have a conversation about who is bringing or purchasing shared household items, such as a microwave, toaster, kettle, dishes, and/or cutlery.
-
It's also important to discuss how you'll handle the cost of communal supplies - things like laundry detergent, dish soap, paper towel, toilet paper, and garbage bags or whether each person will purchase their own.
A house calendar is a great way to keep everyone informed about each other's schedules. Use it to note when the house will be empty (who is checking on the rental property while away), upcoming exams, guest visits, garbage and recycling weeks, and any other important dates.
Holding house meetings at least once a month gives everyone a chance to check in, raise concerns, and prevent small issues from becoming bigger conflicts. Making these meetings part of your routine, paired with something fun like ordering your favourite takeout and/or watching a movie, can help encourage open, healthy communication.
-
A housemate agreement can also help keep everyone accountable. Consider using the housemate agreement template to set expectations early.
A group chat is useful for quick reminders about bills, guests, and upcoming responsibilities! Just remember, challenging or sensitive topics are best discussed face-to-face.