It’s great to move into student accommodation and feel you finally have your own place, where you can enjoy life as you please. However, in any shared house you’ll need to consider your housemates if your household and life are going to run smoothly.

It’s good to be able to invite friends or family to visit and to stop over at your student accommodation, but it can cause problems if not handled considerately.

Potential problem areas:

- Guests arriving unexpectedly, late at night, causing noise and disruption

- A kitchen full of your friends, who tuck into the communal drinks and biscuits and don’t wash up

- Your guests invading the bathroom, obstructing access for housemates, leaving wet towels around, etc.

- Strangers wandering around the house unescorted

- Guests ‘borrowing’ beds or sofas without prior arrangements

- Visitors staying longer than a day or two in your student accommodation without full agreement from the rest of the household

To avoid upset:

- If entertaining visitors from communal supplies, put more money into the kitty to replenish stocks

- For planned overnight visitors, consult with housemates beforehand and agree where guests will sleep, eat and socialise

- Make catering arrangements beforehand. Buy in extra supplies, and if you plan special cooking, organise kitchen times with the others

- Introduce guests to your housemates

- If visitors stay longer than a few days, ask them to contribute to household expenses (including utilities)

- Be responsible for your guests’ behaviour. Apologise and make amends for any problems

At House Hustler we maintain that simple consideration ensures happy socialising in student homes.