Nobody has ever said that living with other people is easy. Whatever your situation is, if you live with a roommate, or roommates, sometimes it’s necessary to call a meeting. Here’s how you can do that effectively!
- Send a Message In Your Group Chat
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If you don’t have a roommates group chat, this is a great time to start one! Start off with saying that you would like to sit down and talk about some things. Then get everyone’s availability. This could take longer based on the number of housemates and how busy they are.
- Keep Everyone Updated
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As your meeting gets closer, send out a few reminder messages to make sure everyone is in attendance. Put a post-it note on the bathroom mirror, write on the fridge white board, send out some emails if needed.
- Prepare Some Food
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Food naturally brings people together. You could get some appetizers whipped up, order some pizza, or even get a potluck together!
- Get Seating Squared Away
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Whether you choose to have the meeting in your kitchen, living room, or outside your residence altogether, make sure to have seating set up. Make sure everyone can sit comfortably and see each other.
- Go Through Your Lease
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No matter what stage you’re at in life, if you’re renting property, make sure you fully understand the lease you signed. It may have extensive or complicated rules to follow, rules that could cost you big time if they aren’t followed. Use this opportunity to go through the rules, and make sure that everyone is on the same page. This is also a great place to start discussion if someone clearly isn’t following the rules. Have everyone come together and not accidentally be charged by your landlord.
- Open the Floor
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If there are things outside of the lease that you’re upset about, open the floor for more discussion about the current living arrangements. You can start by having people go around and say what they like the most about the living situation, and what they like the least.
- Set Some Accountability Measures
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When everyone feels comfortable sharing, it’s a great time to start discussing responsibilities, and assigning what everyone is responsible for. No woman is an island, and that shouldn’t be expected of you.
- Take Solid Notes
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To keep things organized, have someone take notes of discussion items. Especially note any questions for the landlord, as somebody is going to need to get in contact for answers. BONUS: Email the meeting notes to everyone following the meeting.
- Wrapping Things Up
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End your meeting by confirming what was discussed, everyone’s responsibilities, and when you’re having the next meeting. Feel free to enjoy some more food, hang out together, or go take a nap! You deserve it.
Living with other people is never going to be easy, but with frequent communication and team work, you should be able to get through the year with minimal issues.