Sharing a Flat or House

People who share a flat or house need to discuss safety issues and try to agree rules relating to their personal safety and the security of the property.

Looking for a Flatmate

• If you put an advert in a paper, only include the area you live in, plus your phone number. It is safer not to include your name or address.
• If you are looking for a female flat mate, then stipulate that you only want calls from women.
• When applicants call, chat on the phone for a while and trust your instincts. If you do not like the sound of them, say you will need to phone them back with a suggested time and then call to say the place is no longer available.
• When you set up a time for someone to visit, try and make sure that you are not in the house alone, ask another flat mate or friend to stay in with you.
• If you agree to take someone on, ask them for a reference from another landlord. You should also ask for a landline number eg. a work number and then check that it is correct and that they are who they say they are.

Replying to an Advert for a Flat Mate

• When you go to look at a property, try and take someone with you. If this is not possible, leave full details of where you are going and who you are meeting and arrange to contact someone once you have finished.
• Make sure that the property is secure and that you are happy about the safety of the area it is located in. If you are not familiar with the area, you might want to try visiting it at night as well as during the day time.
• Meet and talk to all your prospective flat mates and trust your instincts. If you are not sure about them for any reason, then look elsewhere. It’s better to be safe than sorry.