Roommates and working from home

Hybrid and remote working have really taken off since the pandemic and a lot of companies are waving goodbye to office space and opting for a more flexible approach. But what does that mean for homeowners with roommates? We know a lot of you are wary about this when it comes to taking in a new roommate.

Having someone around all day and potential additional energy costs are two of the key concerns homeowners have when thinking about their roommate working from home.

We understand those concerns, but there are ways to work around them. With this in mind, we've put together some tips to help you navigate this and hopefully find a set-up that works for both of you.

How to talk to your roommate about working from home

It's important to set clear expectations before your roommate moves in. When you meet, ask them questions about their job, working hours and where they like to work. Being fully aware of each other's routines and preferred set-ups means you can avoid misunderstandings later on.

Set up a work from home space

Working from home can often mean making noise, whether it's phone calls, video meetings, or tapping on a keyboard. Defining areas to work in respects each other's privacy and sets boundaries.

If your roommate prefers to work from home, have a conversation with them about where in the house they can work. You could even invest in a good desk and office chair for their room if there's space. Defining a place for them to work not only gives you space to get on with your day, it also helps avoid any clashes around the house.

Be flexible

Perhaps you're happy for your roommate to work from home on some days and not others? Agree a routine with them so everyone knows where they stand. Open communication and flexibility are key when trying to find that happy middle ground.

Roommates working from home and bills

Working from home may mean there are additional costs that you simply don't have when people are out at work all day - perhaps the heating needs to be on more or you're using more electricity each month. If that's the case you'll probably want to factor this in when thinking about how much to charge your roommate.

You could even agree to some ground rules, e.g. asking your roommate to be careful not to have lights on unnecessarily or agree heating times together to avoid it being left on all day.

We've got a great guide to talking to roommates about money, based on advice from people who've been in the same position as you.

There are, of course, benefits to having a roommate around the house more often, such as having someone there when the house would have been empty (and if you have pets, your roommate may be willing to help out on the days at home).

Weighing up the pros and cons is a personal thing, but we hope these tips will help navigate this decision! Setting expectations and having open communication with your roommate from the very beginning will make having these kinds of conversations much easier.