Housemate disputes are not uncommon, but can cause students a great deal of stress and frustration. At some point most of us have been annoyed by dirty dishes left out on the side (that nobody wants to take responsibility for) or you may have noticed that someone has helped themselves to your milk. When you live in shared accommodation you quickly realise that other people have different ways of doing things and that their lifestyle choices may not be the same as your own. Having said this we hope that students will show each other a mutual level of respect and consideration.

Resolving a dsipute

If you are seeking to resolve a dispute, we’d encourage you to arrange a face-to-face house meeting or, if the issue is between you and one other housemate, ask if you can have a conversation. Posting a passive aggressive message on the group chat might seem like a good idea at the time but this is likely to cause greater division. You may want to consider meeting at a coffee shop in town, a neutral environment in which problems can be discussed openly. While everyone should have the opportunity to share what their desired outcome would be in order to move forward, in most cases the key word will be ‘compromise’.

If you have taken steps to try and resolve the issue but little progress has been made, you can speak to our Student Union Advisor for advice. If you are in University managed accommodation, the University’s Housing team can offer further guidance; you’ll find contact details on the wall planner in your kitchen and on the back of this booklet.