Guides for landlords · 2 min read

House rules that work

Five to eight rules, written as facts, seen before anyone asks for a viewing.

What you get out of it

  • No surprises after move-in, for you or for them.
  • Requests only from people who can live with the rules.
  • Something calm to point to when it matters.

By the ez-wg team 2 min readAuf Deutsch lesen

The house rules picker in the room builder: common rules as tick boxes, three of them ticked, and a field for your own rule.
Guides

Keep them few and clear

  • Five to eight rules is plenty. Each should be something you'd actually bring up if it were broken.
  • Write them as facts, not warnings: "Quiet hours after 10 pm" rather than "NO NOISE AT NIGHT!!".
  • Agree them with the people already living there before you put them in the listing.

What most WGs cover

  • Noise and quiet hours, and parties.
  • Cleaning: a rota for the kitchen, bathroom and hallway, and who buys shared supplies.
  • Guests: how long they can stay, and whether to give a heads-up.
  • Food and the fridge: shared or separate, and whose shelf is whose.
  • Smoking, pets, and separating the rubbish.

Put them where tenants see them

  • Add them to the room with the house rules picker. People who can't live with them won't ask for a viewing, which saves everyone time.
  • Look at them again every few months, or when someone new moves in.
ez-wg

How to do it on ez-wg

Screens from the dashboard, as you'll see them on your phone.

  1. 01

    Tick the common ones

    Quiet hours, cleaning rota, guests, smoking: the usual suspects are one tap each.

    The house rules picker in the room builder: common rules as tick boxes, three of them ticked, and a field for your own rule.
    Screen from the ez-wg dashboard
  2. 02

    Add your own

    Bikes in the cellar? Shoes off? Type it once and it becomes its own line.

  3. 03

    They show on the room's page

    Tenants read the rules before they request a viewing. The ones who can't live with them quietly move on, which saves you both an evening.

FAQ

Quick answers

How many house rules should a WG have?

Five to eight. Each one should be something you'd actually raise if it were broken.

Should house rules be in the listing?

Yes. People who can't live with them won't ask for a viewing, and the people who do come already agree.

Are house rules legally binding?

Rules in the listing are an agreement between flatmates, not part of tenancy law. If something matters legally, such as smoking or pets, put it in the rental contract too.

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Keep reading
What to buy for a furnished roomThe furniture tenants expect, and the shared things a WG runs on.Welcoming a new tenantFrom signed contract to settled in, without anything falling through.What to tell a new tenantThe questions every new flatmate has, answered before they ask.All guides