Living with others can be rewarding and challenging. People grow, routines shift, and even small misunderstandings can affect the whole household. Conflict is normal in any shared living situation, whether you're living with friends, acquaintances or people you've just met.
Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) generally does not resolve housemate to housemate issues. The RTA assumes that students signing a joint and several lease already have a shared understanding of how they will live together.
That's why communication is essential; before you sign a lease and throughout your tenancy.
Student households function best when everyone has:
- Clear expectations (before & after signing a lease together)
- Open communication
- A shared understanding of responsibilities
Talking early and often helps prevent conflicts. If a housemate leaves unexpectedly, because they feel unwelcome or overwhelmed, everyone on a joint lease can still be held responsible for unpaid rent or damages. Good communication protects the whole household.
Conflict Resolution Tips
Every household experiences conflict. What matters is how you handle it.
Use these Conflict Resolution tips (PDF, 1.0 MB) to help navigate disagreements in a respectful, productive way.
Get to know your housemates!
Even if you already know your housemates from residence, high school, clubs, or classes: how much do you really know about their habits, routines and expectations?
Try play this game (PDF, 36.6 kB) together to learn about what you have in common and where your differences might cause friction.
Housemate Agreement
Households that talk about how they want to live together have fewer conflicts. A housemate agreement helps you record shared expectations around:
- Cleaning
- Guests
- Quiet hours
- Shared items
- Bills
- Cannabis use
- And more
Recreational cannabis has been legal in Canada since October 17, 2018. While Ontario law allows smoking or vaping cannabis in private residences, your lease or landlord's policies may add restrictions. Always check your lease and talk openly with your housemates.
The Housemate Agreement is a fillable PDF. Open it in Adobe Acrobat.
Housemate Hunting Worksheet
Thinking about living with someone you met in residence, high school, or a club? Use the Housemate Hunting Worksheet to see whether you share the same expectations about living together.