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If you are experiencing problems with your flatmates, we encourage you initially to try and resolve any communal living issues amongst yourselves. You can try speaking to the individual or maybe hold a flat meeting – it’s up to you!
We have some suggestions for communicating positively with your flatmates:-
- listen to each other - when we feel nervous, we often forget to listen because we are focused on how we look or on what we want to say. But listening is important for having a good conversation and making our points
- be respectful - in the heat of the moment, it is important to be mindful of our language to avoid offending those we are trying to communicate with
- open body language - when you speak, pay attention to your body language. Actions like crossed arms, wandering eyes, or slouching can signal a lack of respect. Instead, try sitting up straight, nodding to show understanding, and maintaining good eye contact to convey engagement and respect
- bring ideas, not blame - think about how you would like things to improve and come ready with ideas, not complaints. Focusing on solutions helps keep the conversation positive and productive. For example, you could suggest setting up a cleaning rota or using a shared calendar for quiet study times. Small steps that make a big difference when everyone’s on the same page.
If you try to resolve it and find that it’s not helping, you can get in contact with the Communities team by raising an enquiry with the MySurrey Hive team on Surrey Support and they can support you in resolving the issue.
We encourage you initially to try and resolve any communal living issues amongst yourselves KA-02222 100 Accommodation Living in on-campus accommodation Problems with flatmates Published