Household chores are, along with expenses, the main source of conflict in shared flats. There's always someone who does more and someone who does less, and the feeling of injustice builds up until it explodes.
1. Make an inventory of all chores
The first step is to make a complete list of all the chores that need doing in the flat: frequency, approximate time and whether any specific materials are needed.
2. Assign fixed (or rotating) responsibilities
There are two schools of thought: fixed responsibilities (each person has their chores) or weekly rotation. Fixed ones work better when each person prefers certain tasks. Rotation works better to prevent anyone feeling they 'always' get the worst ones.
3. Set clear deadlines
"I'll do it later" is the phrase that has destroyed more flat-shares than any other. Every chore needs a specific deadline. Not "clean the bathroom this week", but "clean the bathroom before Thursday."
4. Use automatic reminders
People forget. A system that sends automatic reminders when a chore's deadline is approaching eliminates the need to remember manually and the associated arguments.
5. Make everyone's contribution visible
When no one sees what others are doing, it's easy to feel "I do so much more." Having a system where completed tasks are visible to everyone reduces this perception.
6. Use gamification to motivate
Points for each completed task, weekly ranking, challenges between flatmates. Gamification might seem frivolous, but it works. It transforms an obligation into something with an element of healthy competition. Calyu incorporates exactly this system.
7. Monthly 10-minute meeting
Once a month, spend 10 minutes reviewing whether the chore split is working. Any task being forgotten? Any complaints? Better to manage it early than wait for it to become a conflict.
Calyu incorporates strategies 3, 4, 5 and 6 automatically: deadlines, reminders, visibility and gamification. Without an app, you have to manage all of this manually.