Coliving House Etiquette: How to Be a Great Housemate in Brussels

Coliving gives you an instant community — but a great house isn't automatic. It's built by people who know the unwritten rules of shared living. Whether you're moving into a Cohabs townhouse or a cozy Ikoab share, here's how to be the housemate everyone's glad arrived.

The golden rule: leave it better than you found it

Ninety percent of coliving harmony comes down to this. The shared kitchen, the bathroom, the living room — treat them like they belong to everyone, because they do.

Clean as you cook. Wash your pan, wipe the counter, don't leave a "I'll do it later" pile. Later never comes and resentment does.
The dishwasher isn't a storage unit. Empty it when it's done if you're passing.
Bathroom after you = bathroom for the next person. Squeegee the shower, no hair in the drain, replace the loo roll.

Respect the shared fridge (a sacred space)

The fridge is where housemate relationships live and die:

Label your shelf/items if the house works that way.
Don't eat what isn't yours — the cardinal sin. If in doubt, ask.
Bin your expired stuff. Nobody wants to play "whose science experiment is this?"

Sound, sleep, and shared rhythms

Learn the house's quiet hours and honour them — people have early meetings, exams, and stages.
Take calls in your room, not at the shared table (especially work/video calls).
Headphones are a love language. Use them in common areas.
Heads-up for parties. Hosting friends? Tell the house first, keep it reasonable, and clean up the same night.

Do your part on the chores

Most coliving houses have professional cleaning of common areas, but the day-to-day is on residents:

If there's a rota, do your turn without being chased.
Take the bins out — and learn Belgium's strict sorting (blue PMC bags, coloured collection days). Getting it wrong means the whole house's bags get left on the pavement.
Restock shared basics (dish soap, sponges) when you use the last of them.

The social side: show up, don't force it

The best houses balance togetherness and privacy:

Say yes to house dinners and apéros, especially early on. This is how a house of strangers becomes friends — and it's the whole point of coliving.
But respect "quiet mode." Someone reading with headphones in the corner isn't being antisocial; they're recharging. Don't take it personally.
Introduce yourself to new arrivals. You were new once. A five-minute welcome makes someone's whole week.
Communicate kindly and directly. Belgian-style: address the small thing (the dishes, the noise) early and politely, before it festers. A quick "hey, mind grabbing your pan later?" beats a passive-aggressive group-chat message.

When friction happens (it will)

Living with people means occasional friction. Handle it like an adult:

Assume good intent. Most annoyances are forgetfulness, not malice.
Talk directly and early, one-to-one, not via the group chat pile-on.
Use the house manager. Most operators have someone whose job is exactly this — Sharies and Comoon, for instance, have on-site management. Escalate real issues to them.

Why good etiquette pays you back

Here's the thing: the effort compounds. Be the housemate who cleans up, says yes to dinner, and welcomes newcomers, and you'll find yourself in the warm centre of the house — invited to everything, helped when you need it, and genuinely at home. That's the real product coliving sells, and you're a co-creator of it.

New to the whole concept? Read how coliving works in Brussels and see the full operator landscape.

Finding your house? Take the matchmaker quiz, browse all coliving spaces, or read coliving vs flatshare.