We’re used to reading lists of unreasonable demands in viral threads written by brides-to-be, but a post detailing a very specific checklist for a housemate in London has Twitter in a spin.
The original listing was posted on flat sharing website SpareRoom, and went viral after Twitter user @rxdazn [shared screenshots of the post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/rxdazn/status/106594358593632665636326656 ).
The list of requirements starts off being pretty reasonable; ‘I need you to be out of the flat on week days during normal working hours (9-5) because I work from home 5 days a week and I need the place to myself,’ the prospective flat sharer writes, which is understandable if you need to focus on work during the day and use the flat as an office.
Then we get into the bathroom restrictions; ‘If you have to run to the toilet 15 times a day or every 15 minutes, don’t move in here,’ they continue.
And then come the noise restrictions; ‘My new flatmate has to be a quiet and considerate person. Which means you should use door handles rather than push the doors to slam, and try to behave quietly, especially when it’s late or early in the morning, so as not to disturb others. I won’t tell you for how long you’re allowed to talk a day, it’s nonsense… but I don’t want to hear noise coming from your room all the time… If you’re watching movies without headphones or sports or listen to music, it’s the same thing. If you’re laughing out loud until after 11pm or sleep with the radio on – still the same thing.’
READ MORE: The Best Places To Kit Out Your Rented Home On The Cheap
SHOP: The Best Places To Kit Out Your Home On The Cheap
1 of 14Ian Snow
Behind every Ian Snow piece lies a story. A tradition, a way of doing things, carefully preserved through the generations. Inspired by Ian's travels to India in 1969, his daughters Daisy and India work alongside him and their mother from their farm in Devon.
2 of 14Anthropologie
If you've ever been into an Anthropologie store you'll know the overwhelming feeling of wanting everything in sight. From soft furnishings to glassware, they stock near enough everything for any room in the house.
3 of 14Zara Home
Zara Home is about to launch a new online collection, so you no longer have to go in store to get your fix.
4 of 14Home Sense
With 33 stores all over the UK, stock changes regularly but they claim they are 60% cheaper than other retailers. Although you can't shop online, which is a bit of a pain. Their beautiful rustic tables are seriously sturdy. Also their beautiful blue & white cushion with serious top texture is a stand out accessory for your sofa (£7.99). You can't buy online so a visit to store is essential.
5 of 14Sainsburys Home
If you've been missing out on Sainsbury's range of homeware then you need to jump on the bandwagon pronto. This beautiful scarf-print bed linen is only £31 and pretty enough to make you ditch plain white bedding for life. They also have some very reasonably priced soft furnishing like this oil paint cushion (£12) to instantly add a unique interior twist without blowing the budget.
6 of 14ASOS Supply
While you're browsing ASOS looking for an outfit for the last minute boozy brunch you've agreed to attend this weekend, pop some bedding, towels and plant hangers (this one's only £16!) in your basket from the website's homeware range. It's cheap, durable and (most importantly) uniquely stylish.
7 of 14Dunelm
With over 140 stores in the UK with so much to choose from and is suitable for a range of budgets. Their home accessories are particularly good for those with less cash to splash. From their decor range their blue ribbed glass bud vase at £5 is perfect for stems and their metal and glass lantern is just stunning for £8. Also you may not know it yet, but their Albany gold table lamp is exactly what you need in your life. (£104).
8 of 14The Range
Offering everything from furniture to wall art, throws, cushions, vases and even a dedicated wedding range. You do have to root around, but you'll find some gems. Check out the hanging chair from their garden essentials, or their Pinterest-worthy ivory arched mirror for £57.99. Their Laos Trail wallpaper is beautiful with a price to match at £14.99 a roll and their Lobster cushion taps into the tapestry trend for just £3.99.
9 of 14Decorator's Notebook
Decorator's Notebook specialise in handmade home accessories from fair trade groups, social enterprises and artisan co-operatives all over the world. Their ethos is that design quality and ethics can go hand in hand and allow customers to create a beautiful home without compromising their style or their conscience.
10 of 14Graham & Green
A family-run business with unusual pieces. Their geometric vases are so nice it's hard to know if you'd look at the flowers or the vase and their black distressed whale book ends will make even your crappy old uni books look interesting.
11 of 14Wilkinsons
Wilko calls itself the 'home of family value' retailer. And although it sounds a bit like a razor, it's actually just an amazing shop that sells just about everything. You could kit out your entire home this way, but highlights right now are a slick bookcase from their Julian Bowen range for £140, or this Anthropologie-esque duvet set for just £14.
12 of 14Atkin & Thyme
Launched in October 2014, this boutique scours the globe for handmade pieces which means your mates won't automatically have the same wardrobe as you. We're very into this chevron chest of drawers, par example.
13 of 14H&M Home
Mostly known for their clothes, H&M has recently upped it's game and stepped into the homeware market. And with pieces such as this rattan basket for just £9.99 it's no surprise the new venture is doing well.
14 of 14Marks & Spencer
Seeing a theme here? Yep, there are plenty of supermarkets offering cheap homeware, including Marks & Spencer. This leaf print cushion is only £12.50!
No laughing after 11? Now that’s a little unreasonable, and housemate socialising seems pretty much off the table too; ‘This isn’t a very sociable house, we don’t do parties and we don’t really have time to cook together or watch TV together.'
It’s not just late nights that are a no-no, it’s early mornings too; ‘There’s no cooking in this flat before 8:30am, and after 11pm. Occasionally I will allow it, and you can also make some porridge or use the microwave… In the mornings I need everyone to try to hurry up with their bathroom routine. No one’s going to wait for half an hour or wake up much earlier just to be able to take a shower.’ This is beginning to sound a LOT like The Big Bang Theory icon Sheldon Cooper’s roommate agreement.
It turns out many of the issues the poster is trying to avoid come from being burned by previous flatmates. The post begins; ‘I had a couple of bad flatmates this year and I don’t want to waste your time and mind if you can’t commit to certain things that are very important to me.’
While we don’t know the age of the poster, it seems as though years of bad flatmate experiences have left this renter with a bad taste in their mouth. And posts like this one might become more common and people spend more of their adult lives renting; a BBC News report this year showed that renting among all age groups has risen, and the proportion of 35 to 54-year-olds who are private tenants has nearly doubled in the last 10 years.
This list of requirements may seem absurd, but at least anyone renting that particular flat will know what they’re getting into before they put down a hefty deposit.