How to navigate shared spaces in cohousing communities

Mary Jane Kirabo, a mother of five, who lives in a multifamily residence, says,  “It is as having an extended family. We have learned to respect each other’s space and time and our children have formed lasting friendships.” 

Angel Bakeera, a mother of two, who has been living an apartment block, stresses that with a shared vision and mutual respect, a single homestead with various tenants can transform into a haven of security, unity, and harmony. She attributes continued relationships in communal living spaces to the good moments shared when people live together in harmony. 
 
“The families I have shared this apartment with became friends and the friendship continues even when they move out,” Bakeera shares. 

Resources
Living in a multifamily property such  as an apartment block or an estate brings an element of codependence as different households end up sharing some communal resources. For such families to coexist in a harmonious environment requires better management of the intricacies of maintaining order, ensuring cleanliness, managing utilities and guaranteeing security.  

Fred Mukula, a multifamily property owner, explains that the successful coexistence of families relies on shared values and opinions. “They do not need to agree on everything but they should share some commonalities that unite them. For instance, for three or four different families to live together in peace, they should agree on how they will manage the shared resources such as parking spaces, garbage disposal and security of their environment. If they have children, there should be a general consensus on, for example, the kind of parties allowed on the premises, language and mode of dressing,” says Mukula.

Once these issues are ironed out, there will be less bickering among residents.

Marsella Tugume, a property manager, emphasises the importance of open dialogue in such residential communal arrangements.

“Creating a shared vision and ground rules is paramount. Meetings serve as a platform for discussing concerns, scheduling bathroom usage, and allocating chores. By fostering unity and encouraging respect for each other’s privacy, boundaries are naturally maintained,” she states.

The question of fairly sharing utilities such as electricity and water is a cause of conflict among such communities.

Denis Sendagire the founder of Race Property Consultants, Kyanja, Kampala, advocates for a comprehensive approach where each family contributes to utility bills based on usage, which promotes regulated consumption and ensures equitable billing.

“For example, each tenant has a Yaka (a payment system from Umeme that allows customers to conveniently manage and control their electricity) and a water metre so that individual tenants pay for their water usage separately,” says Sendagire.

Sendagire says monthly reports and payment receipts should be distributed to all families, promoting accountability and transparency.

Joram Muhumuza, a landlord who lives in Mpererwe, a Kampala suburb in the same apartment with his tenants, says when every resident is aware of their individual consumption, in most cases they do their best to conserve rather than waste resources such as water and electricity.

Ratio utility billing
Some landlords, however, according to Muhumuza, still rely on the old method of ratio utility billing. This is where the property has one metre, which gives landlords one bill for all residents. Most buildings constructed before the 2000s are still master metred. 

“With water and electricity rates going up the way they have been, ratio utility billing causes a lot of contention because there is no sure way of knowing exactly how much each tenant is using. Sometimes the landlord will try to base on the number of people in a household, while others just divide the bill evenly,” says Muhumuza.   

Cleanliness
In communal living, the responsibility of maintaining cleanliness extends beyond individual quarters. Communal areas demand collective effort. Muhumuza stresses the importance of using a proactive approach.

“We have scheduled regular cleaning sessions, rotating responsibilities among families. This not only ensures hygiene but also strengthens relationship among tenants,” Muhumuza says, adding that it is also a chance for the children to contribute and learn the importance of shared responsibilities.

Sendagire notes that employing a caretaker for rentals is crucial in ensuring hygiene in shared spaces by tenants.

“We have a caretaker who cleans outdoor latrines and bathrooms, as wells as mowing the lawn because it is not a tenant’s responsibility,” Sendagire says. Some property managers outsource cleaners and add the expense to the tenant’s rent. 

Navigating diverse lifestyles
With the current real estate market as it is, it is more difficult for people to buy a home and this is especially true for first-time buyers. Because of their convenience and affordable rent, multifamily properties are usually a mix of both low-income and high-income families.  

The disparity in incomes, if not reigned in, might become an issue of contention.  Issues such as parking and entertaining must be clearly spelt out to avoid conflict. 

“It can be a real pain to invite people over or have social gatherings when you live in a cohousing community. Neighbours can mean to be difficult when it comes to parking for your guests. There is also a sense of imposition as you have to do things according to the rules of the residence. For instance, the amount of guests you can have over at once, the duration of the party and noise,” says Muhumuza.

To mitigate such challenges, Muhumuza recommends instituting rules that work for everyone in spite of their lifestyle. 
 
“At first it might be disturbing to know a guard is watching everyone who comes and goes from your home but ultimately, people may like the fact that the neighbourhood is monitored in terms of safety.  Put in place a control system to make sure visitors are approved before being let in on the property. This might be annoying for some people but it gives the rest peace of mind,” says Muhumuza. 

Sendagire notes that security personnel prove invaluable in scenarios where diverse tenants arrive home at varying hours. 

“Our security guard is always on standby to ensure tenants can access the residence at any time of the day or night,” he says.

High turnover
Sendagire says another major challenge that multi-family residents face is the higher turnover of occupants. It is more likely for single-family tenants to stay in place longer than multi-family tenants. 

“If you have tenants who do not understand how to control their noise levels, have rowdy children or are generally disagreeable, chances are unless they are evicted, the other tenants will end up leaving for more peaceful accommodations.  As a property owner, you have a few ways to deal with tenant noise complaints. The first line of defense is setting up your building with soundproofing material and design to cut down on the potential for noise. After that, address the concerns directly with the problem tenant. You may be forced to ask the tenant to leave the property if the disruption is particularly problematic and frequent,” Sendagire suggests. 

Neighbours generally dictate how life will be. One of the biggest issues in a cohousing residence is the lack of privacy since houses are close to each other, you cannot help but be inconvenienced by a neighbour who chooses to mow their lawn on a Saturday morning when others are trying to rest. Because of the familial connotation, some tenants just let their children go wild at the inconvenience of others. 

Parking is often an issue. Usually houses get a driveway which fits two cars, one behind the other, so people will only park one car on their driveway and the other one in front of their house or in the visitors parking. 

If you get  visitors, they will be forced to  park directly in front of the house.  If all these issues are not solved, they will lead to a high turnover of occupants, which is disadvantageous for both the residents and the property owner.

Types of multifamily housing
Condominiums

Condominiums are one of the main types of multifamily real estate. Each resident owns their own unit within the condominium, and some or all of the units in the building might be rented out by the building owner or a managing agent.

Apartments
Apartment buildings are another common form of multifamily housing. In this type of multifamily housing, each household typically has its own living space, including bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens, but shares other common areas like parking garages and yards. 

Apartment buildings can contain just a handful of units or several, depending on the size of the development.

Duplex
A duplex is a multi-family home that contains two units in one building. They share a common wall but have a separate entrance and yard. Triplex and fourplex buildings are similar to the duplex, but they have three and four units respectively.

Estates
This type of multifamily housing is often low-rise, with independently owned units making up an estate. They are more likely to be found on the outskirts or in the suburbs rather than in the city centre. 

Etiquette
If you move into a new community try to connect with people. Avoiding people will not help, a simple hello or even a little smile can become a beginning of a healthy friendship that can keep out loneliness and boredom.  

Be as active as possible, join events and meet fellow residents. Basically, take an active role in linking with those you are living with.