10 Tips for Maintaining Privacy While Sharing a Home

Below are ten tips for maintaining privacy in shared housing. The first six center around the physical layout of the home's spaces. The last four focus on enhancing communication as well as ways to keep communications private as needed.

First, let’s look at options for home layout and possible modifications that can enhance physical privacy. Some of these may be easy or already existing for the space you want to share, and some may be more difficult or impossible, depending upon your space. Some of these can only be approved/done by the homeowner, but some can also be accomplished by a Seeker, if they would like to enhance the privacy of a space they are considering renting.

Find or create a separate entrance. If there isn’t an existing door of some kind that someone could use to enter their living space from the outside, you might be able to create one where there is currently a window. Or perhaps have someone enter through a door that isn’t in the middle of the main living areas, like a side or back door.

Cooking. Everyone needs to eat, so everyone needs a place to store and prepare food. If you don’t want to share a kitchen, it might be fairly easy and inexpensive to create a kitchenette. Many people don’t cook a lot, and a toaster oven or air fryer, microwave, hot plate and mini fridge might be all they’d need.

Bedrooms. Minimize adjoining walls as much as possible. If you can have bedrooms on opposite ends of the house, that’s even better.

Minimizing sound. There are ways to reduce noise by adding sound proofing layers to your walls, or installing rock wool insulation during construction. You can also use ambient noise machines. At the very least, you can turn to your headphones or earbuds and your favorite playlists!

Outdoor areas. Creating private outdoor spaces can be accomplished with fast growing plants and trees, screens (like lattice work), and even fountains and potted plants. Even a small private outdoor area can be very valuable.

Privacy screening. Eye level screens are most helpful.  Blinds that open from the top down as well as the bottom up are great for this. You can also find folding screens and hang curtains.

Next, let’s look at a few quick tips to consider when enhancing and maintaining privacy in communications:

Eye contact. Some people have an agreement that when approaching the other person, they wait for eye contact. If no eye contact is made, they know now is not a good time to talk (perhaps the other person is busy working, or on a call or can’t be interrupted). If eye contact is made, it is an invitation to engage in conversation.

Scheduled check-ins. Set times to discuss items of shared interest and regular check-ins, such as a weekly coffee or monthly dinner together can avoid a lot of problems by creating a mutually agreed upon set time to discuss issues before they become problematic.

Communication format. Establish agreed upon forms of communication upfront. It’s important to understand who is comfortable with a knock on a door and who prefers a text for non-emergency items. You may also want to plan for a place where housemates will see handwritten notes.

External communications. Consider whether you want to share your mailbox and internet or whether you want to insist that a housemate receives mail at a PO box or get their own internet account. It is also possible to divide internet accounts into separate user sign-ins to protect privacy.

Next up: Additional Considerations Before Listing

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