If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below. Carer's Allowance. Call 0800 587 0912 Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk. Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance. Call 0800 587 2750 I calculated that it takes 20-25 hours/week to manage and care for my household (timers can help with figuring this out). Now I'm working on trying to delegate some of it to other household members. [ Free Download: 22 Clutter-Busting Strategies for Adults with ADHD] The plan: I do at least one daily load of laundry. If your Mississippi EBT Card is ever lost or stolen, please call the Mississippi EBT Cardholder Service Center at 1-866-512-5087, 1-877-906-0085 (TTY) immediately to cancel your card and prevent any possible loss of your SNAP benefits. Here is a list of some basic house chores that children can help you with: 1. Setting Shoe Stand. This one is pretty simple. This teaches them how to organize things in real life. Ask them to sort their shoe and place them in their shelf nicely. 2. Grocery Shopping. Children can help you while for grocery shopping. Weaving a common narrative: An introduction to essays on families, policy and the law in Australia. by Alan Hayes and Daryl Higgins. The collected essays in this book seek to explore some of the complexities that confront both those who frame social policy and those involved in the legal systems that intersect with child and family issues. Advocacy. Advocates can help you get your voice heard. This may help if you are finding it hard to get access to any social services you are entitled to. For example, they may be able to support you with getting the help you need from your local council. See our pages on advocacy for more information. qtuV. Families in Australia Survey report Content type Research report OverviewThis paper presents an overview of reports on sharing housework from couples who live together. It explores changes, if any, in how couples shared housework at different times during 2020, and their levels of satisfaction with how housework is shared. The report primarily presents analysis from the second Families in Australia Survey, conducted in November–December 2020, but also draws on findings from the first survey in May–June 2020. Key messages Within opposite-sex couples, there is a gendered distribution of housework. At the end of 2020, according to Families in Australia respondents, in 12% of couple families, household tasks were always done by the female and in 30% of couple families, they were usually done by the female. By comparison, in 8% of couple families these tasks were usually done by the male and in 2% of couple families, they were always done by the male. Household tasks were shared equally in 47% of couple families. Most males were satisfied with the way household tasks are divided between themselves and their partner 74% satisfied or very satisfied compared to 52% of satisfied females. Six per cent of males were dissatisfied compared to 24% of females. Dissatisfaction among females was particularly apparent in families in which both partners worked full-time hours and the female usually or always did more housework. Respondents’ comments about the sharing of housework illustrated the varied reasons for the way these tasks are distributed. Sometimes these reflected negotiated arrangements. Sometimes they reflected one partner being constrained in time/opportunity and sometimes they reflected gendered attitudes or roles that had been in place for a long time. IntroductionIntroductionFor couples who live together, the sharing of household work, such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, is often unevenly split between the two members. Within opposite-sex couples, women often spend more time on these household tasks than men. This is somewhat related to differences in paid work and time in the home but it also related to gender role attitudes J. A. Baxter, 2015; J. H. Baxter, 2002; van Egmond, Baxter, Buchler, & Western, 2010.This paper explores the sharing of household work within couples in 2020, using the Families in Australia Survey data for respondents in couple These surveys are not representative of the population and, in particular, have a much higher response from females than While this may mean some bias in the findings, the general findings are consistent with those reported elsewhere Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2021; Craig & Churchill, 2020. Couple parents were also asked about the sharing of child care, and this will be explored in a later publication.The survey asked how household tasks are shared and respondents’ satisfaction with this distribution of tasks. The survey also sought comments on the sharing of were asked Who in your household is currently doing the household tasks, such as cleaning and cooking?’, with response options aiming to capture whether these tasks are always or usually predominantly done by themselves or their partner, or equally shared. Responses were combined with information on the gender of respondent and partner to classify these arrangements in terms of the distribution between the male and female in the couple. Overall patterns of sharing houseworkOverall patterns of sharing houseworkThe gendered distribution of housework is apparent in the responses to this question. Overall, at the end of 2020412% reported that household tasks were always done by the female30% reported they were usually done by the female47% reported they were shared equally8% reported they were usually done by the male2% reported they were always done by the 1 shows that the findings from Survey 1, for May–June 2020, are similar to these findings for November–December 2020 although differences in the sample characteristics of Survey 1 and Survey 2 mean that care should be taken in making direct comparisons between the two surveys.In the first survey, we also captured how housework was typically shared before COVID. These findings indicated that, although many people were at home, working or not, during May–June 2020, this had only resulted in a small shift in the distribution of household tasks between partners from before COVID to May–June 2020. This shift showed a little more equal sharing at May–June, rather than the usual of the female doing 1 Sharing of housework before COVID and at May–June 2020 Notes Weighted data. Opposite-sex Families in Australia, Survey 1, May–June 2020Among the 303 female respondents who answered this question in both surveys, in May–June 2020 as well as November–December 2020, and whose responses could be linked across surveys, a majority reported similarly on their sharing of household tasks at both points in time39% at both surveys said it was always or usually themselves who did the household tasks33% at both surveys said that these tasks were usually shared3% at both surveys said their partner always or usually does these tasks9% reported equal sharing at November–December but not at May–June16% reported equal sharing at May–June 2020 but not later in the was an insufficient number of male respondents to compare their responses across waves. Of the 62 males who could be compared across the two surveys, the majority reported at both surveys that they shared equally 63% or that their partner always or usually does the household tasks 15%.Some of the analysis and discussion below illustrates the factors that may contribute to change in the sharing of household A very small number of respondents 15 out of 2,607 indicated someone other than they or their partner does the housework and they are excluded from the analysis. Satisfaction with sharing of household workSatisfaction with sharing of household workIn November–December 2020, respondents were asked how satisfied they were with the way household tasks were shared. Most respondents indicated that they were satisfied, with just 13% saying they were dissatisfied and 3% saying they were very dissatisfied. Nearly one in four said they were very the gendered patterns to how housework is shared, it is not surprising that females in the Families in Australia Survey were more often dissatisfied than males in how the household tasks are divided. Relating these ratings to the reports on how housework tasks are shared Figure 2, the greatest satisfaction is reported by those who share these tasks equally with their dissatisfaction is much more apparent is with females who report that the household tasks are done primarily by them. In those families, 33% of females were dissatisfied and 10% very dissatisfied. We look at this more below, when exploring the satisfaction of females within families in which both partners are employed 2 Satisfaction with sharing of household tasks, by gender and sharing of household tasks in couples Notes Weighted data. Opposite-sex Families in Australia, Survey 2, November–December 2020Comments by survey respondents help explain some of the links between the sharing of tasks and levels of example, looking at some comments by those who are very satisfied’ yet say it is always me’ or usually me’ who does the household tasks, there is a sense that roles within the couple have been negotiated or reflect constraints related to work or other factors such as work part-time so I do more around the house as my husband works long hours and when he is home I want him to spend time with his child. Female aged 31 years, male partnerI don’t work while he does so my job is to keep the house clean, take care of the kids, etc., which I’m happy to do. Female aged 30 years, male partnerMy wife earns the money. I look after the children and the house. We’re like a 1950s family in reverse. It works! Male aged 45 years, female partnerI do mostly everything as my husband has cancer but does try to help. Female aged 71 years, male partnerLooking from the other perspective, those who are very satisfied’ and say it is always my partner’ or usually my partner’ who does the household tasks, there are typically references to the negotiated roles, which may also reflect work and other constraints within the took a promotion this year so we sat down … and renegotiated how we’d split things. Before this year we were both part-time and split the child care and housework between us. This year, my partner reduced his hours from 80% to 70% so I could go full-time, and he has carried more of the load of child care and housework, which has worked very well for us. Female aged 42 years, male partnerI’m very satisfied because I work in a full-time job and he is now not working. So he cooks and does a spot of cleaning! Female aged 57 years, male partnerMy husband does a lot as I have a disability. Female aged 56 years, male partnerThere is not always evidence of negotiation, and some patterns may instead have become entrenched over time. We see this in some of the comments of older Families in Australia respondents, when examining age differences later in this household wife does paid work part-time and does most of the unpaid housework. Male aged 60 years, female partnerDissatisfaction among those who say it is they who always or usually do these tasks is reflected in negative comments about the way tasks are shared, and the unfairness and volume of work. The persistence of gender role attitudes appears to affect some husband works long hours so I have to do majority of things otherwise we wouldn’t eat until very late at night. I feel stereotypes still exist and it is expected that as a woman I would do the ironing and washing and cleaning. I work full-time and travel 3 hours a day, this expectation is not realistic. Female aged 35 ye, male partnerThe cultural normative in my household still seems to be the man goes out to work and the woman takes care of the house and the children. I’ve tried to challenge it and encourage him to do more, and he says he will but it just ends up with me nagging him and it’s easier to do it myself. Female aged 37 years, male partnerSome, though, are dissatisfied yet explain that the roles reflect the differences in allocation of time to paid work, or for other reasons such as health isn’t so much of a gender issue, such as my husband not participating because it is a women’s job’. It is more to do with the fact he is in paid employment and we need that. He has been in essential services and worked overtime so I tried to do the other tasks to take the load off. He has been mentally exhausted from the workload. Female aged 34, male partnerAlthough I feel very dissatisfied re household tasks, my partner is unable to contribute due to mobility and chronic pain issues. Female aged 64 years, male partnerDissatisfaction was also expressed by some respondents who reported their partner always or usually does the household tasks. For them, a key issue was constraints on their ability to share in these tasks, with a number of references to the effects of physical or mental have chronic pain so my husband has to do most of the work although I wish I could do more. Female aged 35 years, male partnerI would like to contribute more but often have difficulty due to burnout and poor mental health. Female aged 31 years, male partnerSome others who were dissatisfied but with a partner who was doing more explained the division of tasks reflected their paid work arrangements, which meant their partner was in a better position than them to do more of the household we examine further the differences in the sharing of housework according to some characteristics. Paid work and sharing of houseworkPaid work and sharing of houseworkThere is considerable diversity in paid work arrangements across families and, as evident in some of the comments above, these paid work arrangements tend to set the scene for the ways in which household tasks are 3 shows that the sharing of housework is closely related to how paid work is shared within the couple. In particular, it is common for the female partner to always or usually do the household work when the male works full-time and the female works part-time or not at all. The trend is reversed in couples where the male partner is not working but the female is, consistent with some of the quotes presented. Equal sharing is, however, reported across many families, even when there is an imbalance in work also note that, within these couple-employment categories, there is variation, which to some extent will reflect other characteristics of the families. In the next section, below, we will look at variation by respondent’s age and the presence of 3 Sharing of household tasks by couple employment, all couples Notes Weighted data. Opposite-sex Families in Australia, Survey 2, November–December 2020In commenting on the sharing of household tasks, it was common for respondents to refer to their or their partner’s work hours or their location of work, including working at I work from home more, many household tasks fall to me, and it sometimes feels as if my work is less important or onerous because it is done from home, so I should shoulder more of the chores. Female aged 48 years, male partnerHusband has a very large workload and has to spend a lot of time working when at home, this results in most of the household tasks being completed by myself. Female aged 31 years, male partnerThe impacts of work were reported not just by respondents who said they do most of the household work but also by those who did not. These respondents sometimes expressed regret at not being able to do more around the would like to do more around the house to help her, but 12-hour shifts leave me exhausted. I still do more on my days off though. Male aged 28 years, female partnerI would like to do more but I am away with work too much. Male aged 37 years, female partnerWe note that in families in which both partners work full-time, a significant proportion of the females are usually or always doing the household work. The ratings of satisfaction with the division of household tasks among females in this situation is much lower than for those females who are in families where both partners work full-time but the household tasks are shared equally. The dissatisfaction in these working families, in which the female does more, comes through strongly in the women’s commentsVery unevenly distributed and often causes conflict when the issue is raised that he needs to contribute more. Female aged 51 years, male partnerI’m going on strike. I am done. Female aged 42 years, male partnerPredominately all my responsibility and it is totally unfair. Female aged 45 years, male partner Age, parenthood and sharing of houseworkAge, parenthood and sharing of houseworkDifferences in the sharing of housework are also apparent when looking at respondent age and whether there are children in the home, as shown in Figure 4 Sharing of household tasks by age of respondent, and presence of children under 18 years, all couples Notes Weighted data. Opposite-sex couples. The disaggregation by presence of children is only shown for those under 45 years, given small numbers in the sample aged 45 years and over with children under 18 years in the Families in Australia, Survey 2, November–December 2020Such differences not only reflect paid work arrangements but may also reflect gender role and parenting attitudes. Generational factors may contribute to differences by age, with the roles within families of older respondents perhaps reflecting old established patterns. There is certainly evidence of this from comments of older Families in Australia in my sixties. After that many decades I have my partner pretty well-trained. Female aged 69 years, male partnerCame from traditional background of task division. After 50 years, it’s a bit late to change. Female aged 71 years, male partnerAfter 42 years of marriage we seem to fall into a routine of sharing tasks without even speaking about it, he likes to cook, I do most of the cleaning, we share the washing. We communicate about tasks. Female aged 63 years, male partnerAlong traditional lines but have been doing it so long 52 years it is easier that way, we know our roles and everything gets done. Female aged 73 years, male partnerThe impact of parenthood on the sharing of housework can be seen in Figure 4. It is strongly tied to the impact of parenthood on women’s employment – as women tend to do more of the caring work when they have young children, reducing their time in paid work. A consequence of this, in many families, is that women also take up more of the household tasks. This is evident in many of the comments presented in this at the comments in the Families in Australia Survey of mothers who were at home on maternity leave, they tend to report doing more of the household tasks. However, this appeared to be a transition period for couples, with some reflecting on how they expect – or have planned – for the household work to be shared once this time of leave is were very equal until baby. More leave for fathers is less likely to make it fall on one partner. My partner does a lot, which helps, but if I’m home I’m going to do more. Female aged 39 years, male partnerBeing on maternity leave gives husband an excuse for him to do less. I’m sure it will continue this way when I go back to work even though my work hours are longer. Female aged 36 years, male partnerI’m a stay at home mum while on maternity leave, I expect to do more. I’m very scared about how we will manage when I go back to work. Female aged 39 years, male partner COVID and sharing of household tasksCOVID and sharing of household tasksAs indicated by the statistics presented earlier on, changes in the sharing of household tasks in response to the COVID pandemic and related restrictions showed some shifts within households related to who does what. Some of these changes were toward more equitable sharing, while others tipped the balance toward less equitable sharing, as seen in the following some couples, working at home together increased the visibility of each other’s work demands as well as household actually allowed my husband to see how busy I am in my job. He took on much more of the household and child care tasks after that. Female aged 30 years, male partnerCovid actually helped shine a light on the amount of work I do in the home and my partner has improved since our roles were reversed when he was home with the kids 3 days while I was at work during the peak Covid cases and we pulled the kids out of child care for 6 weeks. Female aged 35 years, male partnerAs noted previously, though, some experienced a heightened expectation to take on the household jobs due to being seen to be available, given working at home I now work from home everyone expects me to do all the household chores and I end up doing them because I am home all day. Female aged 46 years, male partnerBefore COVID, tasks were shared equally between my partner and I; however, this has gradually become more unequal with my partner doing less Partly because my partner has lacked motivation during this time, understandably, and my working from home gives my partner the illusion that I have more time’ for household tasks, so I find myself doing more cooking and cleaning than before. Female aged 29 years, male partnerOthers benefited from COVID providing an opportunity to have more flexible working arrangements, which flowed through to changes in how tasks in the home were has higher salary and so we chose for him to remain full-time while I went part-time, plus my workplace is more flexible than his. This is not my ideal situation – I would prefer equal work in both paid and unpaid domains – but circumstances dictated it. However, COVID restrictions forced more flexibility for him and him taking on more of the household/parenting load – a silver lining – and we will endeavour to continue this going forward. Female aged 44 years, male partnerIt was noted by a number of respondents that there were some big factors affecting the amount of household work to be done – in particular, related to there being more people at home. This led to more demand for cooking and cleaning and, for some families, the extra responsibility of managing home radically disrupted our usual division of child care and household jobs. The kids were home full-time and the cleaning and cooking were also a hugely bigger job than usual. Most of the home schooling, child care, cooking and cleaning fell to me during lockdowns. I had to work late at night and early in the morning to squeeze my work hours in, as my partner’s work was less flexible, and I had the kids the rest of the time. It was not an equal division but there wasn’t much we could do about it because of a lack of flexibility from my partner’s work, the increased load she was carrying at work in a legal aid team dealing directly with the impacts of COVID on people’s tenancy issues and because we simply didn’t have the energy or time to figure out better options. It was awful! Female aged 36 years, female partnerEven though my partner is home more with work he doesn’t do any more of the housework. The house is messier because we are home more and this can lead to arguments and a chaotic space. Female aged 32 years, male partnerHaving extra people in the home has increased the workload and stress, and I am exhausted. Female aged 67 years, male partner Life changes and negotiating changing rolesLife changes and negotiating changing rolesIn commenting on how household tasks are shared, respondents noted how their current sharing patterns reflected specific short-term situations, particularly those related to medical pregnant with high risk so my partner has been doing more household tasks; however, this would normally be equal. Female aged 36 years, male partnerCurrently have a broken leg so my partner is doing everything. Normally we share responsibilities. Female aged 41 years, female partnerSome were constrained in their options to share housework due to one of the partners having a long-term health condition or I have a chronic illness, my husband does the bulk of cooking and housework. I would prefer if we shared more equally, but it is not practically possible for us. Female aged 70 years, male partnerSome had settled on a division of household tasks that saw each doing different jobs, sometimes suited to their interests and sometimes due to am home more so do a lot of the housework. When my wife is home, she does some of the jobs I don’t like doing but which she is happy to do. We also have a roster of who does what and when with most tasks alternating. Male aged 46 years, female partnerBetween us we seem to divide the interior and exterior tasks up pretty well, with my spouse very content and capable with the former, and me pretty satisfied with handling the latter. Tasks are divided mainly on typical gender stereotypical lines without intending to be, and we both like to think that we partner in these tasks and roles pretty well by more playing to our individual strengths and talents. Male aged 56 years, female partner Executive tasks and sharing houseworkExecutive tasks and sharing houseworkA number of Families in Australia respondents commented on the fact the survey question did not enquire about the mental tasks, or executive tasks, associated with running a household. That is, who makes the appointments and pays the bills, for example. There was a great sense of dissatisfaction among respondents that this contribution to household tasks is somewhat invisible yet can be a considerable burden. Comments indicated this aspect of household work is very often undertaken by the physical tasks are roughly equal, the organising, mental load of knowing what needs to happen stays with me, despite me being the one working full-time while my partner is out of work. Female aged 49 years, male partnerThe tasks are split up fairly; however, I seem to be the boss in charge and carry the mental load. Female aged 33 years, male load is an under-reported and not often discussed issue. Female aged 32 years, male partnerSurvey 3 of Families in Australia includes a new question asking about the sharing of this aspect of household work. Other family issues in sharing houseworkOther family issues in sharing houseworkSome respondents reported on some different issues to those covered above when answering the question about sharing household families faced challenges in establishing roles and responsibilities in household tasks if one of the couple was a step-parent. While this typically related to complexities in the sharing of child care, this flowed through to the sharing of other household a step-mum, I do a lot of child care and housework that I didn’t have to do before moving in with my partner. It’s easy for a male parent to expect his female partner to just take on the mothering responsibilities and I’ve taken on a lot. Female aged 35 years, male partnerAs my partner is not my daughter’s father, the division of care is difficult to negotiate. Female aged 32 years, male partnerA number of families with older children commented on their children’s contribution to the household work – noting that the sharing’ question did not allow for the contribution made by children. Some reported positively on this contribution, while others commented more children and their partners do nothing and I don’t know how to change this. Partner is a male stereotype. Female aged 52 years, male partnerAll family members in my household share household tasks. Female aged 48 years, male partnerWe also note the experience of same-sex couples, who are not represented in the couple-level graphs are a same-sex couple so we have an equal share. We have noticed that some of our friends and straight couples in our mums group have tended to default to traditional gender roles after baby is born, where mum does most of the work. Female aged 36 years, female partnerAs a lesbian relationship, we have a pretty good balance of this due to not being bound by the gender norms of society. It is much easier to be equitable and flexible as there is no outside pressure on us to be a certain way. There is also the benefit of the children only being in our care 50% of the time, as the other 50% they are with their biological father. Female aged 28 years, female partner SummarySummaryThe gendered distribution of housework within couples is apparent in the Families in Australia Survey responses, and this was little changed during COVID, as reported in the first survey, in May–June November–December 2020 there was more satisfaction than dissatisfaction among partnered males and females in how household tasks are shared but females were much more likely to be dissatisfied than males. This was especially apparent when females usually or always did the household work, and more so among those doing most of the housework who worked full-time hours and also had a partner working full-time comments in the survey provide insights on how household roles came about, and how those roles were experienced. The couples’ paid work arrangements often set the scene for the way household tasks were shared but it was also apparent that there were generational factors with some older couples, while others’ arrangements were affected by disability and health conditions. Many other issues emerged, highlighting the varied ways that families work out or settle into these roles. Life changes, such as new parenthood, blending families and changes to work, can all be part of what makes a difference to families. About the surveyAbout the surveyTowards COVID Normal was the second survey in the Families in Australia Survey AIFS’ flagship survey series. It ran from 19 November to 23 December 2020, when restrictions had been eased in most pandemic in Australia triggered an unprecedented set of government responses, including the closing of Australia’s borders to non-residents, and restrictions on movement, gatherings and non-essential’ the health consequences over the period were not as severe in Australia as they were in many countries, social and economic effects were profound. The Towards COVID Normal survey attempted to capture some of those effects. The survey was promoted through the media, social media, newsletters, internet advertising and word of participantsIn the first FIAS survey, there were 7,306 respondents to the survey, of which 6,435 completed all survey questions. There were 4,843 couple the second FIAS survey, 4,866 participants responded, of which 3,627 completed all survey questions. There were 2,610 couple respondents. ReferencesReferencesAustralian Bureau of Statistics ABS. 2021. Household impacts of COVID-19, May 2021. Canberra ABS. Retrieved from Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, May 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics J. A. 2015. Gender role attitudes within couples, and parents’ time in paid work, child care and housework. In Australian Institute of Family Studies Ed., The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Annual Statistical Report 2014 pp. 39–62. Melbourne J. H. 2002. Patterns of change and stability in the gender division of household labour in Australia, 1986–1997. Journal of Sociology, 384, 399– L. & Churchill, B. 2020. Dual-earner parent couples’ work and care during COVID-19. Gender, Work & Organization, 28. Egmond, M., Baxter, J. H., Buchler, S., & Western, M. 2010. A stalled revolution? Gender role attitudes in Australia, 1986–2005. Journal of Population Research, 273, 147–168. AcknowledgementsAuthor Jennifer BaxterEditor Katharine DayGraphic design Lisa CarrollFeatured image © GettyImages/diego_cervo Citation Baxter, J. 2021. Towards COVID normal Sharing of housework in couple families. Families in Australia Survey report. Melbourne Australian Institute of Family Studies. When it comes to family structure and the benefits of equally sharing work and family responsibility between the sexes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating… It’s official; partners who share responsibility at work and home are happier, and more successful. A study launched in the 1970s by Örebro University in Sweden in which couples agreed to equally share the burden at work and home by both working part-time and spending equal time at home, taking on half of the household tasks and childcare each, found surprising results. Thirty years on, the couples reported that their decision to share responsibilities equally was not only good for their relationship, but also their family as a whole. Most interestingly, the male participants did not report that their career had suffered a negative impact by them dedicating less time to work and more to home. In fact, the men noted that their choice actually served their careers well because the extra responsibility they took on at home was valued highly as experience in most interesting results form the study, however, were that the sons of these couples did not themselves take up this life choice, suggesting that first-hand positive experience from their parents was not enough to break the conditions that society dictates when it comes to family work/life structure. Photograph iStock Related content THPTTiếng anhHọc sinhThầy cô ơi dạy em cách giải bài này với ạ. Em không biết gì hết!Gia sư QANDA - QuynhAnh3109Xem lời giải và hỏi lại nếu có thắc mắc nhé!Học sinhViết thành đoạn văn kiểu gì ạ? Your landlord has to keep your home in a good condition and do repairs if you live in a shared house. If you live in a 'house in multiple occupation' HMO they must also make sure your home meets certain safety standards. You’II usually be living in an HMO if you live with several people who aren’t part of your family. For example, if you live in an HMO your landlord must keep shared areas clean and repair faulty gas and electrical appliances so your home is kept safe. If your landlord isn’t looking after your home properly you should complain to get the problem sorted out. Before you complain There are steps you need to take before complaining to your landlord. Step 1. Check if you live in an HMO You’II usually be living in an HMO if you live in a shared house, bedsit or hostel with 2 or more people who aren’t part of the same family. If you’re not sure if you live in an HMO check with your local council - it can sometimes be difficult to tell. If you don’t live in an HMO and have a problem with your shared home, see how to complain about your landlord. Step 2. Check your home meets safety standards Your landlord must make sure your home meets certain safety standards if you live in an HMO. This includes making sure the property isn't overcrowded - check when your home is treated as being overcrowded on the Shelter website keeping shared areas clean and in good repair - for example staircases and corridors installing smoke alarms and a fire escape making sure gas equipment is safe - your landlord has to get a gas safety check done every year making sure your electrics are safe - your landlord has to get the electrics checked every 5 years Step 3 Check if your home needs to be licensed as an HMO Your landlord has to have a licence for your home if it has 5 or more people living there as 2 or more separate households. Resident landlords and their families should count as one person when working out the total number of people in your home. A household for example, is either a single person or family who live together including couples. Some councils require all HMOs to have a licence. Some councils require all private landlords to have a licence. You should check with your local council if your landlord has a licence for your home. If they don’t and they should this can help you when you make your complaint. Complain to your landlord If your home doesn’t meet the safety standards or you’re unhappy with its condition you should complain to your landlord. It’s best to write or send an email to your landlord, so you have evidence if you need it later. If you prefer to call them, keep a note of what you discussed. Explain your problem and what you want them to do to solve it. For example, if your shared stairways are blocked by rubbish tell them you want it removed. If your landlord is evicting you for complaining If you’re worried about your landlord evicting you for complaining it’s really important to make sure you've checked if they’ve got a licence for your home. If they haven’t applied or got a licence and they should have, they can’t evict you by using a section 21 notice. Even if they’re licensed, you can still complain if they’re not looking after your home. Talk to an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice if you need help checking if your landlord’s got a licence or you’re worried about your landlord evicting you for complaining. If your landlord doesn’t fix the problem If your landlord doesn’t fix your problem when you complain, tell your local council. It’s best to call your council to get your problem sorted out quickly. You could write a letter or send an email if you prefer. If you send a letter keep a copy in case you need evidence later. If you call the council you should note down what you discussed and who you spoke to. Explain how your landlord isn’t doing what they should for example, if they’re not keeping your home in good repair. Tell them you live in an HMO - this will usually make the council act faster. Send a copy of any evidence following your call or with your letter, for example photos showing the problem. Contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you need help making your complaint. What the council will do The council will usually inspect your home. They can tell your landlord to fix the problem if your home doesn’t meet the safety standards. If your landlord doesn’t follow the council’s advice they can take over the management of your home in serious cases. For example, if your health or safety is put at serious risk. If the council decides to manage your home If the council takes over the management of your home it will usually be for a period of 12 months, but they could take it over permanently - this doesn’t happen very often. You’II have to pay your rent to the council if they’re managing your home. They’ll write to you to explain how you should make your payments. Your tenancy rights will stay the same whilst the council is managing your home. For example, if they wanted to end your tenancy they would still need to give you proper notice. Check how you should be given notice.

do you have any problems with sharing housework