Acknowledge that they may see the issue differently than you. Acknowledge that this issue may not seem important to them.

Repeat what the other person said. Ask them to repeat what you said. This helps each person to empathize with the other. This helps to improve understanding. When each of you repeats back, it gives the other person an opportunity to understand how you see their situation. It also helps the other person to feel heard.

The problem may be obvious and you may agree right away on what it is. Or the problem might be something different than you first thought. Or you might each have a different idea of the problem. Listen to each other and follow steps 1 – 3 until you can agree on the problem.

Accept the validity of another person’s needs even if it doesn’t feel important to you. Find creative ways for everyone to get some of their needs met. 

The best solutions are win-win. Everyone feels their needs are met.

Report immediately to Asheya Accommodations the following incidents. If a resident or their guest:

• smokes any substance in the house or in a non-designated area on the property
• enters another resident’s private room without permission
• does not participate in the chore schedule or chronically does not clean up after themselves

Residents are expected to maintain a quiet, peaceful, friendly environment that is comfortable and safe for everyone to live in.

Quiet hours are between 11 PM to 8 AM each day. This ensures consideration of other house members’ schedules and needs.

All residents have access to the common areas. Everyone is required to tidy up after themselves in these common areas each time they use them. Regular house chores are assigned on a weekly schedule.

Never enter another resident’s room or private area without receiving their permission. Violation of this term of your agreement may result in termination of your residency.

Residents may have guests over in their rooms at any time. Please consult with others in the house if you would like to have a group of friends use the common areas. Please make sure guests observe house rules and are considerate of others. Residents may have guests sleep over up to five nights per month. After this, please consult with everyone in the house and obtain written permission from the resident coordinator.

Residents are expected to communicate calmly and respectfully with each other even if challenging issues arise. Residents are expected to engage with tutorials on positive communication and to follow conflict resolution steps provided by Asheya Accommodations.

Only after residents have tried to engage in respectful communication with each other will the resident coordinator be available to help resolve issues.

If a resident is demonstrating a lack of responsibility and trustworthiness, the resident with the problem behaviour may have their residency terminated. Examples include: other residents report regularly feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, or the house is becoming unlivable as a result of someone’s behaviour.

Problem behaviour is determined by the resident coordinator based on the testimony of the other residents of the house. One resident will not have their residency terminated based on the testimony of only one other resident. At least two other residents must attest to a particular person creating and sustaining a problem.

All rooms in your shared house will be occupied by students and working people ages 20 to mid-30s.

Each resident is allowed to use any of the common areas. However, residents are expected to shower in their assigned washrooms.

None of the bedrooms have keyed locks on the interior doors. This is in compliance with a Vancouver fire safety bylaw. If there is a fire and a resident is trapped on a floor, they must be able to access an exit window through another resident’s room. We have also found that residents in houses without keyed interior locks get along better, feel more comfortable in their shared space, and trust each other more.