What Are Some Common Rules and Regulations for Boarding Houses?

Some common boarding house rules and regulations have to do with kitchen use, bathroom etiquette, use of bedrooms and rent payment schedules. If a boarding house includes meals in the rental fee, there may be specified meal times. Smoking or pets may not be permitted. Visitors, if allowed, usually cannot stay overnight. Some boarding houses cater to women or men only. Curfews and quiet times may be enforced.

Some boarding houses allow kitchen use and provide a locking pantry for each tenant to store nonperishable foods and space in the refrigerator for labeled goods. Others only allow use of a microwave. Each tenant is typically expected to clean up after using the kitchen and abide by a set kitchen curfew if one is posted.

If a boarding house includes some or all meals, serving times are usually posted. Late meals are not usually allowed, and in some cases, if tenants are “home,” they are expected to eat with the group. Cooking is generally not allowed in the rooms. Individual room cooking areas may be provided if the room has at least 150 square feet of floor space. Microwaves are sometimes allowed in smaller spaces.

Bathrooms may be private or shared. Some boarding houses require tenants to keep their personal bathroom items, such as shampoo, soap and makeup, stored in their rooms. In either case, the tenants are expected to keep the bathroom and other common areas neat.

Each boarding house has its own schedule for rent payment, usually weekly or sometimes, if long term, monthly. A contract outlining late fees, penalties and eviction procedures is usually provided, particularly for longer stays. Shorter stays may be paid upon check-in or check-out.