A fair bin and bathroom rota for 3 flatmates
Bins and the bathroom are the two jobs nobody volunteers for, which makes them the first ones worth putting on a rota. With three flatmates and two jobs the fair answer is simple: each week one person takes the bins, one takes the bathroom and one has the week off, and all three roles rotate.
Worked example
Noor, Finn and Isla start on a Monday. Each job moves on by one person every week.
| Week | Bins | Bathroom | Week off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noor | Finn | Isla |
| 2 | Finn | Isla | Noor |
| 3 | Isla | Noor | Finn |
After three weeks everyone has done the bins once, the bathroom once and rested once. Week 4 looks like week 1 again. Notice the order: whoever cleans the bathroom this week takes the bins next week, and then gets a week off. A bathroom week is never followed by another bathroom week.
Why not just take turns?
With three people, taking turns on a single job gives each person a turn every third week, which is easy to lose track of. It is natural to remember that you did it recently and assume it is someone else's turn. A written table with dates removes the guessing, and a week off that is written down is plainly earned.
Details worth agreeing
- Bins means the whole job: taking bags out, putting the right bin on the street on collection day and bringing it back in.
- Bathroom means toilet, sink, shower or bath, mirror and floor.
- If the bathroom is the heavier job, add a small third chore, such as vacuuming the hall, so nobody has a full week off while someone else scrubs.
Make it with dates and reminders
Enter the three names and the two jobs in the generator, choose the start date and press Make rota. It is free at this size (up to 4 people and 4 weeks; in week 4 the order starts again). Each flatmate gets a personal link and a calendar (.ics) file, so bin day and bathroom week appear in their own phone calendar.
More guides
- Chore rota for 4 housemates
- Weekly cleaning rota for a student house of 5
- Roommate chore rotation you can add to Google Calendar
- Shared house cleaning rota for 6 housemates
- Chore rota .ics file for iPhone and Outlook calendars
- Roommate chore chart for 2 roommates
- Weekly chore rotation schedule with more chores than people