Fair chore rotation for 7 or 8 housemates

In a house of seven or eight there are fewer chores than people, so each week several housemates are off. A fair rotation makes sure the weeks off are shared out as evenly as the chores. Below is a full seven-week table for 7 people and 5 chores, and what changes with 8.

Worked example: 7 people, 5 chores, 7 weeks

Ana, Ben, Cleo, Dev, Eli, Fay and Gus share five chores. Each chore has one person a week and moves on by one person every week, so two people are off.

After seven weeks every person has done each of the five chores exactly once and has had two weeks off. Week 8 repeats week 1.

What changes with 8 housemates

With eight people and the same five chores, three people are off each week and the cycle is eight weeks long. Each person still does every chore once in a cycle and has three weeks off. If three people resting each week feels like too many, split the work into more chores: eight chores for eight people gives everyone one job every week.

This size needs the Pro licence

The free version makes rotas for up to 4 people and up to 4 weeks, so neither a house of seven nor a seven-week table fits. Both need the paid Chore Rota Pro licence, USD 3.50 one-time, which covers up to 12 people and up to 26 weeks and nothing above that. Only the organiser needs the licence. Housemates who receive a link do not.

Every housemate gets a personal link with their own weeks, "No chore this week" in a week off, and a button that downloads a calendar (.ics) file. Privacy: the schedule lives only in the link, anyone with the link can read the names and chores in it, and nothing is stored on a server. See the privacy page.

Open the chore rota generator

More guides

• Shared house cleaning rota for 6 housemates
• Weekly cleaning rota for a student house of 5
• Chore rota for a 26-week term: 6 housemates, 4 chores
• Fair chore rotation generator: how to check a rota is even