Flatmate cleaning schedule generator
A cleaning schedule works best when it is organised by zone rather than by task: one person owns the kitchen for the week, another owns the bathroom, and the zone is clean when the week ends. Here is a four-week schedule for four flatmates and three zones, and how the generator builds one like it.
Worked example: 4 flatmates, 3 zones, 4 weeks
Priya, Tom, Zoe and Max split the flat into the kitchen, the bathroom, and the living room with the hall. There are more people than zones, so one flatmate has the week off, and the week off rotates. Week 1 starts on Monday 12 October 2026.
| Week | Starts | Kitchen | Bathroom | Living room and hall | Week off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mon 12 Oct | Priya | Tom | Zoe | Max |
| 2 | Mon 19 Oct | Tom | Zoe | Max | Priya |
| 3 | Mon 26 Oct | Zoe | Max | Priya | Tom |
| 4 | Mon 2 Nov | Max | Priya | Tom | Zoe |
After four weeks each flatmate has cleaned each zone exactly once and had exactly one week off. Priya starts in the kitchen, moves to the hall in week 3 and is off in week 2, so no one is stuck with the bathroom twice in a row.
Tips for a zone-based schedule
- Write down what "clean" means for each zone. A short list on the fridge, such as wiped surfaces, emptied bin and mopped floor, avoids a dispute about whether the job was done.
- Make the zones about equal. If the bathroom takes twice as long as the hall, add the hall to the living room zone and give the extra time back elsewhere.
- Keep the week off. It is a real benefit of having more flatmates than zones, and it rotates, so nobody gets it more often than anybody else.
What the generator gives each flatmate
Enter the four names and the three zones, pick the Monday you start and press Make rota. Each flatmate gets a personal link that lists their own weeks, shows "No chore this week" in a week off, and has a button that downloads a calendar (.ics) file with one all-day event on the first day of each week they own a zone.
Free and Pro sizes
This example fits the free version, which makes rotas for up to 4 people and up to 4 weeks. For five or more flatmates, or a run past four weeks, you need the paid Chore Rota Pro licence, which covers up to 12 people and up to 26 weeks and nothing above that.
Privacy: the schedule lives only in the link. Anyone with the link can read the names and zones in it, and nothing is stored on a server. Details are on the privacy page.