(I’m working on this document to split it up for the wiki – it’s the one Rastko and I made ages ago) – Dan

Welcome to 106!
This document is not a list of rules or any official instructions, It’s observations on what has been working well, how we are doing things now, and where you can find what you need. 
The house is run on respect, co-operation, and consideration rather than rules, principles, and preconceptions. Speak about solutions don’t shout about problems!
Please remember that ultimately we can’t decide what others do in the house. Everyone is free to decide their own level of privacy or interaction. And only the landlord rules, so ask him if you really have a problem you can’t solve with our help.

Information
1. There is a notice board by the door that has important landlord notices, and also events and local interest info.
2. If you need to let people know about anything urgent, the kitchen table is usually a good place to leave a big note, but remember this only gets read by people sharing the main part of the house.
3. There is also a ‘house book’ in the kitchen on the Big green stove. It’s also used for notes, info, ideas, announcements and suggestions. Have a read into the past!

Background
There are 17 people in the house usually. There are 10 single rooms. (4 ground floor, 1 middle floor, 4 1st floor, and 1 second floor), 2 bedsits in the roof, and 3 in the basement. These 10 single rooms share a kitchen. All bathrooms, showers, and toilets are technically shared by the whole house. The basement toilet is usually used by the people in the basement.

Communal spaces
General:
If this was your own house it would be natural to leave your things where they are most needed. Because the communal spaces are used by so many people, they become quickly cluttered, and once something takes root, it can be surprisingly hard even to find out who it belongs to, let alone reach consensus as to whether it can be removed. Areas of junk grow quickly!
It’s best that areas remain as clear as possible, so that when there is a big clear up, the spaces can be put back to some default state. Occasionally it works well to have ’ bathroom amnesty’ for instance. Where all items are moved to one side, and people put back what is theirs and the rest gets disposed of after a period of time.
Kitchen:
Everything belongs to individuals (including all appliances, other than the washing machine cooker and fridges), so please use them respectfully, ask if you don’t know how to use something, and let people know if you break or throw anything away. And similarly only leave out things you don’t mind others using them.
There is an understanding that there should be no dirty dishes at all except for soaking pans left on the big green stove. Take thing to your room if you don’t want to wash it till the next day.
There is a food cupboard each, and a fridge between two people. There are a few shared spaces for taller bottles, or herbs or tea.
Recycling is also in the kitchen, and plastic bags just outside the kitchen door.
There is a compost bin (yellow tub) and this can be emptied in the bottom of the garden in one of the two towers. There is a brush and hose to rinse it by the back door steps.
Food left on the center table is seen as an offering to all, food left on the side counters is usually half way through being prepared!
Cleaning.
There is a voluntary cleaning sheet in the kitchen. It lists all the areas that need cleaning, all the days of the month, and a space to put your name. This tells others that you are helping keep things clean, and lets us know when something was last cleaned. There are cleaning products under the sink.
Bathroom (1st floor)
The taps run slowly, the shower runs even slower. It’s a very hard shower to use unless you like changes of temperature and hardly any watter. There is only one plug for both skink and bath. 
Shower Room (middle floor)
Gets a lot of use. Don’t leave your toiletries there please. Please ventilate the room after your shower as it gets moldy quickly.
Toilet room
Also used for drying clothes. The racks belong to people, so borrow and return them if there is no space and you want to dry clothes in your room. Fold other peoples clothes and place them in one of the drying cupboards if you need their space to dry your things.
Basement bathroom
Used and kept clean by the people who live in the basement, but shared by everyone.
Garden:
The garden can be looked after by anyone and everyone. Feel free to make changes if you know what is good for the garden. There are a LOT of beautiful plants, flowers and food that grow at different times so, ask people if you have a good idea and want to change something.
Bikes
Bikes have no official place to live. The further down the garden away from the house the better.

Kitty.
We have a ‘kitty’ which means we buy some things together. Toilet paper, toilet cleaner, washing up liquid, and floor cleaner. We also used to buy hand-soap. We each put ten pounds into it when money runs out. It’s not shared by the people in bedsits (roof and basement). Rastko in room 5 is currently looking after it.
Parties/gatherings
It works well to share party time, have an open house every few months. Best to let people know at least a few weeks in advance, (or more) so that they can plan to be away if they don’t want to join in. And so that they can invite people if they do want to join in!

Noise.
Don’t go around on tiptoe, enjoy your life here! If you have a particularly important day or you had a particularly stressful let people know if they are making too much noise. Don’t suffer in silence!

Post.
There are not enough post spaces fro everyone, some people share. When you see post has arrived, please sort it into the correct boxes, place anything for the landlord on the top, any junk in the re-cycling, and anything for past people in the blue box. Someone (Rastko at the moment) goes through and re addresses them.
Internet
Is run by Jacek in room 1 (middle door in basement) , it’s shared by us all and costs very little because of this. The phone line it’s on is run by dan. When he moves it will have to be taken over by someone else. It’s a ‘BE’ broadband 24mb

Shared appliances
There is a hoover: usually just outside the big kitchen
Dustpan and brushes: usually in the kitchen by the television or just outside the kitchen door.
Washing machine: in the kitchen, Rapid setting works well and lasts 45 minutes.