Communal areas

kom-YOO-nel AIR-ee-uz

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What it really means

The shared parts of a building or house share: hallways, stairs, kitchen, living room or laundry. In student halls and HMOs, cleaning of communal areas may be included — ask who is responsible.

Chinese explanation

楼栋或合租房中的公共区域：走廊、楼梯、厨房、客厅或洗衣房。学生公寓和 HMO 中公共区域可能有保洁——要问清由谁负责打扫。

Example conversation

A: Who cleans the communal areas? B: A cleaner comes fortnightly for the hallway and kitchen; our rooms are our own job.

A：公共区域谁打扫？ B：保洁每两周来打扫走廊和厨房；自己房间自己负责。

What you could say back

“Is communal cleaning included in the rent?”

Related phrases

House share HMO (house in multiple occupation)

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

Go deeper

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake