#2 My Roommate Has Been Entering My Room, And Using My Bed And TV While I’ve Been Out
#3 Roommate Buzzed Their Hair And Left This In The Bathroom After Taking A Shower
The best way to avoid having to live with bad roommates is to notice their red flags in advance and never move in with them in the first place! But unfortunately, unless they leave an immediately awful first impression, you probably won’t find out about their nasty and selfish habits until you’re already living together.
Meanwhile, if you’re living in a college dorm, your roommate might be assigned to you randomly, so you don’t get to talk to the person before you’re already stuck with them. You’re not entirely powerless to have a good, working relationship with them, however.
One thing that you should do before moving in with anyone is to talk things out beforehand and actually set expectations and basic rules. Get a feel for each other’s schedules, lifestyles, hobbies, social lives, habits, and cleanliness levels, so that you can spot problems before they even pop up.
If you agree on certain boundaries and cleaning schedules ASAP, it’s easier to stick to them than to set them when you’re already arguing.
#7 My Roommate Refused To Clean So I Planted Chia Seeds In His Shower
#9 Roommate Mixed My Beads After Being Asked To Throw Out Used Q-Tips
His response was to go into my craft room and mix the smallest beads he could find. At least he had the decency to keep most of the reds away from the blues I guess...
welp, now I have something to do for the next couple days
common plastic bead for scale
“It’s super important to talk not just about your personality, but about your habits and how you keep your living space and be completely honest. It’s better to find out now before you’re even on campus if there’s going to be any potential clashing between you two,” Her Campus emphasizes just how important upfront communication really is.
Rules, responsible behavior, and accountability are two-way streets, however. You have to put in the effort to be a good roommate, too.
“Remember the things that you talked about with your roommate before you moved in. This is why it’s important to be completely honest during your initial conversations because whatever you tell that person, they’re going to expect from you. Don’t tell them you go to bed at 1 am every night, and then try to ask them to turn their lights off by 8:30 pm when you actually move in. It’s your responsibility to be as great of a roommate to them as you expect them to be to you, so make sure you hold yourself accountable when you catch yourself slipping.”
#13 When Your Flatmate Likes To Eat Seeds And Cleans The Floor Without Vacuuming First
#14 3 Weeks Ago I Replaced The Vinyl Countertop Covering Because My Roommate Ruined It By Cutting Things Directly On The Counter Without A Cutting Board Or Plate
#15 This Was The Only Way To Ward Off My Roommate From Sipping Out Of My Mouthwash Without Me Knowing... She Used 3/4 Of The Bottle
No matter how much you plan for potential issues, you won’t see all of them coming. There will be uncomfortable surprises along the way. You’ll disagree over minor and major things. And you might get into serious arguments. The point is, there will be tension over things you can’t even imagine right now.
Ideally, you’ll tackle these problems head-on.
#16 After 9 Hours At Work I Come Home To See My Roommate Had Smashed My 250 Dollar Monitor With My Air Duster
Open, honest, and clear communication, healthy boundaries, active listening, and a bit of empathy all go a long way. And even though they might feel uncomfortable at first, they’re far better than passive-aggressive behavior, snarky remarks, and constant frustration.
If you’re waiting for your problems to work themselves out, they probably won’t. Take responsibility for making your roommate situation better, whatever it is.
