1. Your roommate has another roommate, and they don’t pay rent.
And by another roommate, I mean a boyfriend or girlfriend. It’s always nice to respect your roommate’s space and allow him or her to invite guests over. Problems arise and the tension starts to build when the boyfriend or girlfriend starts moving all of their personal belongings into your place, never leaves, shares the common areas with you, yet does not pay rent.
Tip: Be open with your roommate about the issue. Try to sit down with him or her without out the freeloading significant other. Stay calm but be persistent about your needs for more space or come to an agreement on splitting rent more equally. If you can’t compromise, begin talks of alternate living arrangements.
2. Your roommate has a strong appetite, but only for the food that is yours.
You’ve heard the story. You wake up Monday morning in a rush to head to school or work. You go to pour yourself a bowl of cereal and the box is empty. Your roommate has a tendency to snack on everything that you buy for yourself without asking or offering money for it.
Tip: Let your roommate know that you would prefer to keep food and drink separate when it comes to living together.
3. You disagree on decorations for the apartment.
When your interior design taste differs from your roommate, it can cause a lot of disagreements. If you truly cannot compromise on a way to decorate your apartment, you may want to consider living alone or finding someone with similar taste.
Tip: Divide up the apartment by rooms. For example, if your roommate can decorate the bathroom and kitchen, you will handle the living room.
4. Your roommate does not understand the concept of cleanliness.
This is a BIG one. If you are generally a clean person, it can be extremely difficult to live with someone who is messy. Dirty dishes, garbage piled high or a bathroom that has a visible film of scum should not be an acceptable living situation. Whatever the mess, don’t wait around for your roommate to ‘clean’ up their act. It is hard to change a messy person who is set in their ways!
Tip: There aren’t many tips for this one. You can try making a list of chores and splitting it up between the two of you but my suggestion is simple; get a new roommate!
5. Your roommate forgets to pay the bills.
If your roommate cannot remember to pay rent or any other utilities, it could be costing you extra, especially if late fees are involved. Think of it this way, if your roommate is old enough to live in their own place, she/he should be responsible enough to remember to pay rent. Chances are, you aren’t the first roommate who has had to deal with their forgetfulness.
Tip: Pay your rent online. If this doesn’t work, find a new roommate. You don’t want to take on the role of a parent!
