When it comes to ways to deal with an annoying roommate, I am pretty well versed. My roommate was up there with being one of the worst ones. She had so many annoying habits! It was hard since she was also an unfamiliar person. Even so, living with people you already know can be tricky. You never know if a friend can be a good roommate. Whatever living situation you find yourself in, here are 9 ways to deal with an annoying roommate.
When your apartment starts getting messy, there are a few ways to deal with an annoying roommate. Make sure to talk it out at first. Your roommate may be dealing with a difficult or hectic time, and is too busy to be cleaning up all the time. However, if this problem persists even when times are calm, try creating a weekly chore chart. Divide up different areas each week and be accountable for cleaning that part. Rotate each week and see if it helps you. After all, no one wants to be living in a dirty and unhygienic home!
A roommate who can’t cover her part of the check affects everyone living there. We would pay with one check (mine!) and sometimes I would pay double or go overdraft because my roommate didn’t give me her part of the rent on time. Some places allow for separate checks or in cash, and a complete rent might be late due to one roommate. When it comes down to this portion, be firm with your roommates. Remind them one week prior to the due date and again two days before. You don't want to get in trouble because of one person's mistake!
This never personally happened to me, but to a friend of mine. Her roommate would take her clothes and other items without asking. If this is happening to you, make sure to calmly talk it out with your roomie. After all, it is your stuff and it’s common courtesy to ask permission first. An angry conversation will only make your roommate defensive and will probably not end well.
Just like with borrowing your clothes, it’s really irritating when your roommate is eating your food without your permission. I didn’t appreciate someone else eating the food I had bought with my hard earned money. This was one thing I had to confront her with more seriously and she eventually stopped. I advise against lashing out and stealing your roommate’s food. However, I think it’s completely okay to ask your roommate to repay for the stolen food.
Having a roommate who has horrible drinking habits is, well, horrible! It’s not to say you and your roommate can never drink, but when social drinking turns into drinking in the middle of the day, every week, it can be quite an annoying problem. Sometimes a roommate can be rowdy, messy, annoying, or really emotional when they’ve had one too many or are constantly bringing drunk friends home, too. Since this is a very personal situation, handle it with care. Again, it’s okay to have a few drinks, but there is a time and place. Try talking to your roommates calmly about this type of situation and express your discomfort.
I live in beautiful, sunny Southern California, and it usually doesn’t get too hot or too cold. However, my roommate always had the heater on full blast during the colder months and during the warmer months kept all the windows and doors closed because she was always cold! This caused the apartment to be stuffy and smelly. I would immediately crack a window open and then politely ask her if it was okay if she turned the heat off. After awhile, she started getting the hint.
This may seem like a minor offense, but when your roommate is hogging the bathroom when you really need it, it does become annoying. Sometimes it can cause delays in plans or schedules! Simply ask your roommate if she’s going to need the bathroom or shower about thirty minutes before you actually needed it. That way, you could prepare in time without any delays.
My roommate would criticize others but would do the exact deeds she was criticizing others of. At first, I would talk to her so that she could understand the sides of the story. Once I realized she wasn’t taking my advice, I simply ignored her complaints. It saved me trouble of trying to explain, and in turn made me less irritated at her annoying habits. There’s not much you can do about this annoyance but letting it go.
If you’re sharing a room, like I was, this is obviously awkward and annoying for reasons not needing to be explained. I don’t want to be sleeping on the couch every night, when I’ve got a nice bed! But even if you aren’t sharing a room, it seems unfair for your roommate’s significant other to practically move in, without paying any rent. Ask if they would be willing to pitch in or help out with chores since they are always around. It hopefully makes the living situation a bit less awkward, even if they are still there.
If you’re dealing with a roommate with these annoying habits, always make sure to talk about it first! Lashing out at the person will only make matters worse. Have weekly or bimonthly conversations about what’s working and what’s not. Hopefully, it’ll make living with an annoying roommate more bearable. What are some annoying habits your roommates have had? How did you deal with that?