Things Bad Roommates Do
Living with a roommate is a good way to defray the cost of housing. Many people, especially the young and single, share a house or apartment with a friend. In addition to saving money, the presence of a roommate provides the benefit of companionship and help with household tasks. However, not all roommate relationships are smooth and successful. Here are some of the ways bad roommates can make life more difficult.
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Cleanliness
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For a shared living arrangement to be successful, both partners have to do an agreed amount of work to keep the house or apartment clean. However, when roommates have different standards of cleanliness, things can go downhill. Dirty dishes, towels on the bathroom floor, unwashed clothes and piles of pizza boxes send a message to one roommate that the other doesn't care about the appearance of the shared home. While an untidy roommate might see no problem with leaving debris scattered about the living room, dirt and clutter can create an intolerable living situation.
Noise
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Lack of peace and quiet can strain tempers to the breaking point, particularly if one roommate is unable to get enough sleep. An inconsiderate roommate, especially one who keeps odd hours, can make sleep impossible by playing music, watching television, talking on the phone or playing video games. Even levels of noise that don't seem loud can be loud enough to keep someone awake. A bad roommate doesn't take his roommate's peace and quiet into consideration.
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Scheduling
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Living with someone else requires both people to coordinate their schedules. For people who aren't used to sharing a home, this is easy to overlook. A roommate who schedules parties or visits from friends without informing anyone might interrupt activities their roommate has planned, or even just quiet time. Coming home at odd times without warning can cause unsettling surprises. This lack of communication can lead to one roommate feeling excluded or ignored.
The Worst of the Worst
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Messy living rooms or late-night music are bad enough, but some roommates can go far beyond that. In 2010, a 25-year-old Arizona man was attacked by his two roommates after he refused to let them drink his blood. While many roommates argue over who ate the last Girl Scout cookies, most don't go as far as two Florida roommates, whose argument over a box of Thin Mints in February 2011 started a fight that led to assault and battery charges.
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References
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