Are you a bad roommate? Hopefully, you are in a situation where there is mutual respect for boundaries and everyone feels comfortable with each other. But, as we all know, that is not always the case.
After a long day of working or studying, there is nothing worse than coming home to a terrible roommate. Here are 9 signs that you are a less-than-ideal roommate.
1. Your Motto is “My Way or the Highway”.Â
Good luck with that! Sharing your space with another person can be challenging, even a close friend. For your living arrangement work, it’s important that both parties compromise and adapt to each others lifestyle and habits. You can help mitigate awkward situations by determining if you are a good match BEFORE you move in.  Click here for tips on finding a the right roommate for you.
2. You are Miss or Mr. Passive Aggressive.
Whether you live with a stranger or a close friend, accept that at some point there is probably going to be conflict. Open communication is absolutely necessary when living in such close living quarters. Even if you avoid conflict at all costs, it will only cause anger an resentment to build up inside you until you are completely unbearable to live with. There is a good chance your roommate has no idea what they did to anger you, so talk about it, come to a agreement and move on!
3. You honestly believe your roommate doesn’t care if you take or borrow without asking.
So you have a roommate who keeps the fridge stocked, the dishes clean, and plenty of clean laundry around for you to borrow. Why should they mind a T-shirt here, a carton of milk there? It’s communal right? Trust us, they mind. Nobody wants to be stuck with a roommate who takes food without replacing it or who borrows your favorite shoes or shirt without asking!
4. You are consistently late paying your bills or rent.
This is the worst!!! Pay your bills on time. Pay them early if that is an option. If you can’t afford your bills you may need to make different living arrangements or work an extra job. Do not ask your roommate(s) (who are probably also strapped for cash) to cover you! It’s not fair to them, and word will get around that you are a loser. Who wants that?
5. You act as if your Mom will clean up after you.
Unless you have maid service, which you probably don’t, clean up your own messes! Think it’s ok to clean the dishes in the next couple of days or even next week? It’s not! Nobody wants to live with a messy or disorganized person! Who wants to come home to someones clutter and filth? You don’t have to be a super clean neat freak, but it’s important to be on the same page with your roommate about what’s acceptable and what’s not when it comes to cleanliness. Clean up your own messes, nobody else will.
6. You ask lots of personal questions.
Your roommate has physical and emotional boundaries. Respect them. Just because you are living in the same space, you do not have the right to pry into their personal business! If your roommate wants to volunteer the information to you, fine. But give your roommate the space they need and respect their privacy.
7. You frequently bring the party into your living room during the wee hours of the morning.
It’s one thing to be social, but it’s another thing to disregard your roommate(s) need for sleep or quiet study time. You must agree on acceptable noise levels in advance. Besides, you don’t want your neighbor to have report you, you just might receive a noise ordinance!
8. You are addicted to cigarettes.
Cigarette smoking stinks. It’s disgusting. It makes everything else, including your roommate’s stuff, smell like cigarettes. Yuck. Don’t smoke. If you must smoke, do it in a designated area and do your laundry often.
9. You contribute NOTHING.
You need stuff in your apartment: furniture, cookware, dishes, electronics, etc. Don’t be the roommate that contributes nothing. Suddenly you are the guy (or gal) that takes advantage of your roommate’s stuff.
Bottom Line: Be considerate! Be considerate! Be considerate! And figure out in advance if you are a good match!Â
