Living with another person isn’t just pizza parties and game nights. Whether it’s keeping the noise down, respecting each other’s space, or taking turns with chores, you should also compromise so both can feel at home. But not everyone gets that.

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I know I am kind of old to be having stuffed animals but it’s not like I take them everywhere, I have it next to the couch as decorations (or at least one of them, the rest are in my room in my closet).The dude is a friend of a friend who desperately needed a place to stay and I offered it. It has been the worst month of my life. Glad I’m done with him.

Text conversation highlighting a conflict with horrible roommates over a missing stuffed animal.

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Tweet describing a story about horrible roommates dealing with trash.

Last year, the National Student Accommodation Surveyaskedover 1,000 students in the United Kingdom about the most common annoying housemate habits, and the results might give us a better understanding of the broader picture. The list was:Leaving dirty dishes out (65%);Not helping with cleaning (55%);Leaving lights/appliances on (44%);Being too loud (44%);Leaving food to rot (41%);Not removing hair from plug holes (31%);Stealing food (26%);Not changing the toilet roll (26%);Leaving windows open (23%);Leaving the toilet seat up (23%);Taking long showers (22%);Moving a partner in (15%).As we can see, the pictures reflect this pretty well.

Last year, the National Student Accommodation Surveyaskedover 1,000 students in the United Kingdom about the most common annoying housemate habits, and the results might give us a better understanding of the broader picture. The list was:

As we can see, the pictures reflect this pretty well.

Messy kitchen sink filled with dirty dishes, showcasing horrible roommates' untidy habits.

I’ve communicated how much it bothers me, and asked politely several times that she stop draping her fallen hairs on my products. Her shelf is always hair-free and pristine. I’m done asking, just collected every hair she left on my stuff and put in on top of her products. Petty?

Amika shampoo and conditioner bottles covered in hair, illustrating a common issue with horrible roommates.

Messy room with trash piled high, showing the chaos associated with horrible roommates.

However, building and maintaining a good relationship with your roommate isn’t so straightforward. “Spending lots of time with another person makes it easy to settle into casual irritability,” said Diana Partington, a licensed professional counselor in private practice and author of ‘DBT for Life: Skills to transform the way you live.'“We become reactive to any sign of selfishness or callousness, making it hard to live together … Your behavior changes my behavior, and then my behavior changes your behavior. Going back and forth like this can escalate quickly.”

However, building and maintaining a good relationship with your roommate isn’t so straightforward. “Spending lots of time with another person makes it easy to settle into casual irritability,” said Diana Partington, a licensed professional counselor in private practice and author of ‘DBT for Life: Skills to transform the way you live.’

“We become reactive to any sign of selfishness or callousness, making it hard to live together … Your behavior changes my behavior, and then my behavior changes your behavior. Going back and forth like this can escalate quickly.”

Damaged car parked on the street, highlighting a stressful aspect of horrible roommates.

Messy room with broken guitar and damaged chairs, illustrating horrible-roommates scenario.

Raw meat hanging on hangers behind a door, representing strange roommate behavior.

Messy living room with trash and food leftovers, illustrating horrible roommates scenario.

But we have to stand up for ourselves — if our roommate repeatedly behaves in a way that negatively impacts our life, we must bring it up.The secret to talking through conflict with a bad roommate, according to Kat Cohen, CEO and Founder of college guidance company IvyWise, is calling them in, rather than calling them out.This means inviting our roommate into a conversation about how we can get along better rather than making one-sided accusations.

But we have to stand up for ourselves — if our roommate repeatedly behaves in a way that negatively impacts our life, we must bring it up.

The secret to talking through conflict with a bad roommate, according to Kat Cohen, CEO and Founder of college guidance company IvyWise, is calling them in, rather than calling them out.

This means inviting our roommate into a conversation about how we can get along better rather than making one-sided accusations.

Cheese wheels on a shelf in a rustic setting, reflecting a horrible-roommates scenario.

I will never not have this in my brain. Please help me carry this load. No pun intended.

Pile of trash and used tissues on a carpet, showcasing typical horrible roommates’ mess in a home corner.

I literally make meals for us at least 9x a week despite us both working the same hours. She never makes food. I am legit the main one who does the dishes because I’m typically feeding the both of us. She gets fast food majority of the time and never does them. She doesn’t have to worry about them because she’s always eating out when I don’t cook for us, but due to the dishes technically being “my fault”, they have to be done within the hour according to her.

Dirty sink with dishes and a note asking to wash them, highlighting horrible roommates behavior.

Rusty cast iron skillet left on stove, an example of horrible roommates neglecting cookware care.

“Frame this as a discussion of living policies and how to be a better roommate, and avoid criticizing your roommate’s current behaviors,” Cohenexplained.“Ask him or her if there is anything he or she would like to change about your living arrangement in order to make the conversation feel more like a discussion, as opposed to a personal attack or complaint."

“Frame this as a discussion of living policies and how to be a better roommate, and avoid criticizing your roommate’s current behaviors,” Cohenexplained.

“Ask him or her if there is anything he or she would like to change about your living arrangement in order to make the conversation feel more like a discussion, as opposed to a personal attack or complaint."

This girl has had guests over at the apartment for days now and I already told her I wasn’t comfortable with guests staying over for this long. The space is small and we share a shower.I’m sick of “communicating” with her and nothing happening. She’s also done other stuff like leaving hair in the shower, almost never cleaning the apartment and having her audio at max volume all night.

Messy room with unmade bed, cluttered sofa, and scattered clothes, illustrating horrible-roommates scenario.

Scratches on a kitchen countertop, possibly caused by horrible roommates.

Person holding a stained, crumpled dryer sheet, highlighting issues faced with horrible roommates.

Pumpkin pie with the center eaten out, illustrating horrible roommates' behavior.

By calling our roommates in rather than calling them out, Cohen believes we can make sure they feel respected and invested in making the arrangement the best it can be. By using an approachable and non-threatening tone, we can have a conversation that makes both parties feel good.

Tiny bottle of dish soap humorously highlights horrible-roommates scenario.

Cluttered kitchen sink overflowing with dirty dishes, illustrating the chaos of horrible roommates.

Messy litter box area with a dirty automatic cleaner, a heater, and scattered litter, symbolizing horrible roommates.

Melted pot on a stove, highlighting a horrible-roommates cooking mishap.

However, to prevent the situation from escalating to the terrible outcomes that we see in the pictures, the late Fredric Neuman, M.D., who was the Director of the Anxiety and Phobia Center at White Plains Hospital,suggestedpeople follow these rules.

Respect your roommate. It would be better if the two of you liked or even loved each other since living together puts a strain on even reasonable people. By respect, Neuman meant certain specific things, such as not eating the other person’s food unless you ask first, not borrowing clothes whenever you want, and not taking the possessions of the other person without asking first.

The wish to study or go to sleep takes precedence over someone else’s wish to play loud music or party — roommates should try their best not to wake each other up.

Chores should be done without having to be reminded.

Do not keep tabs on everything you do for your roommate with the expectation that every favor will be returned.

I live with 5 other people in my flat, 3 boys (23, 20, 18) and 3 girls (19, 18, 18) including myself. 2 of them keep leaving their rubbish and pizza boxes on the side.This is the build up from a month. I’ve asked countless times for them to deal with it, and they never do and never respond - not taking responsibility when I know exactly who it is. Last time this happened I took them out because we had an inspection. This time I want them to own up and do it themselves before we leave for Xmas and as they’re adults.I do not eat pizza, especially takeaway pizza, I don’t know what to do, I’m sick of living in a filthy environment, but I don’t want to have to keep constantly tidying up after other people, since I’m also the only one who sweeps, hoovers, and wipes down counters and tables.

Pizza boxes stacked high in messy room, overfilled trash, illustrating horrible roommates.

Messy room filled with trash and clutter, highlighting issues with horrible roommates.

I hadn’t been in his room since November of last year. But I noticed a foul smell coming from the hallway and finally went to investigate. I am beyond disgusted and I don’t even know how to approach him on this.

Cluttered room with numerous soda cans and bottles scattered on the floor, highlighting horrible roommates.

Text messages discussing a messy shower incident, illustrating issues with horrible roommates.

The rest of Neuman’s rules were:No sleep-over guests should be allowed unless both parties have already agreed to it in advance.The inclination to be orderly or messy must be compromised with the other person’s wishes.If bedrooms are separate, do not go into the other person’s bedroom unless they are present.If your roommate is of the opposite sex, assume or she does not want to enter into a sexual relationship.And of course, don’t be rude or insulting, and do not undermine your roommate’s friendships with other people.

The rest of Neuman’s rules were:

No sleep-over guests should be allowed unless both parties have already agreed to it in advance.

The inclination to be orderly or messy must be compromised with the other person’s wishes.

If bedrooms are separate, do not go into the other person’s bedroom unless they are present.

If your roommate is of the opposite sex, assume or she does not want to enter into a sexual relationship.

And of course, don’t be rude or insulting, and do not undermine your roommate’s friendships with other people.

Door handle with tape blocking the keyhole, symbolizing challenges with horrible roommates.

We didn’t own the house where we were staying; it was a family member’s house. We informed roommate that we were moving out in a month but that roommate was welcome to stay longer after we left to make other living arrangements. Roommate moved out before we did and left a parting gift. Almost 30 times. When confronted about this, roommate just said “yeah I was mad”.

Wall damage near door and TV, possibly caused by horrible roommates.

Is this not absolutely insane? I always wake up soaked in sweat, and no matter how many times I turn it to like 21°C/71°F (which I’m pretty sure is like average temperature for an apartment in any season) they always crank it back up. It’s winter, but 21°C/71°F is not cold at all. I don’t understand.

Thermostat set to 32°C, likely adjusted by horrible roommates, illustrating uncomfortable living conditions.

Overflowing trash bins with scattered food containers, highlighting horrible roommates’ mess.

Dirty towel with brown stains, showcasing signs of horrible roommates' neglect in a shared bathroom.

Text conversation displaying disputes about utility payments with horrible-roommates.

The smell was atrocious when I opened it, but worst of all is that that’s not water. It’s literally a moldy, stinky gelatinous clump. Tips on how to dispose / clean this appreciated.

Cooler filled with melted ice, beer cans, and a wine bottle, illustrating horrible roommates' messy habits.

Fridge packed with hard seltzer and minimal food items, an amusing depiction of horrible-roommates behavior.

A dirty frying pan with burnt residue, illustrating a typical issue with horrible roommates.

So I’ve had many issues with this lady. This is just one of them. Does anyone else’s roommate do this? Is this normal? Also we live in a historic house so the pipes are old as hell.

Lettuce leaves floating in a toilet, illustrating an example of horrible roommates' messy habits.

So, as straight forward as it sounds: my roommate puts the meat in the cabinet in the morning, leaves for work and in the evening he uses that meat to cook.

Frozen meat stored in a kitchen cabinet with bowls and plates, illustrating a situation with horrible roommates.

Partially consumed water bottles in a messy refrigerator, showcasing horrible roommates' habits.

Cluttered kitchen with scattered items, messy countertop, showing a scene typical with horrible roommates.

A messy stack of pans and pots on a kitchen counter, illustrating horrible roommates' disorganized habits.

Text exchange about noise between frustrated roommates.

Scratched and blackened pans on a wooden countertop, illustrating horrible roommates' cookware habits.

This is all only his stuff in the dining room and living room.

Messy living room with cluttered table, showcasing the typical chaos of horrible roommates.

Person holding a toilet bowl cleaner mistaken for mouthwash on a bathroom sink—horrible-roommates scenario.

“But he washed it after!”

A taped strainer handle, poorly fixed with a bandage, symbolizing horrible roommates' solutions.

Empty toilet paper roll left on holder, showcasing typical horrible roommates' behavior.

Messy kitchen with disorganized fridge and cluttered countertops, highlighting typical horrible roommates' habits.

He’s coming back for the chair tomorrow and it’s my dogs favorite.

Empty room with patterned chair and lamp, highlighting horrible-roommates theme.

Cluttered kitchen with dishes and food leftovers, illustrating bad roommate habits.

Air fryer filled with sticks and seed pods, highlighting horrible roommates' unusual cooking habits.

Shoes and bananas on a kitchen counter, illustrating signs of horrible roommates.

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I’ve never lived this dirty since college, I ask my roommate to clean this stuff almost every day. He’ll clean up a couple chunks and call it a day, so I’ve picked up the slack for the past year.If you look closely you’ll see floor crumbs from the day(s) before.

Messy kitchen with dirty dishes and trash, illustrating the chaos caused by horrible roommates.

Grater with leftover food next to a toothbrush and cleaning products, illustrating horrible roommates' messy habits.

Friend from high school needed a room to rent, so I let him rent my extra room. I don’t think he ever actually cleaned his room. I hope these floors aren’t too far gone to be refinished.

Worn wooden floors and stained rugs depict effects of horrible roommates.

Messy fridge shelf with open food containers, illustrating habits of horrible roommates.

Fridge with water bottles and a pack of hot dogs, showing typical horrible roommates' food storage organization.

Messy kitchen stove with dirty pans and utensils, highlighting issues with horrible roommates.

Messy dorm room with empty soda cans and food boxes, illustrating the challenges of horrible roommates.

Raw meat hanging over a sink, exemplifying horrible roommates' unusual kitchen habits.

Washing machine stuffed with laundry detergent and items, a sign of horrible roommates.

Clothes scattered on a bathroom floor, highlighting horrible roommates' messy habits.

Person in bed using a phone in a dimly lit room, illustrating horrible roommates scenario.

Trash bin with spoiled food and plastic packaging, highlighting issues with horrible roommates.

Dirty grill with burned food remnants, illustrating horrible roommates' cleaning habits.

My roommate works as a bartender, so he gets loads of $1 bills. He usually keeps the bigger bills, and pays rent with the 1s.I’ve told him various times to please change the bills before paying, but he takes it as a joke. At first it kinda was, but now it’s just annoying.He’s also late on his rent payment for January. Only paid $200/500 because he has an upcoming birthday trip to Colombia.

Stack of dollar bills with a note for rent payment, reflecting a horrible-roommates scenario.

A cluttered kitchen counter with many spoons and used teabags, depicting horrible roommates' mess.

Messy table with empty drink glasses and snack wrappers, illustrating horrible roommates' cluttered living area.

Overflowing sink with dirty dishes and cookware, illustrating horrible roommates' messy habits.

Dirty stove top with food stains, a sign of horrible roommates and poor cleaning habits.

Stacked dirty dishes in a kitchen sink, illustrating a common issue with horrible roommates.

Not necessarily a bad roommate, but this was interesting.

Tangled cables inside a washing machine, depicting horrible roommates and their messy habits.

Bonsai plant mistreated with cigarette butt in rocky pot, illustrating horrible-roommates experience.

Dull kitchen knife with bent tip, possibly due to horrible roommates' misuse, held in hand over a wooden floor.

Dirty frying pan left unwashed, showcasing a typical issue with horrible roommates.

Crumbs scattered on a sofa and carpet, showing messy habits of horrible roommates.

Cluttered hallway with shoes scattered, illustrating horrible roommates' messy habits.

Text exchange highlighting issues with horrible roommates over a toilet flushing dispute.

I even told roommate last night that there was like 5 lbs of dang hotdogs in the freezer. Their reasoning was “But they’re frozen! I don’t want to wait for it to defrost!“Didn’t bother taking out a pack last night so they could defrost overnight. Still went out and bought a new pack today. Still boiled the brand new hotdogs. Saved maybe 2 minutes of boiling time, wasted 20 minutes to go to the store, wasted another $7 on hotdogs and added yet another half a pack to the mountain of hotdogs in the freezer.

Packages of frozen hot dogs scattered on a wooden floor, highlighting a common issue with horrible roommates.

I told him 2-3 pellets a day, and was gone for 4 days. A quick look at the directions on the food canister would have told him the same thing. He also didn’t clean the cat boxes and came home to the house reeking of cat pee.I’m furious because he has been jobless for over 6 months and does nothing but play computer games.

Top view of a fish tank with plants and rocks, symbolizing the chaos of horrible roommates.

Robot vacuum overflowing with soap suds, illustrating a typical horrible roommates scenario.

Error message on Hulu screen due to limit reached, highlighting a potential issue with horrible roommates managing accounts.

Text message argument between roommates about cleaning dishes, highlighting issues with a horrible roommate.

Lint trap overflowing with dust in poorly maintained room, a sign of horrible roommates.

Sprouted potatoes in a net bag on a messy kitchen shelf, illustrating horrible roommates' neglect of groceries.

For starters, I do like my roommate as a person and I do care for her dog. Moving in the one and only boundary I stressed is train your dog. Her dog is huge and is constantly tearing up the trash and has torn up at least over $500 worth of my items as well as my grief journal I’ve written to my dead fiancé in for the past 5 years.I drew the line when the dog started going into my room when the door was closed, so now the dog is kenneled when no one is home. She does not clean up after the dog like she should. The floors are constantly covered in dirt and my rug is covered in dog hair. The dog got into the trash when I was sleeping and now I get to wake up to this mess.Not sure what to do excepted just move out when my lease ends in April.

Scattered trash on green patterned rug, showing the mess left by horrible roommates.

Chair misplaced away from table, illustrating horrible roommates' behavior.

Oil bottle with sunflower design used as soap dispenser, showcasing horrible roommates' quirky habits.

Broken microwave with cracked display and control panel, showcasing typical horrible-roommates scenario.

It is late and right before I was ready to call it a night, I decided to go to the bathroom. Immediately upon opening my door, my nose is hit with a strong scent of gas and I panic. I check the stove and I can see that the stove is on but not lit.This is the second time my roommate has done this and I’m laying in my bed seething about this. If I hadn’t gotten up surely I would’ve died overnight, yeah?I genuinely cannot wrap my head around this. How does one even handle something like this?

Text exchange about discovering stove left on, highlighting horrible roommates.

Empty toilet paper roll left on the holder by horrible roommates.

Half-eaten pie with a price tag, illustrating horrible roommates' habits.

Text post about borrowing a roommate’s car and driving cross-country, leading to a dispute.

Apparently the wrong burner was turned on for 10 minutes before she realized.

Green and black moldy dish in a pan, possibly left by horrible roommates.

She drained about 3 l down the drain.

Unappetizing meal with shredded meat and wilted greens in a pink container, highlighting horrible-roommates.

A hand holding an empty pack of Betty Crocker birthday candles, fitting the theme of horrible roommates.

Microwave with unreadable display, illustrating common horrible roommates' habits with appliances.

Wet bathroom floor with dark blue rug, illustrating issues with cleanliness and horrible roommates.

Toilet paper roll installed backwards, a classic sign of horrible roommates.

Empty egg carton with eggs placed randomly, illustrating a typical horrible-roommates scenario.

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