Living with a friend is a quintessential part ofgrowing up. Whether you decide to beroommatesduring college or move to the same city after finishing your degrees, there’s something so special about knowing that there’s always someone you love waiting at home for you. But no pair of roommates is immune to having conflicts, even if they’ve beenfriendsfor years.

One woman recentlyreached outto Reddit seeking advice after her roommate’s boyfriend tried to “test” her to see if he wanted to move in with her. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as some of the replies invested readers shared.

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This woman is tired of her roommate’s boyfriend freeloading at their place

Two women lying on a bed, smiling and holding hands, reflecting on roommate and boyfriend issues.

Image credits:freepik (not the actual image)

But after the man gave her a “roommate test,” she decided that there’s no way he would be moving in with them

Man in an orange shirt sits on a blue couch, eating from a red bowl, highlighting roommate dynamic issues.

Two women having a heated discussion at home, expressing frustration and disagreement.

Image credits:YuriArcursPeopleimages (not the actual image)

Image credits:WholesomeArio

Conflicts between roommates are inevitable

Conflicts are inevitable, so this might be thefirst timein a student’s life when they’ll need to make compromises and work together to find a solution, rather than throwing in the towel and simply moving out or spending the entire year extremely uncomfortable in their own home.

And when it comes to the issues that typically arise between roommates,National Student Servicesnotes on their site that having different cleaning habits is often a problem. If you hate having dishes sitting in the sink, yet your roommate doesn’t mind going a week without washing up, you both might need to make some compromises.

Another common conflict that roommates fight about is borrowing things without asking. Whether it’s a top you stole from your roommate’s closet or you’ve used half of their carton of milk before they even got a sip, this kind of behavior can quickly transform roommates from friends into enemies.

Having guests over all the time can be another big problem for roommates. When you share a living space, you have to respect the other people who live there as well. It’s not appropriate to have your band or your boyfriend or yourbest friendaround at all hours using resources, making noise and taking up space when your roommate never agreed to live with them.

Roommate argument, one woman frustrated, the other covering ears, illustrating tension over moving in disagreement.

It’s important to be able to spot the signs of controlling behavior

In this particular situation, however, simply being present in the home isn’t the only thing that this man did to upset his girlfriend’s roommate. Many commenters pointed out that the behavior he exhibited through his “test” was very concerning.

We have no way of knowing how he treats his girlfriend when they’re alone together, but according toVeryWell Health, there are some telltale signs of controlling behavior that it’s important to be aware of and look out for. First, it’s not a good sign if someone always wants their way or the highway. Making demands then being unable to compromise or hear another point of view is a red flag.

If someone always wants to be the center of attention, that might be a sign ofcontrolling behavioras well. And if they start to criticize their partner or try to keep them away from friends and loved ones, that’s another huge red flag.

They may also blame others for their actions, manipulate and gaslight others, refuse to respect boundaries, exhibit unpredictable behavior, claim that they were “just joking” after doing or saying something inappropriate, try to change their partner and use intimidation.It was definitely not a good sign that this man tried to control his girlfriend’s roommate’s behavior before he even moved in, and the woman was right to be concerned.

Woman in a gray sweater looking skeptically at a man in a white shirt, highlighting roommate and boyfriend tension.

Text exchange on boundaries with roommate’s controlling boyfriend trying to move in and set rules.

Reddit comments discussing ethical roommate behavior and challenges in shared living spaces.

Reddit comments discussing a roommate’s boyfriend moving in disagreement.

Reddit comments discussing a controlling boyfriend and feeling gaslighted in a roommate situation.

Many assured the woman that she had done nothing wrong and stressed how inappropriate the man’s behavior was

Reddit comment advising not to let roommate’s boyfriend move in without paying rent and to manage shared utilities.

Text comment on roommate’s boyfriend issue about boundaries and control, with over 651 points on a forum post.

Reddit comment discussing roommate issues and relationship conflicts.

Screenshot of a humorous comment discussing a roommate’s boyfriend no longer being welcome.

Text exchange showing a woman refusing to let roommate’s boyfriend move in and discussing lease rules.

Comment screenshot questioning a roommate’s boyfriend moving in, mentioning issues with guests.

Text screenshot about refusing a roommate’s controlling boyfriend from moving in.

Text screenshot of a discussion about a roommate conflict over relationship rules and living arrangements.

Comment discussing refusal of roommate’s boyfriend moving in without consent.

Text message discussing a woman’s refusal to allow a roommate’s boyfriend to move in, citing safety concerns and controlling behavior.

Text comment on a forum by user StephLuxee stating: “HE IS A RED FLAG”.

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