Having roommates can be great if you want to be more social. You can go into town together, spend cozy evenings with a hot cup of tea and a movie, and have someone help you in case of an emergency. Other times, however, roommates can be very difficult.
Like this woman, who started fining her roommate for things like not making her bed, emptying the trash, and leaving the bathroom light on. Looking for solutions on how to deal with this, so that they do not lose their common sense, the housemate asked for advice online.
A woman started fining her roommate for breaking the house rules
Image credits: Kelly Sikkema (not the real photo)
The roommate thought this was ridiculous because they were fined for things like not making their bed and leaving the light on in the bathroom
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Lekker_Contract5995
A written agreement can sometimes resolve many misunderstandings among housemates
What the OP is dealing with here is nothing particularly new. If you’ve ever had a roommate, you know that conflict and arguments about housework are almost inevitable. If the roommates both rent from a landlord and the OP doesn’t pay rent to “Ashley”, then they both have the same rights as tenants.
The OP doesn’t go into detail, but mentions one of their comments states that ‘Ashley’ is not the landlord, but she has lived in that place for a long time. That’s why she might feel a little superiority over OP, because she thinks she can hand out “fines” and set house rules.
In reality, both housemates should sit down and discuss what the situation is house rules should be. Because people have different standards of hygiene, it is best to set up a cleaning schedule. The same goes for other rules: visitors, quiet hours, entering each other’s rooms, and so on.
According to Mental Health Americait is best to write down all the rules and sign an agreement. A roommate agreement holds both tenants accountable and should help if a roommate neglects their duties.
For some housemates, living together can be as easy as breathing. Others, on the other hand, may require a little more planning and compromise so that both tenants feel comfortable. After all, home is the place where we should relax and not feel stressed all the time.
Most people find it difficult to live with roommates and have a lot to complain about
Even though it can be lonely, living on your own is great in another way: you don’t have to deal with ridiculous roommates. Yet many people know what it’s like to live with someone else, as even 4 in 5 Americans say they have lived with a roommate at some point in their lives.
According to a survey carried out in December 2024 by Zillow Being annoyed with your roommate is also nothing new. 93% of respondents said they have had to deal with a roommate’s annoying habit, and the most popular vice was ‘not helping with cleaning’.
Even if you live with roommates, you want time for yourself. Socializing is fun, but if they’re all about your business, it can drive you crazy. And 31% of Americans agree, saying that “respect for personal space and boundaries” is the most valued trait when choosing a roommate.
Is the friendly roommate just a work of fiction? It may seem that way, because even the British co-living brand Ark has found a 2023 study shows that people really Real hate having roommates. 54% said they hate having to clean up after others, 41% hate having to put up with their noise, 38% say roommates waste energy, and 29% complained that their roommates steal their food and take too long in the shower standing (24%) .
It’s not ideal to live with roommates who don’t clean up after themselves and don’t respect your personal boundaries. It is also unpleasant when they come up with unreasonable rules. However, this does not mean that all housemates are bad; Maybe you are the unhappy tenant.
People in the comments had some small and hilarious ideas about how the housemate should respond: “Pay her with Monopoly money”
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