The Worst Housemate Habits And How To Overcome Them

You became best buds in first year and decided to become housemates! #BFFL. Now it’s a few weeks in to second year and suddenly your BFFL is getting on your N.E.R.V.E.S. What’s up? This is the moment that you realise that living and running a house with someone is totally different to hanging out in halls. You might fall on a different spectrum of the lazy scale, you have a very different standard of cleanliness, or your best-mates girlfriend has literally cum round rather noisily again. Issues between housemates can often simmer below the surface until they boil over. When that last empty tube of loo roll pushes you over the line. Here are some of the worst housemate habits and how to overcome them.

1. Mess relief

Issue:

Hopefully you haven’t had to get Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie in to clean your pit, I mean house. Cleaning can often be an issue between housemates. There are always those who love it spotless and those who are happy with five plates of dried beans chilling on the side. Washing up is difficult especially in houses with large numbers. It literally just stacks up. Cleaning in general, aka that pile of pubes in the bathroom or six inches of dust in the living room, builds up much quicker than you think. For many students, a student house is the first time running and managing a house, including cleaning of course.

Solution:

If you are having real issues with trying to keep the house clean or a couple of people aren’t pulling their weight, make a rota. Cleaning rotas are the saving grace. Setting specific tasks and specific days for cleaning for everyone should ensure that something gets done. It balances the load and covers all ground, literally. Make sure you have a chat with your housemates about it too and see what they think.

2. Hey, is that mine?

Issue:

One of the worst housemate habits is the over-enthusiastic borrower. Maybe it started with an odd tomato at dinner, or a beer at pres. Maybe it was just a pair of socks. But now you’re struggling to find a pair of socks on a good day and your doing a weekly shop twice a week. Living in a student house often means you do share a lot of stuff. And this is a really nice aspect of student living. But some people could push your own personal boundaries by “borrowing” often and repaying little.

Solution:

If living with a human sized borrower is starting to piss you off I’d say just confront the issue head on and tell the person. Sometimes they honestly might not even realise they are doing it. Set some boundaries. It may feel awkward at first but its better than letting the issue continue. It might only get worse. In extreme cases a “none passive aggressive” sticky note on your favourite cereal can help. I know you don’t want to be “that guy” that leaves the sticky note, but they can be effective.

3. Sleepless in sex-attle

Issue:

So you never knew that one of your housemates was so into Screamo music. Screamo music at 2am every morning. A lot of student houses can have thin walls. This is an issue for other bedroom activities too. Squeaky beds and thin walls are the perfect combination to a terrible night sleep and an awkward nod to each other in the bathroom in the morning. A lack of sleep on top of uni work and partying can make you really stressed out especially if your housemate keeps you up on a regular basis. This can be one of the worst housemate habits that causes unnecessary tension in the house.

Solution:

How to overcome these housemate habits? Again communication is key. Try asking if your housemate could listen to their Screamo with headphones. Actually let your housemate know you can hear what their bae likes to call them mid-gasm. Gross. And that you don’t wanna hear it. Either that or purchase some decent ear plugs.

4. Left wide-open

Issue:

Student houses are often and frequent targets for opportunist thieves. Accidentally leaving a door unlocked is what they hope for. It might be an accident, you don’t want your Uber driver to give you a low score because you were late out. But a repeat housemate offender can be infuriating and make you anxious about your belongings.

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Solution:

This is a tricky one… other than trying to tell said housemate, or text them every time they go out, it’s hard to keep tabs on whether they have locked the door. If the issue is really persistent maybe speak to your landlord about getting a latch bolt so the door itself is automatically locked when you close it.

5. Are we doing a kitty?

Issue:

You’ve gone and paid for the milk and loo roll again and it seems like its become your nominated role within the house.

Solution:

Take on the role to the max and be the best goddamn loo roll buyer the world ever saw. BUT ask your housemates to ping you the money for it. Banking apps leave little excuse these days to transfer money between friends. Either that or revert back to that lovely reliable rota and stick to it. Discuss communal items at the beginning of the year to make sure everyone is clear about how you are going to deal with the situation. You don’t want to be caught with your pants down.

Student housing can be the absolute best time of your life. Consider these worse housemate habits and how to overcome them to ensure you stay happy and hopefully healthy in your student house. Communication is definitely key, so don’t be afraid to talk about these issues with your housemates. Like a festering slice of pizza on the side, problems only get worse the longer you leave them. Have a chat about how you all think you want to manage the house at the beginning of the year for to prevent your BFFL becoming your EFL (Enemy For Life).

What have been your worst housemate habits and how did you overcome them?

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