January 2015 - News.com.au
Bad flatmates, we’ve all had them. Source: News Corp Australia
When news.com.au asked our Facebook followers to reveal their experiences of a flatmate from hell, there was no shortage of stories.
Messy and dirty flatmates were a common gripe but there were also a number of complaints about people stealing lingerie, eating meat pies, those having a lot of sex or flatmates who enjoy one too many medical dramas.
Here are some of the wildest responses:
Leftovers
- “The last roommate I had was a big drinker and sex haver! Lots of bed creaking going in my house! The icing on the cake though was when she was packing up to move out and go back to England. She stripped off the bed and left it all in the bathtub for me to wash. When I went to do so, I discovered that she had thrown up red wine all over it in her sleep and had just left it for me to clean up. No more roommates for me thank you very much!”
No frills
- “I had a female flatmate she didn't work and she would sit in her room all day long and eat no frills home brand meat pies! Six a day all cooked in the microwave. Soggy meat pies ... yuk. Id offer to cook her a meal and try to help her but nothing I could do would help this poor girl.”
Busting out
- “I’ve had many awful housemates, but one takes the cake. This lady didn’t like to knock on the toilet door because she considered it rude. Our toilet door had a habit of closing by itself because of the wind from the window. So one day, busting, she doesn’t knock, nor does she use the other loo that was in someone's open ensuite. Instead, she pooed her pants, and then had the nerve to get angry at ME because she though I was in the toilet that whole time. She was well into her late 50s at the time ... yikes!”
- “My current roommates have robbed me of my sanity by watching Grey’s Anatomy 24/7”
Torture: If I have to watch one more medical drama ... Source: Supplied
Plastic fantastic
- “Lived with a mate, his girlfriend and her best mate. They decided to ask me to leave because I missed washing up duty twice (like kids, they even had a job wheel). When I left I accidentally left behind a tiny plastic bag with paper in it. About the size of a bag a dvd might come in from jb hifi. Anyway they sent me a letter trying to get me to pay a clean up crew. Estimate was $400. For a single plastic bag with papers in it that I forgot to throw out. They wrote the letter as if they were lawyers. I got a real lawyer that owed me a favour and they were soon informed holding my bond to ransom was illegal. Never talked to them again.”
Playing tricks
- “An old house mate of mine invited a “lady of the night” back to our house over Christmas and after he passes out into a beer coma, she robs the house including $500 worth of my clothes. House mate of the year slept through the whole thing and couldn’t give the police a name or any details ... safe to say I moved out within the week ...”
Secret vomit
- “I had a roommate that if he had a massive night would vomit in my vases and hide them under his bed.”
Money pit
- “Yes!!! Did $4000 worth of damage to the house, stole thousands of dollars worth of stuff from me including my wedding set, DVD player, TV, computer etc. Stole food, never paid bills, never paid rent. Stole my car and crashed it twice! Then stole it a 3rd time as got it yellow stickered. I ended up paying the courts to get him forcefully removed but before he got served (he ran off) he snuck in and moved out while I was at work. He got me evicted!”
Kinky theft
- “My old housemate stole my lingerie.....FREAK!!!!!!”
Not for sharing
- “Had a girl that I discovered was wearing my underwear. including my G-strings! Ewwww I was mortified!”
Freak: My flatmate was wearing my G-strings. Source: Supplied
Money mummy
- “I once house shared with four others, so five of us during our Uni years. The person who’s parents owned the house, would seriously knock on our bedroom doors at 7am every time rent was due. Un F(ing) believable she was. Turns out this was her “spending money for the week / fortnight, and wanted it first thing on the due date. We are no longer friends ... Weirdo!!!!!”
Not for keeps
- “My husband had a horrible housemate who kept her used tampons in a big jar ...”
No shout
- “I had a housemate that would always drink everyone else’s alcohol once he got too drunk to realise it wasn’t his. One night I filled up an empty vodka bottle and watched it progressively get more empty over the next couple of weeks. I probably saved him a couple of hangovers.”
Chucky out
- “Once had a roommate who vomited on the carpet in my room, on the toilet, on the bathroom floor ... Didn’t wash up for a week so Tupperware lids became plates and saucepans were breakfast bowls. Best memories!”
John Birmingham’s wrote the classic book He Died With a Falafel in His Hand about his bad flatmate experiences. Source: News Corp Australia
HOW TO DEAL WITH BAD FLATMATES
Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria director Gina Ralston told news.com.au the key to resolving disputes was to address issues early, in a clear and relaxed way.
“Household issues can start small but can escalate quickly and get out of control if they aren’t addressed early,” Ms Ralston said.
Tips:
- Make sure you both have enough time to talk through the issues
- Communicate your needs and concerns
- Keep your emotions in check, stay relaxed
- Try an icebreaker, for example — look for common interests as a conversation-starter
- Attack the problem, not the person
- Listen to the other party, and acknowledge their needs and feelings
- Look for solutions, work cooperatively with the other person to find a solution that works for both of you
- If this fails, agree to take a break and set a time to try again later.
The rights and responsibilities of tenants are different in every state but most have free dispute resolution services. In Victoria, you can visit www.disputes.vic.gov.au or in NSW go to sharehousing.org.
Read the article on the News.com.au website.
