If there’s one person we want to always be getting along with, it’s the person we live with. After all, spending the majority of our time with someone would be a far more pleasant experience if we didn’t find their presence to be a major unwanted nuisance. Unfortunately for some people out there, that was apparently too much to ask.
1. Be My Guest
My roommate's habits render our living space continuously untidy, and he sits out when it comes to any sort of domestic tasks. So, I posed as an attractive woman on Tinder, matched with him, then suggested I'd be dropping by - my secret motive was to prompt him into tidying up our place. But my scheme backfired horribly. Not only did he not clean up, but he also shared an inappropriate photo of himself with me, which was certainly an image I could have lived without seeing.
2. When The Cat’s Away, The Roommates Will Play
I've held onto this story for what feels like ages, but the time has finally come to spill the beans. It's about the end of a friendship and a series of frustrating events. A close pal of mine, Jay, was relocating to New York City with his girlfriend and their college friend, Lisa. By then, I'd already been in the city for a while, in a less-than-stellar but manageable apartment.
My work required frequent travel, and I was okay with how things were. But when Jay and his girlfriend realized the rent situation in NYC, they started nudging me to join them in securing a better two-bedroom place, splitting the costs three ways. Once they settled in, Lisa kind of vanished into her own circle of friends, barely swinging by on weekends to crash on the couch.
But I couldn't shake this feeling in my gut. I just knew this living arrangement was a bad move. But still, against my instincts, I went for it. And boy, did I regret it big time. Once we moved in together, our interactions became sparse. My work had me on the road almost every week, barely crossing paths with them.
Every Friday night, I'd return home late, sort out work expenses, handle apartment bills, then be off again by Sunday afternoon. Jay insisted I inform him in advance if I'd be around during a rare week when I wasn't traveling, so he and his girlfriend could have the place to themselves.
I didn't think much of it and happily gave them a heads-up when I knew I'd be in town. Initially, everything seemed fine, despite the bills slowly climbing and me paying more than anticipated. Then, one weekend, it all went south. The girlfriend handed me a note with my share of the bills. I couldn't believe what I saw.
My name was attached to a $500 phone and TV bill. Meanwhile, my two roommates, who were there all the time and never traveled, took responsibility for a mere $80 of the bill. The charges included numerous calls to California from the landline and a slew of On-Demand movie purchases. I knew I hadn't made any of these transactions.
Confrontations ensued. I insisted, "These aren't my purchases. There's no way I'm footing this bill". But the girlfriend argued, "Simple math. They aren't mine or Jay’s, so they must be yours". I whipped out my folder of travel receipts, proving I was in Boston and Baltimore during the billing periods.
But it fell on deaf ears. The back-and-forth persisted for what felt like an eternity. Finally, I politely asked her to leave my room. Red-faced, she insisted I pay up. Late that night, Jay arrived, siding with his girlfriend and trying to convince me to own up to my "share" of the expenses.
I showed him heaps of receipts proving my absence, but the cycle restarted – it wasn't Jay or the girlfriend, so it had to be me. Frustrated, I locked my door, left, and met my boss for dinner to vent. As someone familiar with my constant travel, my boss suggested I consider leaving since I wasn't on the lease.
He advised me to save all my receipts in case of a legal battle but recommended finding a new place. He also suggested changing the lock on my door, which I did the following Sunday morning. The tension lingered, and I avoided Jay and his girlfriend, who were out for the day.
That night, the unexpected happened. They were unaware I was home, assuming I'd be on the Boston train by 5:00 pm. Around 8:00 pm, I heard the doorknob jiggling. The girlfriend started yelling, attempting to open my locked door. I was puzzled – why the anger, and why try to enter my room?
Then, Jay suggested they pry the door open. I intervened, questioning their actions. Their faces paled when they saw me. They scrambled, asking why I changed the lock, playing mind games and accusing me of not trusting them.
But the turning point came when their friend Lisa showed up with a suitcase, looking shocked at the sight of me. It clicked – she'd been staying in my room when I traveled, and those mysterious bills were hers. I felt utterly betrayed. When I confronted them, the girlfriend shrugged, remarking that I didn't use the room much anyway.
I didn't bother responding. I packed up and left, crashing at my cousin's place till I found a new spot. I cut ties that night and ignored Jay's barrage of voicemails demanding rent and bill payments. I spotted them on Facebook, married and living in New England. Good riddance!
3. Not Seeing The Connection
This morning, after weeks of struggle to stabilize our apartment's internet, I woke up to an infuriating sight. A handwritten note from my roommate lay before me, seemingly unaware that WiFi essentially encompasses omnipresent radio signals, persistently present in the air, irrespective of one's computer receiver status.
The note outlined their rationale for deliberately shutting off our WiFi, citing health concerns. According to them, WiFi posed risks of grave health implications, from potential links to cancer and infertility to causing headaches and disrupting cell repair during sleep. A considerate gesture, they claimed to have timed this intervention for when I was asleep to minimize inconvenience.
However, the irony struck hard—I couldn't access the internet to verify or delve deeper into this information due to the severed connection someone had imposed upon our network.
4. This One Doesn’t Sound Too Good…
As someone who is proud of my Mexican heritage, I enjoy playing various Spanish tunes at home. However, not too long ago, I got a surprising text from my roommate. To be honest, his message made me so mad. He stated, "Hey buddy, just a tip from your roommate: you'd blend better if you liked more American or English music".
Following this, he added, "Say goodbye to your Mexican reggae trash and embrace the culture you're living in now". That message left me puzzled. I'm still wondering what led him to believe it would be okay or even sensible to send me such a text...
5. Getting Down And Dirty, In The Worst Way Possible
One of my relatives is dealing with cancer, has no immune system, and is pretty much confined to her bed. We made sure to sanitize her entire home just a few days back, ensuring it's safe and aimed at keeping her from getting worse due to any new infections. But, this morning when we came to take her home, we discovered a massive and appalling mess in the kitchen. I wanted to scream.
Dirty pots, dishes, silverware, and trash were strewn all around the room; it appeared as though our thorough cleaning hadn't even happened. I tracked down her roommate and firmly told her she needed to get out right away. I didn't mince words about it, either.
6. Smoke And Mirrors
One of my roommates saw our worst housemate lighting up inside the house. When he got caught red-handed, he tried to justify it by falsely accusing me of giving him permission. I immediately refuted this lie, because that's insane. His response was just unbelievable. I saved our entire conversation because just so I could show how ridiculous he was being.
Here's how our conversation unfolded. My message to him was, "I wish you wouldn't lie and say that I let people light up inside, which I absolutely do NOT.” To which he replied, “Remember the group chat awhile back? I asked if it was alright indoors and you said no, except for in your room". I fired back, “Show me this supposed text and I’ll stand corrected". His response, however, was, “I can’t, I always delete my old messages to free up some space".
I closed with, “Well, that’s too bad. Go outside.” And that put a stop to it.
7. The Wicked Witch Of The Room Next Door
Last year, I shared a house with three roommates, two were my close guy friends, and one was my friend's wife - a difficult character from start to finish. She never directly got under my skin, mostly keeping to herself in her bedroom, but I honestly found it hard to stomach her being married to my closest friend.
They've been a couple for three years and legally wed for a year out of that. From the get-go, their relationship seemed heavy with unnecessary tension. My good friend was frequently brought into their bedroom immediately after arriving back at our place, and he would he'd always stay in there for about an hour.
You may wonder what happened in that hour? Far from good times, let me tell you. Just hearing it made me sick. It was always a 60-minute, one-sided complaint session, served up by her, directed at him. She was never short of reasons to bad-mouth him and intentionally make him feel horrible. Plus, she never liked my girlfriend who, in reality, was more attractive and way more enjoyable to spend time with.
For some odd reason, this became another issue between them. One day, he got caught viewing a spicy clip on his mobile. His wife clamped down on him fiercely over this, wailing at him and even saying she'd divorce him. Part of me actually wanted them to take the divorce route. Yet, they made the decision to stay together, which means he constantly lives with the reminder of how he supposedly shattered her heart and spoiled their trust.
They've now got their own place, which, thank goodness, comes as a relief to me. It's not better for him, though. He's pulling double-duty between two jobs, plus full-time schooling for a master's degree just to meet their bills. Meanwhile, she spends her days lazing about, catching up on the newest Twilight sagas, which she sometimes coerces him into watching with her. She's ruined my best friend's life single-handedly.
8. Toying With Their Emotions
Once upon a time, I shared a house with six of my friends. Affordable rent and great buddies made it an enjoyable experience. Unforgettable, packed parties filled our weekends. Everything was near perfect, except for a particular issue. One friend, who initially lived with us, had problems with gay people that had escalated gradually.
His parents' negative attitude towards gay people had instilled in him a disproportionate fear of anything remotely related to members of the LGBTQ+ community. Reacting to this, one of our housemates, who was particularly close to him, decided to tease him by buying a glow-in-the-dark, pink suction cup "toy". The plan was to stick it onto this friend's truck, forcing him to interact with it in public or while driving. Either way, we'd get a good laugh out of it. However, before we could execute the prank, our friend moved out, thus sparing him any humiliation.
Nonetheless, we kept the toy for our amusement—it became an integral part of our in-house pranks. Fell asleep on the couch? Expect to find a sneaky photo with the toy. We made sure to clean it regularly. Other times, we used it as a quirky holder for Christmas decorations, or hid it in cupboards for unsuspecting victims. Before long, we'd all mastered the art of throwing it so it would stick on a wall.
Our version of 'Elf on a Shelf' was more like 'Pink Dink in the Sink'. As time passed, roommates moved on, starting their post-college lives. Finally, it was just me left standing, and the time came for me to move out. Before I left, I devised an ingenious plan.
On moving day, I left the toy in the shower, along with a note: "Meet Pink Dink. He might be small, but the joy he brings if used right is boundless". Following this incident, my landlord ceased all communication with me. I suspect that it was due to the embarrassment caused by the discovery made by the new tenants.
Reflecting on this, I came to a hilarious realization—it was me all along, I was the bad roommate.
9. Burning It All Down
So, there was this one evening when I caught a burning smell wafting from the kitchen. Quick as a flash, I dashed over and discovered that my roommate had finished preparing their meal but had bizarrely abandoned the charred pan on the stove which was still switched on, with absolutely nothing left in it to cook. Needless to say, the pan was thoroughly ruined. The hilarity and absurdity of the situation was just too good not to spill to the entirety of the online world.
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10. Not Who You Thought He Was
Around six years back, I offered a friend of my then-girlfriend a spot to crash at my place. He seemed like a good guy, so I didn't mind having him around temporarily. HUGE mistake. A couple of months in, I discovered that he never completed his high school education, and within a short span living with me, he lost four retail jobs, each time for stealing from his employers.
Nearly four months after he moved in, he suddenly vanished. There was no goodbye note, no phone call - he just wiped off the grid. Two weeks later, I was flipping through the local newspaper when I spotted his name. It may as well have been highlighted. He'd been thrown behind bars, accused of harming his seven-year-old step-sister. To add insult to injury, the guy still owes me rent for three months.
11. Man’s Best Friend Meets Man’s Worst Enemy
Today was a heart-wrenching day. As I stepped into my home, the sight that greeted me was utterly devastating—my beloved dog lay lifeless, a victim of a tragic sequence of events. Randy, my faithful companion, was not just any dog; he was diabetic and blind, requiring diligent care which I provided with utmost devotion, following every detail of the doctor's instructions to ensure his well-being.
Each day, I made it a point to administer Randy's insulin meticulously—before heading off to work and upon returning home, attending to his meals with the precision his condition demanded. But today, an unfortunate twist unfolded, fueled by a careless oversight that shattered my world.
You see, my roommate, fully aware of Randy's delicate health conditions, chose to leave his door ajar, blocked by a basket, a carelessness that proved to be disastrous. To worsen matters, candy was left strewn across his floor, along with a bag of twizzlers, an enticing temptation for my diabetic dog. Randy, unaware of the danger, consumed it all.
Upon receiving a Snapchat video from my roommate detailing the mishap, I calmly requested him to provide Randy with his insulin, a seemingly reasonable ask given the situation. After all, my dog had just devoured a considerable amount of candy due to his negligence. Additionally, I implored him to keep an eye on Randy during his remaining time at home before leaving for work. Obviously, he didn't listen. I could have strangled him.
Upon returning home, six agonizing hours later, a gut-wrenching scene unfolded before me. Randy, lying motionless amidst a disheartening pool of urine, drool, and vomit, was a sight I could never have fathomed. The lack of care and attention had taken a devastating toll.
What's worse, my roommate, despite walking past Randy before departing for work, callously dismissed his condition, assuming he was merely sleeping. His indifferent response to the grave situation shattered me further.
His nonchalant words, "Oh, my bad," offered no solace or remorse for the loss that unfolded under his watch.
In his detached demeanor, he even inquired about mundane matters—shifting the conversation towards cleaning the house and discussing rent, as though the tragedy that had unfolded was inconsequential. It's unfathomable how someone could trivialize such a profound loss.
Today, I bid farewell to my cherished companion of 11 years, my dear friend, Randy. His departure, marred by a tragic and preventable incident, adds another layer of agony to the pain. I mourn not just the loss of my dog but also the cherished moments we shared, especially the comforting cuddles we enjoyed after a long day's work. Those moments, now gone, will be dearly missed.
12. A Bag Of Tricks
I once shared a room with a guy, who had an unusual habit of chewing dip endlessly. He would hork it out into a huge six-liter container. The foulness of this discarded dip in a jug was a spectacle, and it was always lying around in our common area. No kidding, it was there 24/7. Regardless of the mess it created, he won’t dispose it or even tidy up. Worse, he'd get some weird kick out of urging visitors to sniff it whenever they stopped by. As if anyone would actually find that amusing or enjoyable.
Needless to say, I didn't venture out of my own space all that much whilst staying with him...
13. Let’s Have Another Cup Of Coffee
So yesterday, my roommate, Cheryl, tossed out a fully brewed pot of coffee I just made because she hates pumpkin-flavored things. I know it sounds cliché, but I’m that girl who enjoys all things pumpkin, and that includes my coffee. Cheryl has a habit of downing all the regular coffee we have, even though she never contributes to the coffee fund, and then goes on to disgrace my pumpkin coffee.
Funny enough, a day ago, I just wanted to savor my favorite coffee blend. Note that I'm the owner of the coffee machine, as well as the entire coffee stash we have, simply because Cheryl never buys anything herself. So, I decided to brew some coffee, serving myself a cup before settling on the couch for a chill moment. Cheryl comes in, observes the newly brewed coffee, still steaming hot. I witnessed the most mind-blowing thing happen next.
She sniffs the coffee, realizes it's pumpkin-flavored, walks remorselessly to the sink, and pours down every drop of my precious brew. I jumped to my feet and asked her what in the world she thought she was doing. She glanced at me then the coffee pot, claiming she thought it was leftover. I called her bluff, reminding her it was still steaming hot and fresh.
All she said was, "Well, I don't like pumpkin coffee anyway," and then tried to make her own blend. I was like, "No way, this won't fly". I unplugged the coffee machine, took it to my room, and locked my door. She lost her cool, stalked me to my room, and even had the nerve to demand I brew coffee for her.
I told her straight up she forfeited her right to coffee for acting so entitled. She attempted to guilt me into feeling wrong for taking the coffee machine to my room. I reminded her I can do as I please since I own the coffee maker. She left in a huff and we haven't exchanged words since. I was livid – all I wanted was my pumpkin coffee. The nerve of that woman!
Dejan Dundjerski, Shutterstock
14. Early To Bed, Early To Rise
When I was in college, I had a roommate who used to bang his mattress every single night. As you can imagine, there was no missing it because of how noisy he was. And let me tell you, living with him was not easy, especially since the beds were stacked in bunk style. So, who do you think was stuck with the lower bunk? Me.
15. Food Fight
My roommate took it upon himself to chow down on my steaks, thinking I didn't plan on eating them anytime soon. In a weird turn of events, I got scolded for touching my own food! We keep a chest freezer I purchased in our detached garage, which serves as extra storage for us since our cars are too big to park there.
Here's the story. I bought a boatload of freezer-friendly beef from the butcher last year and stored it in the chest freezer. My roommate also uses it to stash his frozen goods. Despite the limited space, we've never had any problems... until this happened. My steak supply was dwindling, and I was down to just two.
I decided to have them for dinner one evening, so after the gym, I headed home to defrost them. However, they were already out thawing on the counter. I examined the seal's label, and sure enough, they were mine. This didn't seem odd to me at the time.
I thought my roommate was doing me a favor, but there was no way I could demolish two ribeyes myself, so into the fridge freezer one of them went. My roommate overhears the commotion, hustles down the stairs, and practically barks, "What are you doing!?"
I thanked him for prepping the steaks for me, but his reaction was as if I'd kicked his pet. He retorted, "I'm not running a charity! I've got company coming!" Confused, I questioned why he was helping himself to my food, to which he snapped, "Because you weren't going to!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I defended myself by mentioning that I'd gone through almost 14 steak packs in the last year - certainly I was eating them!
But he was still unconvinced, so I chose to ignore him and started to cut open the seal. He then yelled, "I hope you washed your hands before touching my food!" I shot back, "Did you pay for it?" He fumbled, "Does that matter??" Smirking, I replied, "Just a smidge". Eventually, he ended up having to grill burgers for his guest after boasting about a steak dinner.
If I'm honest, listening to that explanation was pretty amusing. From their chatter, I gathered that reclaiming my own food had earned me the label of a "massive jerk".
16. Little By Little, And Bit By Bit
I had a former roommate who was quite something. We once won a Christmas door decoration contest, and she insisted the rest of us hand over our cash rewards to her, claiming her creativity was the reason for our victory. But that wasn't the end of it. Groceries she never pitched in for would always end up disappeared in a flash as she invited her pals over and cooked big feasts with our stuff.
There was this once when she guzzled down an entire bottle of brown and puked all over the couch, only to jet off on vacation the next day, the stench of her aftermath still lingering. She had this unique approach to karma where a good deed for a stranger equated to her being entitled to take something from us.
A typical scenario would be her helping a co-worker shift some heavy furniture and taking it to mean she could skip out on buying groceries for an entire month, because she felt her furniture moving had "earned it". She once agreed to drop off some of my spare clothes to a friend since her office was on her route. But what she did instead was outrageous.
She gave away the clothes to a stranger she encountered en route. She had a habit of borrowing money and never bothering to repay. She'd abruptly change the TV channel with no regard for others engrossed in their shows. Things got so heated that even her munching on one of my bananas could set me off, having me shout, "Back off, witch!!!" because I just had had enough.
Although she did have a few redeeming qualities, they were mostly overshadowed by countless instances of her self-centeredness and blatant disregard for others' feelings.
17. Do You Know The Muffin Man?
I've got three memorable story to share about my worst roommate. Spending a summer together in our college apartment was quite an adventure. He decided to join the ranks of Costco members and was soon trekking home with an overwhelming load of junk food goodies - think hot pockets, pop tarts, and a rainbow of candy. He paired this with two overstuffed boxes of pre-packaged muffins. Casually announcing, "Dig in if you're ever feeling hungry," he goes about his day.
However, he then hoards everything—excluding the muffins. Being independent, I initially shrugged off his offer. But over time, I must have had around three or four of the two dozen muffins. The tables turn when he wakes me up at an unbearable 6 am, voicing his frustration on my muffin consumption.
Reluctantly, I hand over $10, hoping it'll bring peace. I was very wrong about that. Two days later, I discover a tupperware box brimming with muffins, complete with a padlock on each side. It's clear he wanted me to stumble upon this find. From then on, he was known to me as "Muffins".
In the second tale, we had two female roommates join our living quarters. Despite this, our friend Muffins displayed an insensitivity, often leaving provocative videos playing openly on his laptop screen. Regardless of who was home, there was always something playing. He saw no issue in this, even after serious talks on its inappropriateness in a shared living space.
Finally, the last story to make the list revolves around our bathroom layout. The sink greeting you at the doorway, a toilet beside it, and a spacious shower at the end of the room. One afternoon, I found a half-eaten baguette sandwich on the sink - oh, the horror!
Ignoring the rogue sandwich, the girls and I watched as Muffins returned around 5 or 6 pm. Pointing out his misplaced meal, he claimed it, happily finishing his forgotten sandwich. The sight nearly resulted in my lunch making a comeback.
18. The Scariest Story On Here?
Over the years, I've had my share of bad roommates, but none of them compare to a terrifying experience my friend had. His roommate was quite an unpredictable character, known to frequently keep to himself or be mysteriously absent from the house. Moreover, his continual untidiness and bizarre behaviours were beginning to raise concerns about his mental condition.
One day, my friend returned home, and assuming his roommate was around, shouted out his name, "Kevin! Kevin!" Although no response came, he could hear a faint noise emanating from the dim, unfinished basement. The basement, which housed a washing machine and dryer on the bare cement floor, had scant natural light filtering through.
Descending into the basement, he tried to switch on the lights, but to no avail. As he tiptoed towards the middle of the room, the atmosphere turned tense. He noticed shards of glass - from a shattered bulb - scattered across the floor. Suddenly, emerging from a dimly lit corner of the room, Kevin appeared, brandishing a cleaver, and he plunged it into my friend's gut.
Reacting quickly, my friend managed to disarm Kevin. He stumbled out of the house and reached safety despite his injury. Given this was before the era of mobile phones, he had to rely on his neighbor's assistance to contact law enforcement. The unsettling revelation that his offbeat roommate was experiencing a schizophrenic psychotic break sent shivers down his spine. I could regale you with more stories, but this one is undoubtedly the most chilling of them all.
19. Birthday Suit
My roommate, who can be quite irritating and inconsiderate, totally spoilt my birthday. It was just another regular Monday, I had no grand plans. I thought a few reasonably priced pints at the nearby bar would be perfect. Given that my roommate comes from a family of doctors, he's pretty well-off. He kindly offered to treat me at an upscale bar for a change.
When we arrived, he ordered some dishes like baked brie and other high-end starters. As expected, the drinks weren't cheap either. After we had our starters and he finished his fancy drink, out of the blue, he announces, "I have a lab assignment, I've got to run! Dude, would you mind settling the bill? I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment.”
Smugly, he leaves a measly twenty dollar bill for our sixty-five dollar bill. And that wasn't even the end of it. He casually mentions, “So, what's your impression of this place? I'm fond of it, glad I had a chance to check it out. I'm definitely booking it for my birthday". With that, he vanishes before I have a chance to comprehend what just unfolded. So, my roommate tricked me into footing a bill at a place where I had no intention to celebrate my birthday, and he conveniently used this opportunity to appraise it for his own upcoming birthday bash.
20. The Odd Man Out
During my sophomore year at university, I shared a high-rise apartment on the 15th floor with five other guys. One of my roommates was Kevin. Kevin was the perfect example of a bad roommate. He never did his dishes and left all his dirty pots piled up in the sink after cooking the most awful-smelling meals.
Additionally, he often ordered take-out meals with his noisy buddies and then just left the leftover trash on our coffee table. Strangely, he was hardly ever home, so we didn't get the chance to ask him to change his habits. However, we did manage to confront him once and get him to clean his two sinks full of dishes.
One night during a large party at our apartment, Kevin shouted something about the overfull kitchen garbage. He said, "This is gross and it's gotta go now!" and picked up the trash can. I was rather surprised, thinking this was a responsible act for Kevin, especially considering he’d had a few drinks.
But then he headed towards the balcony. I quickly sensed what he intended to do. I thought he was going to empty the trash over the side of the balcony, but instead, he tossed the entire garbage can over the railing — from the 15th floor of our building. It could've been disastrous if someone had been standing below.
Fortunately, he moved out mid-year, though he left bags of his belongings scattered around the apartment for another month. And remember those two sinks of dishes he supposedly cleaned earlier in the year? We kept feeling like our dish count had decreased, but we didn't connect the dots at the time.
It seems Kevin had found a new way to avoid washing dishes. He decided to hide them so that we wouldn't ask him to clean. One day, as we were cleaning the balcony, we came across a black garbage bag. To our horror, it contained the disgustingly dirty dishes that Kevin was supposed to have cleaned. Instead of washing them, he had stashed all our dishes in a garbage bag and left it on the balcony.
In conclusion: Kevin, you're the worst.
21. The Wrong Man
Back when I was just 19 and navigating life’s twists and turns, a major shake-up happened in my life. My parents upped and moved, leaving me in a bit of a bind. That’s when I found myself crashing at a friend’s place, but it wasn’t your typical setup. Nope, it was a converted woodshed tucked away in their family's backyard. Imagine that—a woodshed! My pal, dealing with similar circumstances, became my shed-mate in this quirky arrangement.
But you know what? We spruced that shed up real nice. We put our DIY skills to work, insulated the place, set up a TV with cable, and even managed to snag a PlayStation. That was top-notch technology back then! Surprisingly, it wasn’t half bad. I spent a good year there, squirreling away cash for my exit plan—to move out and kickstart my college journey. But then, things took an unexpected turn.
I received news about my grandma's deteriorating health. That sent me on a sudden trip, leaving work and the shed behind. When I returned, my shed buddy was all worked up, upset that I hadn’t given him a heads-up about my abrupt departure.
He insisted I pack up and leave immediately, supposedly to save face with our friends who were supposedly furious about my sudden absence. Thankfully, I had other friends he wasn't privy to. One of them offered me a place to crash while I sorted out the mess.
As time rolled on, the truth started to unravel. Turns out, this so-called buddy of mine had pulled off a sly move while I was away. He swiped stuff from our hosts' place, pinned it on me, and wanted me out pronto to cover his tracks.
It took a few years, but I eventually made a visit to our former hosts. Their reaction when they saw me? Absolutely priceless! We had a heart-to-heart and—brace yourself—here’s the kicker. That scheming buddy of mine met a tragic fate, a fatal car crash just a month after I’d left. That unfortunate event finally opened their eyes, revealing his deception. They noticed how he suddenly had the cash to splurge on luxury items. A tragic way to clear my name, but at least the truth eventually surfaced.
22. A Brainy Kind Of Story
During my first year at college, one of my roommates was noticeably sheltered. It quickly became clear that he was going to struggle with adapting to life away from home. My other roommate and I, with help from the people we shared a suite with, did our best to chat with him and make him comfortable. Despite some strangeness and shyness, he seemed to be a kind person - although slightly out of sync with everyone.
Just a few weeks into the semester, he started asking bizarre questions whenever I was in the room. One time, he eagerly wanted to know if I believed in the existence of vampires, and he was convinced he saw one recently. On another occasion, he found it hilariously entertaining that one person from our suite shares the same name as a student on his discussion list. He laughed uncontrollably about it, surprising us all.
That's when we realized his strangeness was deeper than just mild awkwardness. He started to become creepy and unsettling. One day, he even asked me if I could read his mind. Being open-minded, I looked past these quirks, assuming he was simply a bit odd.
Towards the end of the semester, just about a week before finals, I found him in our suite with his mom and the Dean. It turns out he was moving out and planning to complete his finals during the next quarter. I didn't pry, simply wished him well and said goodbye.
He left plenty of his belongings behind initially, which made me think he might return. But a week later, after finals were over, I entered my room to discover all his things were gone too. He had completely moved out. I was unsure about how to react to this. As it was the last day of finals, I was ready to head home for the Christmas break.
I accepted his actions, attributing them to his struggle with college life due to his sheltered upbringing. Later on my journey home, I received a surprising phone call from him. He had this quirky behavior of asking for me by name before proceeding with any conversation, as though confirming it was me on the line. He then made a peculiar request - he was convinced that our roommates were reading his thoughts and asked me to tell them to stop.
But that's not even the most unsettling part: He had left university entirely because he was convinced our roommates were psychic. However, he did return a few quarters later, noticeably heavier, presumably due to medications. Whenever I ran into him, I made sure to greet him and check in on how he was doing. We even had lunch together with some of our shared friends.
He's still a bit unusual, but also a genuinely kind person, so I don't have a problem with him. But living with him for those few months was nothing short of a perplexing experience.
23. Jumping For Joy
There was a time when I had a roommate who simply couldn't keep his clothes on. Just for context, I'm a woman, and he's a guy. We weren't romantically attached or even friends before we decided to share a living space. Really, it was a kind of last resort setup where we were both in need, and it made practical sense to move in together. One of his favorite pastimes was to do jumping jacks without caring who saw, my boyfriend included...
24. Watch Out For This One
My most challenging roommate experience wasn’t even that bad...until one fateful Halloween. Back then, we were both new freshmen on campus, residing in the dorms, striving to navigate the maze of new friendships and academic pursuits. Despite our differences, we shared enough common ground to spend considerable time together. Interestingly, we even crossed paths in high school baseball matches.
However, the tide shifted when my roommate asked me about the smallest possible camera size. Initially, I found it an innocuous query, nothing overtly suspicious. Being a computer engineering major, he assumed I might possess relevant knowledge. I elaborated on the miniature spy cameras that could snugly fit onto a shirt button or within a teddy bear's eyes.
He thanked me and shortly after, raised complaints about noise emanating from our neighbors at an unlikely 2:00 a.m., despite the serene surroundings. As I had just retired to bed and found the atmosphere tranquil, I dismissed his claims. However, he adamantly insisted on superior hearing capabilities, refusing the simple solution of wearing headphones to block the perceived noise.
I brought in our other roommate for a second opinion, only to receive confirmation that the alleged noises were non-existent. Yet, this wasn’t enough for my roommate, but at that point, I brushed it off and retired for the night. I had no clue what was about to go down.
Returning from class the next day, I found him pacing our room, exhibiting an odd demeanor—sweaty with a peculiar rubbing of hands. It was evident that something was off. Inquiring about his distress, assuming it might be an academic setback or missed assignment, drew a cryptic response. He claimed that our adjacent dormmates had footage of him without clothes on.
I probed if he had actually walked around unclothed in the room, which he denied outright, stating it might have happened inadvertently. He asserted that hidden cameras in our room were being used against us by the neighbors, speculating their intent to torment him. Despite offering assistance in searching for these non-existent cameras, he declined, citing a fruitless prior search.
His unsettling behavior continued to get worse and worse. His incessant contemplation on ways to retrieve the supposed tape and neutralize these phantom cameras escalated daily. Things took a bizarre turn when he woke me one morning at 9:00 a.m. with loud yells, calling out to someone named Amanda. Notably, he hadn’t been in a relationship the entire semester, leaving me puzzled about this Amanda.
Our residence had a co-ed layout, and she could have been from our floor, yet I remained oblivious. He paced nervously, apologizing vaguely to an unseen Amanda, uncertain of the cause of her anger. His resolution was to step into the hallway and call out loudly for Amanda, an act that attracted attention and led to inquiries from classmates about his erratic behavior.
Upon his return, he was vexed, having lost his voice from incessant shouting, yet failing to summon this elusive Amanda after a persistent half-hour plea. I promptly found an excuse to leave the room, uncomfortable with his unpredictability. Returning late that night, around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., his presence, still wide awake, triggered a sense of unease.
As I settled into bed, he unexpectedly questioned the contents of my pockets. In response, I cautiously revealed only my phone and wallet, concealing the baseball bat and metal cleats within reach for my safety. His escalating yelling disrupted my sleep, prompting a sudden move to the Resident Assistant (RA)’s door, seeking refuge and recounting the distressing events.
The authorities were contacted, but due to lack of concrete evidence, their hands were tied. I spent the night cautiously in a locked room, apprehensive of potential danger. Meanwhile, my roommate had stopped attending classes. I contemplated moving out, wary of getting entangled in a dangerous situation.
However, things STILL escalated further. My roommate, now convinced of the espionage conspiracy, barged into over 40 rooms in pursuit of the alleged footage. His confrontations with those he suspected quickly turned into chaos. Eventually, authorities intervened, leading to his involuntary commitment due to evident danger to himself and others.
This incident granted me a spacious dorm room for the rest of the semester and the following one, as my bathroom-sharing roommate vacated due to the unsettling atmosphere. With only one new occupant in the room, the space felt expansive, and I even combined the beds for a more luxurious sleeping arrangement.
In hindsight, it turned out well for me, but it was disheartening to learn of my roommate’s diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. The ordeal remains a vivid reminder of how swiftly situations can spiral out of control.
25. Looking Out For Number One
I once shared a place with a person who, in my opinion, displayed clear signs of being a sociopath. He was charming and pleasant when he needed something from you, but as soon as you were no longer useful to him, he seemed to delight in making life difficult for you. Initially, we got along well when we moved in together. However, things changed when he started dating a girl living nearby.
Going to sleep became a challenge, because he would play a CD on loop just before I would hit the bed and then leave the music playing when he went over to his girlfriend's. He didn't care at all that I was trying to sleep. He did this twice and ended up ruining my appreciation for the band Smashing Pumpkins forever.
Eventually, he moved most of his stuff to his girlfriend's place and without discussing it with me, he told a friend and a stranger that they could move in. Now, in addition to a pet iguana he'd lost interest in, I found myself stuck with two roommates who weren't contributing to the bills. I was left with no option but to take action.
I found a new home for the iguana and got the manager to enforce the eviction of the unsolicited roommates. He retaliated by coming back, cranking up the heat, shutting the windows, and sprinkling chocolate chips everywhere in the flat, just to irk me as revenge for confronting him. Living with him was, without a doubt, one of the most unpleasant periods of my life. I truly consider him the worst person I've ever had to deal with.
26. Just A Little Game Of Broken Telephone
In our college dorm, we used a phone service that required individual dial-out codes. This was a way to distribute the monthly telephone cost fairly among us. Once, this guy saw me entering my code, remembered it, and subsequently used it to make a whopping $1,100 worth of calls to Colombia, even though he himself is not from there. This only came to light when the telephone company raised an alarm asking why there was such a huge spike in my bill.
When I was asked about this, I simply denied making these calls. A few days later, this guy was put in jail. Ladies and gentlemen, meet our dubious genius here.
27. An Expert At What She Does
I used to share a house with a roommate who ended up taking my valuable Texas Instruments graphing calculator to a pawnshop. That calculator wasn't just pricey; it was also invaluable to me because it stored four years' worth of my study notes and formulas. She didn't stop there; she took my camera loaded with memorable vacation pictures and $100 from my girlfriend’s wallet.
On top of that, she unapologetically used our toothbrushes and helped herself to our food. And let's not mention her unpleasant odor. She would borrow our towels, swipe my girlfriend's jewelry, and bizarrely, there was constantly a Tupperware container filled with urine in her room. It even got to the point where she stole our neighbor's credit card in broad daylight, bolted off with it, and enjoyed a shopping spree.
She wasn't any better in public. She took books from the local library, and after paying just one month's rent, she disregarded the rest for the whole semester. We ended up having to evict her, much to our surprise, this process took nearly two months - a fact she appeared to be too familiar with, and made herself right at home during that period. We learned the hard way just how much the law protected her. We would've been legally punishable had we decided to chuck her stuff out impulsively.
A little digging revealed her not-so-shiny record - five previous evictions and even being a neglectful mother. Big surprise...
28. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Living with my friend after leaving home was fun...at first. Sure, she never tidied up and constantly used my wardrobe without permission, but our first experience of independence was generally fun. However, things took a nose-dive pretty soon.
I slowly grew frustrated with her habits, particularly her lack of cleanliness. Anyway, I used to keep my laptop in the living room, which my friend would often borrow. One day, while I was looking for a picture to send my buddy, I found a strange folder in my gallery.
I wondered why this odd folder was on my laptop, so I clicked on it. To my surprise, it was filled with my roommate's pictures. To put it mildly, they were revealing, personal shots of her. What on earth? It's safe to say that was the end of our computer-sharing days. But just so it's clear, I never spoke to her about stumbling upon her photos.
29. Just A Lovely Person All Around
During my first year at university, I shared a small dorm room with another freshman. As someone who can't handle lactose, I always made sure to stock our minute fridge with soy milk. Oddly enough, she'd ring me whenever I was out shopping, asking me not to buy any, even though she never contributed a cent towards groceries. Similarly, she would complain about the low-sodium soup I preferred.
On one rare occasion, she bought a box of ramen, which she offered to share. In terms of cleanliness, she had a strange habit of wandering around the room in her underwear, leaving dirty undergarments all around.
Once, while I was settled watching a DVD on my own TV, she walked up to me, demanding the remote controller to watch her soap operas. Her argument? I'd "watched my film too many times already". Even worse, she had a knack for watching old episodes of her soaps at a high volume late into the night, especially when I had an early 8:00 am class the next day.
I usually snore when I sleep on my back but have trained myself to sleep on my side to prevent this. Occasionally, though, I'd roll onto my back by accident. I'd told her that if this happens, she should toss a pillow my way to wake me up. Instead, one night she woke me up by oddly shaking both my shoulder and my throat.
Despite her claim that she mistook my throat for my other shoulder, I'm not convinced. I'm relieved to say I've since moved into a great new apartment with a fantastic new roommate. As for my ex-roommate, against my advice, our other suitemates chose to live with her, only to realize a month later, I had been right all along - they wanted to move out as soon as they could.
30. The Emperor's New Clothes
It's been a long time and I can't quite remember the name of my terrible old roommate, could have been Andy? Regardless, I often used to spot him around the university canteen, shamelessly wearing my clothes. It seemed he had no problem treating my belongings like his own, without even a hint of prior discussion. Never would I have agreed to such an arrangement.
Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent, Pexels
31. Music To Her Ears
I once shared a living space with a female roommate who was, to say the least, difficult to tolerate. She seemed to hold an endless supply of negativity, treating everyone poorly without any apparent justification. For instance, if I'd remark, "I adore this song," she'd scoff dismissively, responding, "The idea that you could 'love' a song is plainly ridiculous". Maybe the craziest thing I've ever heard someone say.
Then, as if the universe was playing a prank on me, she'd turn around and say the exact same thing about something else mere minutes later. Honestly, my feelings towards her were of intense disapproval, and this sentiment extended to her distasteful crew of companions. This combined effect made our shared home feel less comfortable.
32. No Way Out
During my university years, I got paired up with a random student to share my dorm room. The dorm supervisor thoughtfully placed artsy name labels on everyone's door to help us remember where our rooms are and also learn the names of our fellow students. I moved into the dorm a week in advance of the start of the classes.
Just a few days later, at around 2 a.m., I was jolted awake by a loud bang, followed by the door dramatically swinging open. A girl, who I understood to be my roommate, loudly complained "Why is this awful thing pinned on my door, and why did you leave it there?", as she swiftly ripped off and crumpled the name tag.
Following her, three other guys, who had been living on our floor for that initial week, trailed in. They had accompanied her for the long 10-hour drive from her hometown and had no means to drive back. That night set the tone for a challenging roommate relationship.
33. The Paper Girl
One of my roommates absolutely wouldn't contribute to the household by buying toilet paper. After enduring several weeks of her consistently taking ours, the rest of us, all three, decided to hide it hoping that it would compel her to purchase her own. What we didn't expect was her reaction to our ploy. Instead of buying her own toilet paper, she resorted to stockpiling napkins from various restaurants and began using our paper towel rolls as a bathroom essential.
On one occasion, we all went for a nice dinner out. Returning home, we noticed our basement submerged in water. The toilet was obstructed by a mystery mixture of thick paper and unflushable items. To make matters worse, she had a distressing habit of letting old food accumulate in her room and did little to keep up with her laundry. I've honestly never met anyone with such appalling hygiene habits.
34. Love Letters
My roommate had this habit of writing critical, backhanded notes to practically anyone— Our apartment neighbors, the people parking outside, and even our landlady. The notes were characterized by their excessively courteous tone, important parts underlined and random words capitalized, always jotted down in red ink. They were consistently disrespectful to the point you'd think she was asking for trouble.
And the kicker? She'd sign off with BOTH our names, even when I didn't have anything to do with it. As a result, I spent that year covertly tracking her down and yanking those notes as swiftly and silently as I could.
35. Promises Made, Promises Broken
My first ever apartment was exciting for me. I met this lady through a mutual friend. She was okay but not my type and she needed a place to live, so I agreed. All smooth, until she moved in with her boyfriend and a cat, without any prior notice. I was quite laid back about it, as long as the guy contributed towards rent and the cat didn't make my bed its toilet. The living situation was pretty cool, each with our separate rooms and entrances, and all was well. I was working the late shift at a local pizzeria in our college town.
One night, after an exhausting shift, I just wanted to crash in my bed and guess what? The cat had made a mess of it. My simple request to her to clean it up was met with an absurd reply, blaming me for leaving my door open. Trying to wrap my head around this logic didn't go well and I was pretty clear, she needed to clean it up or the cat was flying out the window. The boyfriend tried to intervene but could feel the tension in the room.
Their refusal to see the situation from my side was irritating. I left the house, warning them to clean my room by the time I returned. They did and a form of peace was restored. The next day, the boyfriend apologized and we spent the day chilling out and playing some Xbox. But it didn't go well when she got back from "work" and complained about us. Little did I know, at the time, that she was jobless and was hanging out with another guy when she claimed to be at work.
A few months later, on Halloween, I return home late feeling good and ready for sleep. But she barged in with unreasonable demands, but I was too tired to entertain her. The very next day, after bringing my girlfriend home and looking forward to a quiet evening, my roommate storms in questioning my actions. She was completely out of line and it made my girlfriend uncomfortable, so we decided to spend a week at her place.
Unexpectedly, I got calls and texts every night I was away. On my return a month later, I was shocked to find her cheating on her boyfriend. Yet, I stayed silent, fearing any impact on the rent shared by her boyfriend. However, within no time, her boyfriend found out about her escapades and left us in sadness. He had genuinely become a friend to me.
Two months later, she accused me of not paying my rent. Apparently, she anticipated I’d cover her boyfriend's portion. That hit a nerve. I retorted sternly, said I was not paying any more than my agreed share of the rent, and began to pack my things. She resorted to damaging my belongings, but I was determined to move out.
Fast forward to a few months later, I enter a club, bump into her, and high-tail it out of there. She still appears at odd places now and then, a continuous annoying reminder of an unforgettable first-ever roommate experience. She has replaced her boyfriend with someone else she's managed to manipulate at school. To summarize, she was the epitome of terrible roommates, a total nightmare.
36. Watering Things Down
A buddy gifted me a Johnny Walker Blue for my birthday once. I headed out of town for a couple of days and came back to discover my roommate had guzzled down half of it and sneakily topped it back up with water, thinking I wouldn’t notice. What's worse, he shamelessly denied it and holds up the lie even till today. I suspect he genuinely doesn’t recall though.
Things took a turn for him when he was hit with a ticket while on probation and lost his job. For the next eight months, he drowned his sorrows and ended up using our rent money to settle his auto bill. The situation was so dire that we got an eviction notice before I realized what was happening. His parents ended up covering our rent for the three months he hadn't paid, but the damage was done; I had an eviction on my record.
Now, I always carry a copy of the eviction notice which clearly states that I was not the one evicted. Whether I'm dealing with potential landlords or buying a house, I make sure to show them that so I'm not unfairly taken for a defaulter.
37. She Saw The Light
I was out of the country for a three-month work stint. When I returned, I found out the bathroom light bulb had burned out right after my departure. My housemate felt uncomfortable changing it on her own and hired an electrician instead. The electrician found it amusing and advised her that it wasn't a complicated task—she could have easily done it herself and saved money. Yet, she hadn't replaced it by the time I got back. Of course, I ended up fixing it, which took about five minutes.
Granted, I would've done it quicker, but I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her having to use the bathroom in darkness all those months.
38. Bringing Your Work Life Home
This happened all the way back in 2001, a time when I had just moved into my first apartment—naturally, space where I hadn’t yet mastered the art of sharing wisely. Unfortunately, my lack of experience came at a steep price. Back then, I was grinding away at a welding shop and struck up a friendship with a generous-hearted Mexican fellow, often offering him rides back home after work. Our bond strengthened over evenings spent at his place, relishing his mom's exceptional biscuits and gravy.
As our friendship blossomed, we convinced ourselves that it made financial sense to become roommates. But there was one thing I didn't know: He was the sort of drinker who always caused chaos. Nearly every night post-work, he'd down a whole crate of Buds, engaging in arguments with kids on Yahoo chat rooms until he fell into a stupor. Things spiraled out of control very fast.
Eventually, he stopped showing up for work, and my return home transformed into scenes of him passed out amidst floors painted with vomit, corners reeking of urine, and abandoned half-eaten pizzas strewn across the couch. It would've been sad if it wasn't so disgusting. Despite my repeated pleas for him to leave, my words bounced off him like echoes in an empty room. Then, one day, he found himself behind bars for reasons unknown, granting me some much-needed peace.
However, that tranquility shattered when he reappeared at my doorstep soon after his release. I turned him away, his belongings having been cleared out by his mother during his arrest. I couldn't fathom why he'd attempt a return, knowing he wasn’t welcome. Fast-forward to the present—a journey that took me overseas for six years before returning to my home state.
Recently, though, I made a surprising discovery: After more than a decade of no contact, I stumbled upon his Facebook profile. To my amazement, our story took an unexpected turn. We reconnected, and I learned of his inspiring path—he's now dedicated to a career as an addiction counselor, extending a helping hand to those trapped in the same struggles he once faced. It's a journey that fills me with immense pride for him.
39. Boot Camp
My most difficult shared living experience was probably with the girl that entered into a relationship with a homeless dealer. Much to my shock, he started living with us without asking me and began selling his wares out of our apartment, again without my knowledge or approval. He also wore these boots that gave off the most foul odor I've ever encountered. And he continuously left these boots in our common living area.
40. This One Is Legitimately Terrifying…
Approximately two years back, my housemates were Susan and Geo. Geo happened to be dating Susan's brother, Chris—a real piece of work, if you ask me. Susan was well aware of it, but Geo seemed to be inexplicably drawn to him. Chris’s behavior toward Geo was abominable. I'd often wake up to their heated arguments escalating, culminating in Chris hitting Geo, who’d end up in tears as he stormed out of our house.
The dynamics never quite made sense to me. Chris was this scrawny little guy, while Geo was a tough, formidable girl who could easily overpower him. One day, I woke up to the sounds of their clash over a jar Geo was holding. Chris decided to apply pressure to Geo’s hand, causing the jar to break and deeply cut her hand with glass shards.
The scene turned gruesome as blood splattered everywhere. As she dropped the jar, Chris shoved her, spewed vile insults, and then, grabbing the largest shard, flung it at her face, causing severe cuts. He stormed out again, leaving us to comfort Geo. Both Susan and I agreed that he was barred from our house for everyone's safety. But things didn't quite pan out as planned.
Geo lost her cool over our decision and stormed out too. The following weeks turned into a nightmare. Chris persisted in visiting, hurling insults, and threatening both Susan and me. There were confrontations that escalated to physical fights. Geo never initiated the violence, but we ended up giving Chris a beating. Yet, Geo would rush to his defense, hurling threats at us.
To add insult to injury, Geo and Chris would devour all our food while we were away and leave sarcastic notes mocking us about it. They even trespassed into my room, ransacking it and making off with my movies and video games—although they’d just relocate them to Geo's room. With the lease almost up, I resorted to securing everything with locks and toughing it out.
By the time we left, Geo hadn't paid her dues, owing Susan and me a hefty $600 for damages, bills, food expenses, and the last month's rent. Upon moving out, Susan and I claimed recompense by taking back their stash of movies and video games. Susan, being related to Chris, continued to face his disturbing antics even after our departure.
His mom confided in Susan that after our move, Chris was aiming to hunt down our new address, with intentions to vandalize our cars, wreck our tires, and possibly break into our new place. Susan and I eventually drifted apart, while Geo and she reconciled. As for me, I couldn't stand any of them and was relieved to find a more normal roommate.
41. Leaving A Trail
Living with my first college roommate was far from ideal. She had a habit of partying until the break of dawn, inevitably waking me up at 4 a.m. to ask if she'd received any calls on our landline voicemail. Remember, this was before cell phones were widely used.
Our campus was supposed to be totally dry, but she was CONSTANTLY in drinking in our dorm, never even cleaning up the bottles and cans afterward.
Yes, I indulged in the occasional drink, but at least made the effort to tidy up. Moreover, after attending her sorority gatherings, she would stagger back, expecting me to take care of her. Then one day, I returned from a weekend at home to find a leaky fast food cup on my brand new laptop. Who knows how long it was there? That was the final straw.
Driven to my wits end, I informed her of my plan to visit the student life office to inquire about a single dorm room. It seemed worth the extra cost to have my own space. Happily, an unoccupied dorm room was available on the same floor, so I was able to move. When I returned to our dorm to commence packing, I discovered she'd already moved all my things into the hallway.
I hadn’t even informed her I was definitely moving out. In a twist of fate, she ended up not completing her college journey, dropping out after her first year.
42. You Made Them Disappear
I used to share a house with a magician. Among the various experiences I recall from that time, there's a particularly peculiar one that always comes to mind. It happened when he was packing up to fly overseas for a spell, around two months. In the hours leading up to his departure, he decided to stuff our freezer with whole chickens. And boy, did he throw a fit when we started eating them to make some room!
43. Jumping To Conclusions
One night, one of my roommates decided to call an ambulance for our other housemate, because she feared our friend was hurting herself. The reason behind this was beyond belief - she found a towel with red spots on it. The real story? Our friend had just colored her hair red and had proudly displayed her new look to all of us earlier that day.
What's surprising is that the concerned roommate didn't even discuss her fears with the rest of us. She just went straight to calling 9-1-1 based on her assumptions.
44. Can You Feel The Annoyance Tonight?
When I was in college, I shared a room with someone who had a unique sleep routine. His routine? Falling asleep while watching Disney movies at night. And, mind you, these movies were not just playing in the background quietly. No, these flicks were played at maximum volume in our shared living space, and I had no control to switch them off.
Most nights, he'd doze off midway through the movie, leaving it to run for several more hours. This meant that each night, I had to try and get some shut-eye to the soundtrack of various Disney classics.
As a result, I've developed a deep, fiery dislike for The Lion King – it's as if a thousand suns are blazing in disapproval every time I even think of the movie.
45. One Track Mind
Once upon a time, I shared my home with this fellow who was too lazy to ever wash the dishes. He'd laze about all day, barely dressed, while making a habit of using strong substances. And if you haven't guessed it by now — I've been living blissfully by myself ever since…
46. Lyin’ Eyes
Believe it or not, this story is absolutely real. My housemate never leaves the house, doesn't contribute to the rent, always wants food without paying for it, and also hopes that I'll clean up the mess she leaves behind. What's more, she dashes off to hide in a corner whenever I try to have a serious chat about these issues with her. I'm at a loss as to how a full-grown adult could behave this way and I'm unsure of how to handle the situation.
47. Leaving Some Souvenirs
Last year, when the lockdown happened, I was away from my apartment for around a month. When I eventually returned, what I found was absolute chaos! My clothes were scattered about, trash everywhere, shards of glass strewn across the floor, and even the remnants of a smashed guitar.
The air conditioner was cranked way down to a chilling 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the sink tap was just running, unchecked. Worst part? The back door had been left wide open. And, to top it all off, I discovered my roommate had moved out and hadn't even had the courtesy to inform me!
48. Garbage In, Garbage Out
You want a bad roommate story? Then I'll GIVE you a bad roommate story! A few days ago, since I'd been away for over a week, I requested my roommate to help me out by taking the garbage out. To my surprise, instead of simply doing it, she did maybe the craziest thing I've ever heard of: She sifted through it and only disposed of the items she'd personally thrown in there! Can you believe that?
49. Leaving His Mark On The Scene
During my first year at university, I got my first experience with communal living, sharing a student house with six other students, all of us insanely excited to be out on our own for the first time. In this group, a guy I'll refer to as "Jack" stood out for a peculiar reason—his permanent stench. A delicate topic to broach, we hesitated, unsure if his condition stemmed from undisclosed medical concerns or any unknown issues. Awkward and reluctant to confront the situation, we silently acknowledged the problem, opting to maintain harmony.
As the year drew to a close, we grew close, and it all culminated in the decision to move to a new place together for our second year. There was just one problem: The passage of time only exacerbated Jack's pronounced stench, which defied adequate description—a concoction reminiscent of mold, aged cheese, and unrelenting body odor. This repugnant scent permeated every inch of our space, making living with him more and more unbearable. Then an additional wrinkle surfaced—his tendency to layer multiple pairs of pants, donning track pants and jeans, topped off with yet another pair of jeans, which baffled us further.
Despite our collective resolve to ignore the persistent odor, it eventually reached an unbearable point. We had to have an intervention. Weeks of subtle hints culminated in the decision for the individual closest to Jack to address the issue directly. Yet, his baffling reaction left us bewildered. He dismissed the matter altogether.
In the middle of all this, we had another disgusting problem to deal with: A rampant mouse infestation and a harrowing bed bug outbreak that plagued our entire building. After what felt like forever, our landlord finally called an exterminator.
Amidst the fumigation process, Jack found himself separately engaged in a conversation with the landlord, a discussion we didn't bother to ask about, presuming it was nothing out of the ordinary. Following the fumigation, a dramatic turn of events unfolded. Jack vanished one day, only telling us that he "needed a break"—and note, this was right in the middle of an academic year.
During the fumigator's return visit, while overseeing their work in the living room, they asked about the smell emanating from Room Three. None of us knew what to tell them; we NEVER went into Jack's room. Finally, they went into investigate—and that's when they revealed the horrifying truth.
Not only was Jack's room infested with bugs and unwanted creatures, but hidden within lay an accumulation of poop amassed over the entire time he lived with us, stowed away in seven different suitcases, with his window curtains serving as makeshift toilet paper, all despite the presence of a bathroom merely steps away from his room.
The fumigators, visibly rattled, embarked on the arduous task of collecting and cataloging the evidence strewn throughout the garden. Amidst their obvious shock and discomfort, they reluctantly and nervously sifted through each contaminated item, unearthing fecal masses and soiled garments, further compounding the nauseating spectacle.
Then, as if this grotesque scene couldn't get any worse, the burden of handling this appalling mess fell upon us, as the fumigators left the unsavory evidence in garbage bags in our garden. Despite attempts from the landlord to assist, his shock and dismay mirrored ours, rendering his efforts of limited help.
Unsurprisingly, Jack never returned to the house, though he was at least compelled to financially compensate us for the extensive damage wreaked by the poop. The entire room needed to be renovated—new carpeting, bedding, curtains, and a fresh coat of paint, an extensive restoration prompted by the wanton destruction caused by the fecal contamination.
In a poignant turn of events, Jack's mother eventually arrived to salvage the wreckage on his behalf, her distress palpable as she confronted the unspeakable condition of her son's room. Her tearful reaction hinted at underlying mental health concerns that potentially drove his inexplicable behavior.
The cringe-inducing memory of this sordid ordeal still haunts me to this day. I still wonder about Jack's strange and disturbing behavior—that culminated with the inexplicable act of secretly hoarding poop in his room and luggage for a prolonged period, then vanishing without a trace.
50. You Used To Have A Friend In Me
You wouldn't believe how bad my old roommate was. Despite us being friends before living together, it was just a nightmare. She'd invite strangers to sleep on my bed, constantly used my makeup and constantly complained that I wasn't home enough, despite me diligently handling my share of rent and bills while juggling full-time work and school. Moreover, how I spent my free time was none of her business.
The atmosphere got so bad that, with our landlord's approval, I reasonably suggested finding somebody else to take over my part of the lease. She insisted that she couldn't afford the place without me and didn't want to live with anyone else. I trusted her and dropped the issue.
I decided to stick through the remaining six months of our one-year lease. Big mistake! After about a month, she phoned me to announce that her mom had gotten us off the lease, much to my shock, and that I needed to clear out my belongings from the apartment by the following Monday.
Being a Friday evening and with back-to-back full shifts over the weekend, I rounded up my pals to help move out my stuff just in time. Here's the worst part: while moving, I stumbled upon a receipt on the counter. It was for EYELASH EXTENSIONS, costing over $1,000!
The whole time she's been telling me she can't keep up with the rent on her own, she's splurging on eyelashes! That money could've covered our rent for three full months considering our place wasn't exactly high-end. Fast forward to today, nearly five years later, we've not said a word to each other since I confronted her about her extravagant eyelash purchase.
We were close friends, but living together revealed her true colors: a deceptive, selfish thief who invited strangers into my space, lied, and manipulated me, causing me to waste time and money on her fictitious problem. Looking back, I should've bailed out the moment she crossed the line.
Let my experience serve as a warning: if something feels off, don't ignore it. It won't end well.
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