1. Dirty dishes have always been a problem.
I'm pretty good about keeping my bedroom and my half of the bathroom clean. If I use a dish to cook with or eat on, I'll either wash it and leave it to dry, or it'll go straight into the dishwasher. What I can't stand is letting dishes pile up over time until it's to the point where I can't use the kitchen sink unless the dishes in it get washed. They take up too much room and the sink is rendered useless.
For any future roommates reading this, or for anyone looking into a place with a friend or someone you know: make sure that they will clean up after themselves. If they don't, the responsibility will then fall to you, and trust me, it's not a fun time to have to clean up after someone else. It's even more frustrating when you haven't used a dish but have to wash them all anyways.
2. Common area cleanliness is forgotten about.
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Any part of the apartment home, condo, house, etc. that is a shared space should rightfully be kept clean. It's not difficult to work as a team in a unit and vacuum carpets, sweep hard floors and/or mop floors. Since I live in an apartment where that stuff doesn't ever get done and the responsibility usually will fall to me when it gets bad enough, I get upset and flustered because I pay to live here, but I'm the one doing all of the work while everyone else is relaxing and watching me.
3. Having the courtesy to inform when others are visiting doesn't exist.
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Exactly that. In my history with roommates, I've endured lots of different people coming to visit. I'm pretty careful about keeping my visitors in my bedroom with me and having the door closed so that I won't disturb anyone. There have been times where I've not been informed that a group of people was going to show up and be loud and cause a ruckus. I'll never forget taking a midterm while my roommates had a get together right outside of my door, playing games and drinking. Just caring a little bit about the fact that someone else is also living there and may be disturbed would be great.
4. Share a bathroom? Forget that.
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I'll never comply with the decision to share a bathroom with someone ever again.
It's one thing if the other person is clean, it's another if they always are letting others who stay over use the bathroom to their advantage - but don't make them pay rent even though they're here all of the time.
Not to mention I am to the point where I have to hide my shower and bathing products from my roommate and her significant other because they will use my stuff without asking, and also won't bother to let me know or pay me back for anything that they touch of mine. I never give permission to touch my stuff anyways because it's my stuff and I pay money for it that I work my a$$ off for.
Just to add to that, I also can't stand when things that aren't appropriate to throw away in the bathroom trash can are thrown into the bathroom trash can. I'm talking about articles of clothing, clothing tags, and even to-go plastic or styrofoam cups from restaurants and fast food chains. Can we just have some common sense and use the kitchen trash can? You're not the only person paying to live and cohabitate in the bathroom so act like it.
5. Sharing space can be tough, but shouldn't be a reoccurring issue.
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I understand sharing space with other people can be challenging, but it shouldn't have to be a fight for space. I grocery shop and need to store some items in the refrigerator and the freezer, as anyone probably would. But I find that I'm always the one struggling to find space to fit it into because there are already tons of other things that my roommates have in the refrigerator, and they don't care to move their stuff aside or even to actually use it or eat it. It'll sit in there forever until it goes bad.
The freezer is the same concept, but surprisingly worse. I like to heat up my frozen chicken nuggets, but when I have nowhere to even store them in the freezer because our giant a$$ freezer is already stuffed to the front with stuff that's gone bad, then what do I do?
If it comes down to it, I've had to dispose of some of the things that my roommates and their SO's don't eat or touch for a long enough time to make room for myself and my stuff that's fresh. Sharing this type of stuff shouldn't be this difficult, but it is because I live with people who don't take responsibility or hold themselves accountable for most things.
Warning: to be a roommate of mine, you must have read - now skimmed, read - all of these detailed pet peeves about roommates that I have, and NOT be that type of person. If you're not, be my guest. If you fall victim to any of that stuff, re-evaluation of living with others might be necessary.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
