When Your Memphis Apartment Roommate is Messy
Aug 30th, 2007 by Memphis Apartments
You thought having a Memphis apartment roommate would be beneficial. Then you get one that is the exact opposite of you. And it drives you crazy. You like everything in its place while your roommate is content in clutter.
He never washes the dishes. He leaves wet towels on the bathroom floor. There is a strange odor coming from his room. The carpet is stained because he is constantly spilling stuff. The trash piles up until you take care of it. You always have to look before sitting down because you might sit in something from the previous night’s meal.
There are things you can do to address this problem. The first thing you should do is set rules with your Memphis apartment roommate. You both need to agree to follow the rules you set. One of the rules has to be about clutter and cleanliness.
Establish a schedule that details which of you is responsible for the vacuuming and dish washing each day. Keep to the schedule. This will help eliminate much of the arguments between the two of you. Try different types of schedules. You might decide to rotate chores or assign permanent chores. You might get further if you let him select the chores he wants.
There are also things you should avoid doing when dealing with a messy Memphis apartment roommate. Never clean up after your roommate. This sends the wrong message to him. He will not become neater. In fact, he is likely to become worse knowing that you will clean up behind him.
If your Memphis apartment roommate simply will not follow the rules or chores schedule, consider hiring a cleaning service. Your Memphis apartment roommate might be willing to share the cost. Do not assume that because your Memphis apartment roommate is messy that he enjoys being that way. For some people the idea of cleaning is so overwhelming they can do nothing and their living space just gets messier.
You should try to more flexible. Everyone is not raised with the same expectations or develop similar housekeeping skills. Your Memphis apartment roommate may not be aware his behavior is annoying. You need to tell him what you expect from him. Tie your expectations to the lease to reinforce your position.
You may need to just live with the situation. When you have a roommate, the only space you really have any control over is your bedroom. Other than your roommate’s bedroom, the rest of the space is common space. This means that both of you have equal access to and responsibility for the space.
Ultimately you have to decide if you want him to change or leave. It might not be worth the habit of getting him to be neater. It might be easier to find a new Memphis apartment roommate. Your decision will be determined in part based on the roommate agreement you have with him.
If your name is on the lease and you have sublet to him, you need to follow the rules of the agreement you signed with him. This includes given proper notice and refunding any money that is due him. If you are both on the lease, it is a bit trickier. He has as much right to the Memphis apartment as you do. He can ask you to leave instead. He does not have to change to make you happy.
It is always a touchy situation when you and your Memphis apartment roommate do not get along. It makes for an uncomfortable living situation. Eventually you end up ignoring each other. You do not want to get to the point of deliberately doing things to annoy each other. This just makes the situation worse.