If desperation has lead your eyes here then your roommate is controlling your life. Initially, you may think this is a harsh assessment, but stop for a moment and realize you are here because you have been driven here. At least, that is how you feel. But what did you expect to find on the Internet? A Roommate Removal Service? Hopefully not. Most likely you are here because you thought this roommate problem over quite a bit, so much so that it is now eating your sanity raw.
You are thinking that your roommate is bad, enter a plethora of reasons here, but the seriousness of those are all debatable. Whether your roommate drinks your milk and doesn't replace it or slashes your tires while you're asleep, you have a problem. How to fix the problem is the real problem. Well, to start, here are two types of bad roommates:
1. The roommate is annoying or offending in some manner that he or she is not aware of.
This roommate has poor cleaning habits, is inconsiderate of other's possessions or just says the rudest things sometimes. There are a number of examples really, but whatever the case, deep down you know this person doesn't realize that they're brewing hatred inside you. In reality, they may think you're one of their best friends (sometimes that's essence of the problem), meanwhile you envision pounding your fists against their face.
2. The roommate acts out maliciously towards you.
Maybe when you moved in together you were great friends or lovers. However it started, a bad roommate was the last thing you expected this person to end up. Then you had a falling out, maybe it was over poor handling of a #1 type. You talk a little, but you'd rather this person didn't exist. And it's a mutual feeling. This roommate has taken to purposefully destroying or stealing possessions. Maybe it's an outright household war. You don't know what to do, you just want this person to go away.
You can resolve your roommate problems in a variety of ways. Tweek these suggestions to suit your situation best:
1. For the bad roommate who doesn't realize they're being a bad roommate, you can talk to them. You didn't want hear that, but that's what you have to do. Here is how not to initiate the conversation:
Do not hang a note on their door that reads, "We need to talk."
Do not get drunk first.
Do not get them drunk first.
Do not sit them down like a child and list off all the petty things they do wrong.
Do not discuss their actions over Instant Messenger or text messages.
Such are ways you make #2 type roommates. Also, trying to arrange house meetings and cleaning schedules will not help unless your roommate suggests so first. Sure, with a cleaning schedule your dishes might get cleaned, but suppose you get sick or forgetful and miss your turn. Your roommate will become resentful toward you. And rightly so.
What you have to do is be concious of yourself. You have to try to determine what you do unknowingly that may be upsetting for them. It doesn't matter if it's just something seemingly stupid like hogging all the room in the refrigerator or where you park your car. You could be doing something, many things, that is annoying your roommate and therefore set off a ticking time bomb. Bring it up over a cigarette or during a commercial or even when you're standing half-naked in a towel. You don't appear dominating and you start by making an attempt to be considerate. You say you just realized that you are always taking the good parking place, you'd like to give it up for a couple days to make up for it. Then, as an afterthought, you put your case forth briefly. If you're not confrontational, you will likely recieve positive results.
This is a good way to avoid explosion if, in reality, it is you who are the bad roommate. Of course, you know you aren't.
Should the issue continue and you feel that you can no longer live in such a way, here is your solution: Get your own place. If this kind of roommate bothers you that much, you shouldn't be living with other people. There will always be little things (and big ones) that your roommates will unknowingly do that annoy you. If you get all up in a tissy over faults in every roommate, you will live a miserable existence. You may be thinking that you have lived in peaceful existence with other people in the past with no issues, but this is just another reason for you to get your own place. You're fed up with putting up with people. It's impossible for your past roommates to have been perfect. If you look back I'm sure you will remember similar incidents of annoyance that you simply let go. Therefore, it's time for you to live alone.
2. Your roommate is the devil. They do everything to twart you. Great! For starters, you have three solutions:
a. Ask them to move out/have them evicted if possible
b. Move out
c. Forget about them
I'm sure you can easily knock these solutions out of the sky. They refuse to move, they're on the lease, you're the one violating the lease, you can't afford to break the lease, your roommate acts maliciously so you can't forget about them.
Well, it looks like you've got yourself into quite a pickle. And, I'm sure you didn't do anything to deserve it, either. Right? Anyway, your instincts would be to fight fire with fire. You will eventually discover your sanity diminishing after about a week, but while you're holding onto the fantasy that you can drive your evil roomate out:
First, don't do anything illegal. Do not harm anyone or anything in any way.
a. Hard candy in the shower head.
b. Cold water on select locks when the temperature is below zero
c. mysterious power outages in the night resulting in alarm clock resets
d. misplacement of keys
e. mysterious yet subtle movements of the furniture
f. disappearance of food
g. lack of reponsibility with household chores
h. ceasing the purchase of own toiletries
i. sudden and constant appearance of loud, obnoxious persons
Be creative. However, you will find that you are behaving just as badly as your evil roommate. And, if this person is obsessing over you so much they desire to do similar bad things to you, then your best defence is to pretend like it doesn't happen. Ignoring your roommate's complete existence and pranks will both drive them crazy and make them leave you alone. However, if you decide to fuel the fire, be prepared to suffer the consequences. What you must do is pretend like this person does not even bother you, invite your friends over, lounge around the house openly. Chances are if your roommate is doing mean things to you they are trying to drive you out. If they realize they are not affecting you, their only solution will be to move out first.
The most important thing is living happily and retaining your sanity. Simply deciding that you will not let your roommate get under your skin is the first step toward achieving this.