Most everyone has a roommate horror story. Not the “Friday the 13th” type horror but the “eats all of my groceries and is always late on rent” scare. These aren’t just funny old college stories but lessons on what to avoid when choosing roommates. Curving a bad roommate is all about following the signs. Luckily, it’s pretty obvious when you know what to look for. Here are 3 roommate red flags to keep an eye on.
- Overtly messy. Even if you are not the cleanest of people, an overtly messy person simply has very little respect for shared space. This person will usually leave their chores to others and not feel guilty about it. An overtly messy person is often selfish and sees roommates as guest in their domain. If you find someone who leaves trash outside of a trash can, take notice to this red flag.
- Bad spending habits. You and an old friend are looking for a place in the same neighborhood, and it seems rightfully convenient to be roommates. But they often borrow money with late or no return, yet always have their favorite Venti Starbuck’s frappa-whatever in tow and are constantly shopping. It’s not terribly difficult to notice a person has poor money management and struggles with prioritizing. This is a red flag because such roommates are likely to be late on rent and not agree on their share of utility bills. This puts you at financial risk. It is also likely this person will borrow clothes and food without asking. Nobody has time for that.
- Bad energy. Constant gossip, complaining, and bad mood are signs someone has bad energy. If you leave your conversations exhausted it is probably a red flag. A roommate isn’t always going to be the ray of sunshine in your day but at the very least you should not live with someone who is a happiness vacuum. If you feel you need to escape this person, moving in together is the worst of decisions to make. When you are searching for your new place and new roommates on Roomi, here are a 3 roommate red flags to consider.
