Roomi is on a mission to help you if you wander around in the apartment thinking ‘My roommate is crazy!’ And if it gets out of hand, we’ve got the online tools and complete guide on how to find a roommate!
But if you’ve made up your mind to continue sharing a space with someone who seems a little bit – or a whole lot – crazy, we’re here to help you.
Now, while everyone has different definitions of what a “crazy roommate” really is, we’ve gathered some stories from other roommates, just so you know you’re not alone in this!
Let’s take a look at some freaky roommate stories and offer our advice for anyone experiencing something similar!
Crazy Roommate disrespects your stuff – and everything else around them
“One morning I come home to find this roommate has gone into my room, slashed at various possessions with a hunting knife, smeared paint on my walls, put onions in my bed and left open containers of alcohol everywhere. When I confronted him, he said, “Missebean, you can’t stay out all night and then come home and expect me to NOT have gone into your room and done some stuff.” As I planned and executed my escape, my roommate’s shenanigans continued. Among his offenses:
- He left every single faucet in the house running full blast, left the front door open and left the apartment unattended
- He laminated live goldfish to the kitchen table”
Reddit user missebean might just win the award for “my roommate is crazy” experience and, as humorous as this story might seem on the surface, the reality is actually quite serious. If you can relate (and if you can, we feel for you), then action needs to be taken.
Call the cops, or take advice from their friends and family
Crazy roommates like the one above can present a real danger – to themselves, to you and, apparently to goldfish. If they’re going as far as defacing the property, disrespecting your space and harming animals, then you need to alert the landlord (at the very least). If things escalate beyond this, the cops need to know.
Not only will you lose your deposit if the apartment has been trashed or graffitied, if your roommate appears mentally unwell then you need to take the responsibility away from yourself and pass it to someone who is better-equipped to handle the situation.
Contact one of their close friends or family members or seek advice from a mental health charity.
Crazy roommate acts strangely toward you
“Was sharing a house with a middle-aged woman on a month-to-month lease. Had a friend who was moving out of the country and needed someone to finish out her lease, so I told her I would. Told my roommate that I was giving my 30-day notice, blah blah. She seemed fine.
For a few days, at least, she seemed fine.
Then I came home to a 8-page, front and back, handwritten manifesto nailed to my door. Oddly, nothing about me … not even a “you were loud sometimes, didn’t clean up, etc”. No, it was about how I was tearing a hole in her soul that could never be repaired. Mind you, I’d lived there for three months.”
If, like Reddit poster automator3000, your roommate seems to have misunderstood your relationship, things can get awkward. As soon as you get the impression that they feel more strongly toward you than a standard roommate should, address the problem straight away! You can do this in one of two ways – directly or indirectly:
Take the direct approach
Tell your (crazy) roommate that you feel like they’re acting inappropriately toward you. Let them know that, although you enjoy their company as a roommate, you get the impression that they have stronger feelings for you and you don’t reciprocate them.
Take the indirect approach
If you feel uncomfortable talking about the situation (or you’re unsure how strongly they feel right now), try creating space. Avoid doing any “date-like” activities with your roommate and even tell them about your colleague/classmate that you have a crush on. Whatever you do, make it clear that you’re not romantically interested in your slightly smitten crazy roommate.
They take “unhygienic” to a whole new crazy roommate level
“I was in my early 20s and I lived with a nice enough girl. She always kept her bedroom door closed and kept her cat in there. After we had lived together for about a year she decided to move out. She packed up a bag and left, saying she’d be back later for her things. But she didn’t come back and I needed to make room for a new roommate, so I started packing her things.
I opened the door to her room…and the smell. Oh god, it was gross. There was poo…All over the floor, the walls, everywhere.
baileyquarters on Reddit.
After days of cleaning it’s starting to look and smell better but the carpet is so disgusting it needs to be replaced. I pull it up and…maggots.”
If you think your roommate is crazy because they’re not looking after their pet properly, or they’re doing something else to stink out your apartment, you shouldn’t have to live in these conditions. Not only is it uncomfortable; it’s also unsafe and unsanitary. When their messiness goes beyond forgetting to take out the trash, it’s probably time to go your separate ways.
Talk to your landlord
Let your landlord or RA know what’s happening, providing photographic evidence of your place. Tell them the place is unlivable and that you want to break the lease, move into a new room or have your roommate evicted. You might have to pay for a professional cleaner, but at least the culprit will be gone and you can enjoy the clean, hygienic apartment you deserve.
D’you know what else Roomi does outside of helping its readers deal with a crazy roommate? With our ever-increasing lists of rooms and roommates across the world, we help you find your perfect match! Download the app here and hop on the easiest ride home, ever!
