How to Deal with a Nightmare Roommate
Original image by Igor Starkov on Unsplash.
Cover foul odors.
Burn incense or spray air freshener to mask your roommate’s scent. To better circulate the incense, place it in front of an open window or oscillating fan.
Secure your possessions in locked storage containers.
To discourage theft or misuse of your belongings, lock as much as possible in safes, military-issue foot lockers, trunks, and other lockable storage containers. Long, flat containers can be placed under your bed for further protection.
Divide the room in half.
Draw a line down the center of the room to designate your own private space. Remember that you’ll have to share the door.
Wear noise reduction headphones.
Don the headphones anytime your roommate is in the room with you.
Leave a bar of soap on his/her pillow.
Put neglected dirty dishes in your roommate’s bed.
Gather long-unwashed clothes into a pile.
If the pile of dirty clothes isn’t remedied after a week, transfer the pile to trash bags and seal tightly to eliminate odors. If the bags remain after several weeks, put them in the trash.
Disconnect the wifi.
Disrupt the constant blare of streaming media by disconnecting the wifi.
Buy your roommate concert tickets.
If your roommate never leaves the room, buy him a ticket to an all-day concert, a movie, or a sporting event. Do not ask your roommate if he wants to go; just purchase the ticket—the farther away the event, the better.
Be Aware
If you notice any of the following in your room, you may have a nightmare roommate:
Giant speakers
Lack of toiletries
Machete
More than 15 stuffed animals