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ADVICE Needed: Roommates + conflict = stress that shouldn't be there

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by RaeofLite, Oct 11, 2011.

  1. RaeofLite

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    So I'm living with two women (lesbians) and a guy (straight).

    Since the beginning, we (meaning the women of the house), have had little issues with the male roommate.

    -He said he has ADHD but doesn't want to get help for it.
    -He has left the stove on for an hour burning the pots and making the stove element red hot and ran back to his room to play video games for an hour before returning. We told him this was a safety issue and he better not do it again.
    -He hardly cleans up after himself.
    -He owns 4 shirts
    -He hardly does laundry and as a result smells a lot of the time, and his room we avoid because it smells like something died in there.
    -He never washes his hands before smoking, cooking,
    -He never washes his hands after smoking, cooking, cleaning up a mess, sneezing, coughing...
    -He has taken food from both me and the other women in the house when we weren't around
    -He somtimes forgets to lock one of the doors to the house
    -He never does the dishwasher and hardly takes the garbage out
    -He doesn't buy anything for the house (toilet paper, soap, plastic wrap, stuff like that)
    -He says he never has any money, yet buys pot, smokes and alcohol and not stuff he needs like food or a bus pass
    -He has lost 2 jobs in the past 3 months. He said he might be losing his current job if he doesn't stay ontop of it.

    I apologize for the rant.

    We have tried being empathetic, but he doesn't WANT help. I honestly don't know how to get through to him. He can't keep walking over us and our kindness, however, he seems kinda depressed and basically stays in his room all day long, every day when he's not working and plays Xbox Live. I want him to get better, but he obviously isn't ready to do that... I'm on the verge of throwing in the towel and tell the other roommates that I think he should move by the end of the month. We've told him over a dozen times he's gotta change his life somehow in order to get a more fulfilling life, and maybe start over fresh but...
     
    #1 RaeofLite, Oct 11, 2011
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2011
  2. Zontar

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    A straight guy living with two lesbians? What crack are you two smokin'? =p

    Jokes aside though, a good boss never kept an incompetent employee around just to be nice. You might have to give him the boot one day, doesn't sound like he's gonna change much if he's spending good money on beer and cigarettes.
     
  3. Chandra

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    I wouldn't call those "little" issues (especially things like potentially almost burning down the house, and leaving the door unlocked for intruders). I'd call those accept-our-ultimatum-or-find-another-place-to-live issues.

    The one thing that I have found that makes roommate situations work (and any other kind of relationship, really) is good communication. You don't need to gang up on him or verbally attack him, but you do need to be clear about what is bothering you and what you expect from him. A good approach is to do the following:

    -Tell him what you've noticed happening (be specific)
    -Tell him how you feel about it (frustrated, worried, etc.)
    -Tell him what your needs are (need for fairness, safety, etc.)
    -Ask him if he is willing to change his behaviour to meet your needs

    If he's not willing, tell him that the situation is therefore not working out for you, and you think it's in everyone's best interests that he find another place to live.
     
  4. RaeofLite

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    Thanks Chandra.

    We have approached him (all 3 of us females) and had several talks with him. I mean probably more than 12 like I mentioned earlier. I don't know if he just "forgets" or he's not mentally there... or what.

    We have told him things we're worried about, how we felt about the issues individually, what our needs are, and he said he'll chge... but it just hasn't happened.

    One of my female roommates wants to keep him strictly because we can't find someone else right away that we trust to take his room in order to continue paying for rent, if our male roomie did move out at the end of the month. She's also worried about possible layoffs at work and says it would cut into her savings and make money tighter for her.

    Plus our male roomie said he probably won't have any money for rent elsewhere.. and that is frustrating the hell out of me.

    I hate being the bad guy. HATE IT. I realize several things are possibly wrong in his life but this is ridiculous. I know it has to be dealt with. It just would hurt knowing he might not have a place to go after we kick him out if that happens.
     
  5. ukeye

    ukeye Guest

    My advice is this:

    Chores list - do it in writing. Split up the days you all clean/cook.. a roster so to speak.

    When somethings in writing, plastered up on the wall he can't use that "I Forgot" line. Divvy up the costs of the day to day things - toilet paper, washing detergent and make the amount payable each week with the rent.

    His issues aren't your issues. He isn't being a team player, so its time to make it fair for everyone. But you also need to be a team player. Avoiding the situation makes u just as much to blame.. start giving him jobs to do, ask him to do the shopping for necessities etc etc. Organisation is the key!
     
  6. StarofMiyu

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    Well sometimes you just have to give people the boot and that's enough to make them realize maybe I shouldn't be smoking pot and stinking like shit all day.

    Even guys like that have jobs...*sigh*