How to deal with annoying housemates
When you move into student accommodation, you'll discover all types of personalities. From privileged to easygoing housemates, we'll show you how to cope.
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Your first few weeks in shared accommodation might pass in a friendly, vodka-fuelled haze. But you may soon realise your new friends have turned into annoying housemates.
As the dishes pile up, food rots in the fridge and you run out of clean forks three times a day, cracks in the dynamic might start to appear. The old "I hate my housemate" catchphrase may come out of the woodwork.
Worse still, there's not just one type of difficult housemate – they fall into several categories. While we'd never encourage stereotyping, labelling bad housemates helps you decide how to handle them.
How do you deal with bad housemates?
Here are the most difficult housemates to live with at university and how to deal with them:
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The privileged housemates
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You'll often come across privileged housemates at uni. If you live with one, you'll know about it.
They likely took a gap year to explore their 'inner selves' (and will talk about it a lot). They have more designer gear than you can shake a stick at but often say they have nothing to wear.
They're also the only ones without a part-time job and constantly ask their parents for cash.
Money's no object to them, so it must be the same for you, right? They might run up your bills, steal your stuff and refuse to do necessary chores.
How to deal with privileged housemates
Unfortunately, being super friendly and rational is the only thing that will work with privileged flatmates. Save the outbursts for situations where your patience has been thoroughly exhausted.
Don't be ashamed to explain that the rest of you can't afford to leave the heating on 24/7. If they have any decency, they'll understand. There's a chance they're just not used to saving money on energy bills because they don't know any different.
Make it clear that you have to work for your money and can't afford to waste it.
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Housemates who put too much pressure on you
They're great at sorting issues like fixing power cuts or tackling mouse-shaped problems.
However, you came to uni seeking independence. The pressure can make you feel like you've moved from under one parent's nose and straight under another.
They disapprove of your antics, lecture you about your diet, and refuse to participate in social events. More annoyingly, they're seriously extracurricular, which can make you doubt yourself.
How to deal with housemates who put too much pressure on you
Be kind. In reality, these housemates are full of good intentions and have a big heart.
You need a sensible housemate to add some stability to your hangover-riddled life. Plus, what would you do about the mouse problem if they weren't around?
The trick to getting them off your back is to befriend them. You can try going to a volunteering session with them to enhance your CV. If you can teach yourself to appreciate their enthusiasm, you'll grow to love having them around – pressure and all.
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The easy-going housemate
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Their dishes are permanently covered in mould and it would never occur to them to help clean up.
Why aren't they helping out? Well, they're too busy playing on their PS5, scoffing last night's leftover kebab or watching Peep Show re-runs in bed at 4pm.
The smell coming from their room is overwhelming and they're responsible for pretty much every stain on the carpet. God only knows how their parents dealt with them back home.
How to deal with easy-going housemates
It may sound harsh, but easy-going housemates need to be told. The longer they live like this, they're less likely to pull themselves out of it. Ever.
No one wants to constantly remind them that they aren't pulling their weight, so the most effective way to shake them into action is to make them aware. A cleaning rota will make it pretty clear who isn't doing their bit.
This may seem a bit excessive, but it's often the only way to keep the house clean and ensure everyone helps out. Make sure you keep up your end of the bargain so it can't backfire.
If your easy-going housemate doesn't get their act together, be glad your house isn't quite as bad as this one. -
The party animal
When you need a night out, this is the person to turn to. The only issue is that they always seem to take things too far.
You pass them in the hallway the morning after, half-naked with toilet roll trailing from the bathroom. Or you'll find them asleep under the kitchen table because they didn't quite make it to bed.
They make the house smell of stale smoke, and you're constantly woken up to let them in at 4am because they've lost their keys.
This lifestyle leaves them without funds, and you find yourself buying them drinks when you can't afford to eat.
How to deal with the party animal
Try being annoyingly chipper when they're lying on the sofa with a rotten hangover. Turn the lights on and hoover under their feet. This will show that while they're slowly destroying their liver and rinsing their Maintenance Loan, the rest of you are getting on with your lives.
If they say they can't pay the bills and you later see them heading out, tell them how you feel.
Try not to ignore the calls too much, as they may actually need your help. But should it start getting out of hand, communication is key – sit them down and have a chat about what's going on.
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The expressive housemate
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Expressive housemates are known for their mood swings. They get annoyed at small things like someone using the last of the milk or borrowing their frying pan. They pick fights for no reason, and you can't help but wonder if they love the drama.
They often come to you for emotional support but never seem interested in listening to your problems.
They also tend to double up as the infamous passive-aggressive flatmate more commonly known as the Post-it Note king or queen.
How to deal with the expressive housemate
This is a bit of a tricky one. While some people undeniably overreact to things, others may be going through a tough time. It's best to consider that before losing your cool.
Try doing things to cheer them up or distract them, and see if that helps.
When it comes to the post-it notes, the key is to play them at their own game. Start a little chat on your own piece of paper, pointing out something selfish or gross that they've done recently too (there are normally lots to choose from).
Once they've gotten over the rage at your reply, they'll probably bin both notes and forget that tactic next time.
We've uncovered the biggest student housing problems, plus what to do if you encounter them. -
Your housemate's lover
You might like their other half, but that doesn't mean you want them living with you rent-free.
You hear them talk to each other in stomach-churning baby voices. You get up in the morning and they're in your kitchen, eating your cereal with your milk. They've got their own toothbrush and they shower at yours every day. And it's your soap they're using in the morning.
Let's be honest, they might as well have their name on the tenancy agreement. At least if they did, you could start asking them to contribute to the bills.
How to deal with your housemate's lover
As they're your housemate's other half and they're obviously happy, it might be difficult to speak up. But the bottom line is that the rest of you never signed up to live with them.
Be careful not to criticise the significant other. Just make it clear to your flatmate that if things continue the way they are, they should contribute their fair share – whether that's in bills, milk or helping to clean the shower.
If they argue that they're only hanging out in your house because going out is expensive, show them our list of low-cost dates.
Otherwise, set a sleepover quota so you only have to endure the canoodling and baby voices every other night instead of every night. Make sure you get the backing of your other flatmates before you say anything, though. Otherwise, it might look more personal than you intend it to be.
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The busy housemate
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Maybe it's a full-on timetable, a significant other or perhaps they go home every weekend. Either way, you haven't seen them since the day you moved in. Now you're starting to think you imagined them.
You think you heard a thud from their room one night, but you can't be sure...
How to deal with busy housemates
Just be thankful that they do actually exist! In a busy student house, a ghostly flatmate can be a blessing in disguise. They pay their share of the rent yet never wake you up with loud music.
On a serious note, take a moment to consider why they're not being more social. Are you and the rest of your flat being good housemates, or are you committing some of the crimes we've listed here?
Or are they struggling with their mental health? If you think they might be shutting themselves away, reach out and have a chat. A problem shared is a problem halved.
Making your room your own personal haven to escape to will make dealing with annoying housemates that bit easier. -
The music enthusiast
We all love a banger, but when it's 4am and you have a lecture in five hours, it's understandable that you're not so keen on having it blaring through the walls.
How to deal with music-loving housemates
The thing with music lovers is that they want to listen to their tunes at maximum volume. However, chances are that they don't realise how distracting it is, or that your schedule is so different to theirs.
If you don't want to tell them outright (which probably wouldn't be as bad as you think), just make it clear when you need some quiet time. A loud "I'm going to bed now" can work wonders.
As a last resort, a surprise gift of some headphones (courtesy of a flatmate whip-round) is probably worth the expense. Whatever you do, don't turn this into an argument – otherwise, you'll never get a peaceful night's sleep again.
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The playful housemate
Waking up to find your door handle has been removed is hilarious the first three times. But once you've been pranked for the 12 millionth time, the laughs start to dry up.
To make matters worse, this housemate will think their jokes are hilarious, even if you're on the verge of tears.
How to deal with playful housemates
You could just prank them right back, but the chances are this will spiral out of control.
In reality, it's probably better to just stop laughing. A lot of the time, if they don't get a reaction, they'll get bored and take their pranks elsewhere.
Not having a nice place to live will make things even more difficult, so check out our tips on finding the perfect student house to make the transition as easy as possible.
