Ever had a flatmate from hell? You're not alone

It’s surprising and somewhat disconcerting that for every great housemate story, there’s also one about a roomie from hell. We did a quick poll on Facebook and found that there was a common thread to horror housemate stories.

Rachel* had a flatmate whose family stayed over all the time, including regular overnight stays, without contributing to the rent. When confronted about the issue, the flatmate became rude and aggressive, and the rental relationship quickly fizzled.

Maria had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting a new stranger in her house every few days.

Meanwhile, Devon was forced to listen to his roommate’s noisy night escapades through paper-thin walls.

Theft and dishonesty were the leading type of bad behaviour among unpleasant housemates, according to 33 per cent of the respondents polled. Closely following was rude and aggressive behaviour (22 per cent).

Other housemate horror stories included failing to pay rent, constant partying, inviting strangers over for sleepovers, having noisy night romps, failing to do chores, damaging the premises and exhibiting sleazy behaviour.

Sound familiar?

Got a flatmate from hell? Never fear, there are several ways you can deal with it.

• Confront them: In a non-confrontational approach. Start with something like: “If you have a moment later tonight there’s something I’d really like to discuss with you about our renting situation.”
• Report them: If they are a party on the lease, chances are you could both be ultimately held responsible for your flatmate’s behaviour, so it’s best to notify the agent and propose a variation of lease (you will, however, need the flatmate’s consent if they are on the lease).
• Move: Before things get too heated, consider cutting your losses. It’s much easier to leave a bad situation than to try to evict your flatmate, so give your notice in accordance with the lease, find a suitable replacement if required, and get outta there before you lose more than your sanity.

Sharing with a friend, relative or stranger can be great, but it also takes a lot of honest personal assessment to ensure that you will both remain compatible over the term of your lease.

(*Only first names have been used to protect the identity of parties.)