My roommate is incredibly messy and hardly ever cleans. My family says, 'tough it out, that's how student housing is,' but I literally can't sleep from frustration. On one hand, moving out would mean losing my family's support. What do you think is smarter in this situation: leaving or being patient?
I can definitely relate to that. Last year, my roommate used to stack dishes in the kitchen and leave them until they rotted. At first, I tried to be patient, but I was literally getting sick from the smell of food. Finally, one day I lost it, confronted them, and put my foot down. They either had to fix it or I would be moving out; they sorted it out, but it was a tough process.
I experienced the same thing; I moved directly to another house. But I had lost my family's support and struggled quite a bit. If you get into serious financial trouble, it can become a real burden for you, so I suggest you think carefully 🙂
But does that mean you have to leave the house just because they can't clean? I think you're being too harsh; don't get used to running away from every problem. How about trying to talk a bit more? You could ask them to keep their space clean.
Yes, cleaning habits are one of the most problematic issues in shared living situations. Because personal spaces feel violated. Therefore, the most sensible thing to do is to set very clear rules and ensure that everyone adheres to them. If the other party is not cooperating, then considering separation becomes more reasonable.
I want to add that I've talked about this several times just so that it would get cleaned up. It seemed like it was getting better for a while, but then it went back to being messy. It's like it doesn't understand anymore. I've actually tried a lot, and my patience seems to have run out.
I think you should gently bring up to your family that you are considering another house based on financial means. If they still don't allow it, suggest making a suitable agreement with your roommate and offer to hire cleaning services. Something shared from the joint budget.
