What are the most common rules for roommates and kitchen area?

Question

My roommate stacks the dishwasher very inefficiently and I have said something to her, I don't want to give her lessons. Also she brought her garbage down from her bedroom and filled up the garbage under the sink and left it. We already had an agreement about overstuffing the kitchen garbage. Last night she used a cookie sheet and almost ruined and didn't clean it up, I had used it early that day but if I didn't and was going to use it today instead I wouldn't have been able to. She is doing just weird stuff and I need to find a commonality of rules so I'm not being too anal.

Answer 1

When I was living in Florida, I had a 4 bedroom, 2 bath home in a very nice neighborhood.  I needed help paying the mortgage, utilities and upkeep of the beast.  After going through a few room mates, I began to see that when I didn't pick well, we ALL SUFFERED!  I rented out 3 of the rooms and with that, we had to have rules.  I found it was best to talk to them at length over the phone first.  If that worked out, I would set a time where the POTENTIAL room mate could come and see the house, meet with me, privately and then meet the potential room mates that I ALREADY shared my home with.  I made up a list of rules that I had EVERYONE who rented from me sign it and AGREE UPFRONT to.  Basically it went like this: If it isn't yours, don't use it, eat it, touch it, "borrow it", or play with it, because if it breaks or goes missing, you will pay for it!  If you see something in the pantry that doesn't BELONG to you, that you DIDN't pay for, you can't eat it, taste it, or serve it to you or your friends.  NO FRIENDS ALLOWED OVER WITHOUT PERMISSION from ME!  If your friends want to call and talk to you they can't do it BEFORE 7 AM or after 9 PM on the HOUSE PHONE.  If you use the house phone, your conversations need to be short and sweet and last no longer than 15 minutes!  Everyone has their own shelf in the pantry and the fridge, please don't use other room mates stuff unless you plan to replace it with something better, if you eat Suzy's hamburger, you are going to replace it with filet mignon!  All rents are due on the !st of the month, unless you pay early, any other TIME is considered LATE!  No one is ALLOWED in any ones else's room without a DIRECT invite EACH and every time.  Parking is ASSIGNED, if it isn't your spot, don't park there!  Chores are on a list, when it is your turn, do it properly or you will have it in addition to the next weeks chore until you get it right or pay some one to do it right for you!  No dishes in the sink or on the stove, UNLESS you are actively cooking in them or eating off of them, after which they are to be rinsed and put in the dishwasher for cleaning.  If you are on dish duty, it is your job to empty the dishwasher daily of clean dishes 1st thing in the morning or BEFORE going to bed at night.  Anyone found breaking the rules is subject to being asked to leave promptly and all unused rent applied to finding a new room mate who will abide by the rules. "  Now this didn't solve EVERY little problem, but try picking better and doing a little homework.  I looked for people who had good steady jobs, who liked to socialize a LITTLE, whose friends weren't JERKS, DRUNKS, DRUGGIES, or low lifes.  No one was allowed to have company, unless it was cleared PRIOR to their visit or we were having a party.  Most of us liked to go out, but to different clubs, no one could bring home s****s from the bar, or sleep over drunk friends, boy friends, girlfriends or whatevers.  Once I learned to ask lots of questions of people, some said they didn't want to answer all my questions....thats okay, I wasn't looking for the first 4 who called to take the room, I was looking for room mates who wanted a nice place to live and didn't mind following the rules and who paid their bills on time, so I could pay mine on time!  In exchange for a nice place, we all took turns doing trash, vacuuming, cleaning our own rooms, kitchen duty, yard work and common areas in the house.  It worked VERY well.  But it took a few runs to get it just right, but was totally worth the effort.  Most people, who need a nice place, that is reasonable, are willing to abide by some basic rules.  Anyone wanting a frat house, didn't want all those rules.  The other thing I did, was have a potential room mate have a meet and greet with the others.  If someone said they didn't like someone, that was the END OF IT for me!  We wouldn't consider them.  I know it sounds rough, but I wasn't messing with tried and true room mates, in exchange for a potential problem one.  With that in place, we had respect for one another, we had respect for the house, we had some nice parties, with reasonable adults who chipped in for drinks, chips and helped set up and clean up afterwards.  My room mates weren't low life pigs.  My one suggestion, never be in such a hurry to get to the rent money that you take who calls first, you will regret being in a hurry!  Hope this helps you!  Good luck!

Answer 2

This is why I live alone!

Answer 3

living with someone who doesnt have the same views on cleanliness as you is never easy

I would say the best bet would just be to sit her down and explain to her how uncomfortable you are with her untidy habits (or how it is beginning to get on your nerves a bit) and see if you guys can come to a common understanding about the situation before someone blows up (you :)

She needs to respect the house, nobody wants to live with a pig---unless they are that way themselves

Answer 4

Clean up what you mess up, remove all trash within 24 hours, eat what you bring, or what you have permission to share, never leave dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter.

I don't think that you are being anal, that is why I prefer to live alone.