How To Cope With Irritating Housemates

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Choose your housemates

Pick your housemates wisely. Don't just meet someone a couple of times, and then decide they are the ideal roommate because they laughed at one of your jokes. This does not mean that you are destined to be Best Friends Forever
Equally, be careful when considering moving in with long term friends. They may be one of your best pals, but could you really live with them 24/7?

Step 3: Set some ground rules

Reduce the chances of housemates annoying each other by laying out some simple ground rules.

Agree to buy your own personal food. If you do need to borrow something small now and again, always ask, and replace it quickly.

Agree to always clean up straight after meals otherwise you may end up elbow deep in a mountain of someone else's dirty dishes.

If you intend to have people to stay, always inform everybody, so that there are no nasty surprises when wandering from the bathroom half naked.

Pick a day each month for a house meeting, that everyone attends. This way any irritations and gripes can be brought out into the open

Step 4: Organise chores

Housework can often be a major cause of conflict, especially if your irritating housemate is particularly lazy, so set up a strict cleaning rota - and stick to it.

Either alternate peoples cleaning day each week, or give set ones based on everyone's schedule.

Make sure everybody knows what is required to clean each room properly, to stop the laziest of housemates doing a half-hearted job.

Step 5: Organise bills

Money is often a bone of contention in a shared house, and an irritating housemate may well leave you to foot the bills.


Have a different name on each bill. This ensures it doesn't always fall on the same person to sort out any problems, as most companies will only speak to the person whose name is on their files.


Consider a joint account that you each top up with a set amount each month. This avoids someone having to pay a huge bill whilst waiting for cheques from everybody else.


Have a kitty for staple products such as bread and milk.

If your housemate phones their loved ones in deepest Peru four times a day, always have an itemised bill, and a list of peoples most used numbers handy. Alternatively, keep a notepad to record all out going calls.

Step 6: Stay relaxed

Staying relaxed when in the company of someone that drives you barmy is essential.

Try to sleep properly. If new to independent living, the freedom inevitably means late nights, resulting in crankiness. Everything will be a thousand times more frustrating, but you will seem like the unreasonable one.

If you find your anger boiling over, go and calm down. Take a bath, or listen to some soothing music. Relax, and remind yourself that they are not out to annoy you, unfortunately for them they were just born that irritating.

Never take any conflicting opinions too personally, just agree to disagree.

Do not become a control freak. If they pinch a tea bag, do not demand it back with interest!

Step 7: Communicate

It is ok to vent your frustrations at fellow housemates, as long as you follow it up with the irritant themselves. Otherwise you will look like a gossip and a back stabber.

If there is one particular problem that is stopping you from getting along, perhaps an argument that was not properly resolved, get it out in the open. Discuss anything like this politely, frankly, and as soon as possible. Never let it fester.

As long as you know where each other stand, with a good old fashioned dose of honesty, a touch of luck, and some hard work, you'll be able to get on with that irritating housemate just fine.

Done