Down below, we’ve gathered some of the most infuriating, disgusting and shocking photos displaying how some roommates from hell choose to live. From hair decorating the bathroom walls to inventing new species of mold in the kitchen, I’ll warn you right now: these photos aren’t for the faint of heart (or weak of stomach).
Keep reading to also find an interview with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Ashleigh Edelstein to hear her thoughts on living with a challenging roommate, and be sure to upvote the pics that make you feel grateful for your own roommates. Let us know in the comments if you have any personal roommate horror stories to share. Then, if you’d like to check out some previous Bored Panda articles highlighting just how horrific housemates can be, you can find those right here and here!
#1 Roommate Throws Away Dishes So He Won’t Have To Do Them (I Bought All Our Dishes And Silverware)
Image credits: bjarbeau
For many of us, the first time we experience living with a roommate is when we move out of our parent’s house around the age of 18. We might move away to university or start renting a place with friends to have some privacy and learn how to live on our own. This time can be a great learning experience for many people. If your parents always washed your dishes, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, did your laundry for you and cooked every meal for the entire household, you might have been in for a rude awakening when you first did these things by yourself.
And don't get me wrong, it's perfectly normal and healthy to learn many things when you live alone for the first time. Personally, I spent hours on end watching cooking videos, so I would feel inspired and competent in the kitchen, as I had only mastered the basics prior to moving to university. Plus, it’s expected to learn some things through trial and error. You might get excited at the grocery store and buy too much produce at once only to see half of it growing mold by the end of the week. We all make mistakes, but what is important is to learn from these mistakes. Toss out that produce at the first sign of mold! Don’t let it fester until the whole fridge is a biohazard and your roommates start holding grudges against you.
#2 Our Roommate Moved Out Today…. All Of Those Stains Are Dog Urine
Image credits: indicagal
To gain more insight on the topic of difficult roommates, we reached out to Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Ashleigh Edelstein. First, we wanted to know if Ashleigh could explain why living with roommates is often so hard. "Living with roommates is challenging because of differing, and often unspoken, expectations," she told Bored Panda. "For some, their parents may have handled too many things for them, preventing them from being self-sufficient enough to be a good roommate. This might look like expecting others to pick up after them or invading their roommate’s privacy by entering without knocking. It doesn't have to be this way! One of the quickest ways to prevent these kinds of problems is to set expectations before moving in together, or reset them if you’re already living together. Each person needs to consider what they expect and what’s expected of them to prevent unnecessary issues."
We also asked Ashleigh what is important to disclose before agreeing to live with someone. "One important thing to know about yourself is how much solitude and social time you need on a regular basis," she noted. "Being surrounded by people all the time can be overstimulating, so it’d be important to set boundaries around how available you are. There should also be boundaries around inviting friends or partners to hang out or stay over so no one feels taken advantage of."
#3 My Roommate Bites Her Butter And Then Drops It On The Pan When She Cooks
Image credits: reignthepain
But if you've had a hard time finding the perfect roommate, don't be discouraged. Ashleigh says it's totally possible for two very different people to mesh well when sharing a living space, as long as they're both clear on what's considered respectful behavior.
"For example, if one person is a night owl and the other a morning person, they’d both need to respect 'quiet hours' while the other sleeps," Ashleigh explained. "This might look like not using loud appliances first thing, or using headphones to listen to music or watch TV when it's late. You can have different interests, hobbies, or passions, and still live together peacefully. The key is that you both hold similar values, like respect, honesty, and cooperation."
#4 Love Having Roommates
Image credits: flergityberg
#5 Roommate Left Our Shared Bathroom Like This After I Had Been Gone For A Few Weeks
Image credits: itzsquiddim
#6 Told My Roommate It Was His Turn To Buy Toilet Paper And He Bought Two Rolls Of The Thinnest 1-Ply
Image credits: Average_Pelican
After viewing this list, I realized just how lucky I have been with roommates in the past. I was fortunate enough to become great friends with all of my roommates, and the worst issues I ever encountered were messes in the kitchen that seem like nothing compared to the photos featured here. I do consider myself a neat freak, so I understand that not everyone requires the same standard of cleanliness as I do. But one of the most important things to remember when you have roommates is that you have to consider them.
If you have your own bedroom, that space is yours to do with what you like (assuming you’re not putting everyone else in danger, making excessive noise or letting out disgusting smells). But shared spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and corridors should be kept neat and tidy. It’s selfish and unfair to subject roommates to messes. And when roommates share appliances, dishware and furniture, those items should also be treated with respect. What always hurt me the most when I found messes in my apartment was the fact that I would never do that to my roommates, because it would feel disrespectful to make them clean up after me. But I know I’m preaching to the choir here, pandas. I’m sure we’re all equally horrified by these photos. Yet somehow, there are so many people out there living like this…
#7 Flatmate's Milk That Aged Like Milk
Image credits: noynoynumpty
#8 Roommate Broke The Toilet Seat. No Worries Though. He Replaced It
Image credits: MrBreasts
#9 My Roommate Left The Sink On To Defrost Some Meat And Then Left To Go To Walmart. This Is My Room
Image credits: DayDrunkOnBeer
In theory, living with another person should be easy. We all want to reside in a clean space, and it seems like keeping an apartment tidy is intuitive. When there’s a mess, clean it up. When the trash is full, take it out. If it’s late at night, don’t make loud noise. Yet it appears that some people just don’t have the self-awareness to take care of themselves and their living space. Many of the photos on this list are concerning for a variety of reasons (some being health hazards, some being extremely questionable judgment and many being both), but I want to try to understand how people come to live like this in the first place. One possible explanation is that they simply were never taught otherwise. Not everyone needs to have their hand held when it comes to “adulting”, but some people do. If their parents or previous roommates never said, “Hey, you have to clean your bathroom once a week, or dirt, hair and germs will pile up” they might just never consider it.
#10 My Brother's Girlfriend Moved In With Us, And She Refuses To Use Cutting Boards. This Is What Our Kitchen Table Looks Like Now. They're All Over It
Image credits: urinternetmom
#11 I Thought I Was The Only One Using This Soap. Seriously, Who Does This
Image credits: fenster112
#12 Roommate Has Started A Collection
Image credits: Kinda_Zeplike
Unfortunately, another potential reason someone might not be an ideal roommate is if they’re struggling with mental health issues. If someone is battling depression, for example, even the simplest tasks can seem like impossible feats. Depression can suck a person’s energy, motivation and care about life in general, so dishes piling up or clothes all over the place might not seem to bother them at all. If you’re concerned that your roommate might be struggling, don’t be scared to reach out and see if there's any way you can help. Sometimes the best course of action would be for them to stay with a family member or loved one who can help take care of them for a while until they are in a healthier place.
And as Gaby Teresa, associate marriage and family therapist at Kindman & Co. in Los Angeles, told PsychCentral, “If mess occurs exclusively with your depression, making steps to clean can feel hopeful. It can remind you that you are capable of doing hard things and promote feelings of accomplishment and capability which in turn, begin to improve your mood.”
#13 My Roommate Used My Favorite Turtleneck As A BBQ Rag Last Night
Image credits: notmadehere
#14 My Fiance Refuses To Finish A Bottle Of Coke Before Opening Another
Image credits: mthom234
#15 My Roommate's Very Organized Fridge
Image credits: KimJongChilled
Another possible reason your roommate seems to be an actual monster might be because they’ve never been held accountable for their actions. If their parents always cleaned up after them, they might not realize that messes don’t magically disappear. If no one has ever called them out for leaving dishes in the sink for weeks or leaving wet clothes in the washing machine for days, they might just need a harsh reality check. Being an adult is not always fun, and it seems like my to-do list grows longer and longer every day. But part of being an adult is being responsible. We can’t just throw away dishes every time they get dirty or hope our roommate doesn’t notice that we ruined their expensive pots and pans. We all need to be held accountable, especially roommates from hell.
#16 My Wife Insists This Is Normal
Image credits: mgf1439
#17 Roommate's Rice Cooker Has Turned Into Brain-Like Tissue. He Refuses To Clean It, And Leaves It On The Shared Kitchen Counter
Image credits: tshoe777
#18 I Moved Out A Month Earlier Than I Was Supposed To Because I Was Always The One Who Cleaned Up After My Girl Roommates. I Came Back To Pick Up Some Stuff To See This
Image credits: Spiritual-Breath-139
According to Moving.com, some of the most common conflicts between roommates are uncleanliness in shared spaces, taking things without asking, having difficulty splitting up the costs, gaining an unexpected “third roommate”, and complaints about noise. I once had a roommate who would play her guitar and sing until 1am in the living room which shared a wall with my bedroom. Yet if I wanted to make a smoothie at 11am, I was yelled at because it was too early to be using the loud blender. We all have different lifestyle habits and living preferences, so to prevent any of these common disputes between roommates, it’s best to lay it all out on the table before you move in together.
#19 My Roommate Made Soup
Image credits: sk-3y3_HIGH
#20 My College Roommate Last Year. He Spilled Dip Spit On His Bed Multiple Times And Never Cleaned The Sheets
Image credits: BigFloppyBa11s
#21 My Flatmate's Cup. Which He Refuses To Clean. What You're Seeing Is Layers Upon Layer Of Old Milky English Breakfast Tea. Months Worth
Image credits: hot_boxxx
Before agreeing to move in with a new roommate, it’s important to understand how they live and whether or not the two of you will actually be a good match. Some people are early birds, and others are night owls. If you work from home 5 days a week, you roommate must understand that they can’t be too noisy during the day. If you work late shifts at a bar and come home at 4am, you might not want a roommate who’s a light sleeper. If you’re vegan, it might be important to know if your roommate plans to cook lots of meat in your pots and pans. And if you live in a place where marijuana is legal, it’s best to have a conversation making sure you won’t come home to an apartment that smells like a reggae festival.
#22 My Friend's Roommate. She Waits For Her Mom To Come From An Hour And A Half Away To Clean Up Her Mess And Wash Her Dishes
Image credits: DeathMunch
#23 Came Back To My College Apartment This Morning With My Roommates Having Done This
Image credits: thethinkernut
#24 This Is How My Wife Leaves A Dish After Taking It Out If The Oven And Walks Away. We Have Children And A Dog
Image credits: TeriasP
Although you should have many honest conversations with a person before deciding to live with them, it can be hard to prevent a “roommate from hell” situation 100% of the time. I would guess that most of the monsters from this list do not have the self-awareness to warn prospective roommates of their living habits, or no one would ever agree to live with them. But if you do find yourself in a living situation that’s causing you anxiety or stress, remember that you can always get out. If you’re signed onto a lease, talk to your landlord. If you live in university housing, speak with your RA. And if you have to go stay somewhere else, see if your parents or a friend will take you in for a while until you figure out your next steps. We all deserve to feel at peace in our homes, and it’s unfair for one bad roommate to dominate an entire space.
#25 My Roommate Got A Food Saver. I Hate Him
Image credits: caffeinateintoxicate
#26 My Roommate Has Been Using My Toothbrush
Image credits: XNoOneLovesYouX
#27 Came Back To My Place In The City I Work In After A Couple Of Months Away And Apparently My Roommate Turned The Electricity Off When He Left But Forgot To Clean The Fridge
Image credits: Inchiostro95
I sincerely hope you pandas can’t relate to having a horrible roommate like the people who shared these photos, but if you can, remember that you can always choose to move out! Keep upvoting the pics that you find particularly atrocious, and if this list is making you appreciate your roommates even more, consider doing something nice for them today. Bring home some flowers or chocolate, or make them a nice dinner! And if you’ve got any roommate horror stories you’d like to share with your fellow pandas, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
#28 My Acquaintance Got In An Argument With Her Roommate Over Who Left The Milk Out. While My Acquaintance Was At Work, The Roommate Did This
Image credits: Jaydon1
#29 Here Is My Roommate’s Way To Store His Keys
Image credits: Ehicem
#30 How My Roommate Left The Sink Before Leaving For 2.5 Weeks
Image credits: JAT0
#31 This Is My Ex-Roommate's Air Fryer
Image credits: Several-Airport
#32 How?
Image credits: _aniebananie9
#33 How My Roommates Treated My Hand-Made Wooden Spoon My Father Made For Me
Image credits: Vinny7777777
#34 When Your Flatmate Likes To Eat Seeds And Cleans The Floor Without Vacuuming First
Image credits: mr_prout
#35 I’m The Designated Trash Guy Because If I Don’t Ever Take Out The Trash, My Roommates Just Do This
Image credits: jonessinger
#36 I Live With Two Grown Men. Just Tell Me Why
Image credits: lovelymoondrops
#37 I Love My Husband. I Love Cheese. Brian, What The Hell?
Image credits: bunkerbash
#38 Roommate Scrapped My Cast Iron Seasoning Down To The Metal And Left Water In It
Image credits: Glooves
#39 My Roommate's Bathroom
Image credits: ahoban1
#40 Asked My Roommates To Plant-Sit For 2 Weeks, I Come Back To This
Image credits: Lave_nas
#41 I Cleaned The Whole Kitchen At 5PM Yesterday. I Stayed At My Partner’s Last Night And Came Home To This Mess From My Roommates
Image credits: TragicGirl11
#42 Wanted To Make Some Sushi Tonight. Roommate Left Me A Surprise In The Rice Cooker
Image credits: Jasonhaxord
#43 How Much Toilet Paper (That I Bought) My Roommate Uses In A Day
Image credits: SLiperiFish
#44 My Flatmate Moved Out And I Found His Room Reeking Of Piss And The Carpet Stained. We Never Had Pets, It’s Human Piss
Image credits: Slegers
#45 Flatmates Who Don't Drain The Sink
Image credits: reddit.com
#46 A Burn Hole I Discovered Hidden Underneath My Roommate's Bed After I Kicked Her Out. Pineapple For Scale
Image credits: SadClownCircus
#47 My Wife Looks At Me Like I'm Crazy When I Tell Her The Vacuum Has To Be Cleaned Regularly
Image credits: EotEaH
#48 After 9 Hours At Work I Come Home To See My Roommate Had Smashed My 250-Dollar Monitor With My Air Duster
Image credits: Whitedog2166
#49 My Old Roommate's Passenger Seat
Image credits: gaseousshroud
#50 I Hate My Flatmates (No That’s Not Rice)
Image credits: Cynessi
#51 My Roommate Was Trying To Keep The Bacon Warm
Image credits: cmackk87
#52 I Came Home From The Holiday, And Guess What. Our Flatmates Turned Off All The Sockets A Week Ago. Including The Freezer
Image credits: d3kk
#53 My Girlfriend Will Cut Off The Stuffed Crust And Leave The Rest For Someone Else
Image credits: 7DWest
#54 How I Caught My Five-Year-Old Eating A Banana Today
Image credits: cornbreadcake
#55 Roommate Is Gone Most Of The Time For Work, But Likes To Cook While They're Here. Always Leaves The Kitchen Like This Afterwards For Me To Clean
Image credits: MadManD3vi0us
#56 My New Dorm Roommate Sleeps With A Ridiculously Bright Nightlight. Barely Got Any Sleep Last Night Because Of It. This Is What It Looks Like When I Turn The Main Light Off
Image credits: fillmorecounty
#57 My Roommate Dropped My Body Wash Without Putting It Back And It Leaked All Out
I would like to think it was an accident but she has done this every time she showers. I have brought it up to her and she laughs about it.
Image credits: Intelligent_Finish32
#58 My Roommate’s Toothpaste
Image credits: bozo_card_co
#59 If You Are A Roommate And You Do This, I Hate You
Image credits: onewing3dangell
#60 My Roommate Threw Out My Food To Make Room For Her Salad Mixes In The Fridge
Image credits: m48_apocalypse
#61 I Let My Roommate Use My PS5 When I’m Not Home. This Is What I Come Back To
Image credits: TheExecutioner-
#62 How My Sister Left Our Apartment Upon Move Out
Image credits: Im_Rolo
#63 My 29-Year-Old Sister Does This Abomination. She Opens Multiple Packages Before Finishing The Already-Open Ones. This Isn’t Restricted To Cookies
Image credits: measuresareokiguess
#64 Roommates Left This Where Our Dogs Hang Out Moving Out This Week
Image credits: SupportLocalShart
#65 How My Girlfriend Was Eating Pizza Today
Image credits: reddit.com
#66 The Way My Wife Loaded The Dishwasher
Image credits: TummyPuppy
#67 My Roommate Used My Sewing Shears... Where Do I Dispose Of The Body?
Image credits: rosepotion
#68 Roommate Fell Asleep Trying To Cook Some Pasta, This Is What I Woke Up To
Image credits: Nightrox_
#69 My New Roommate Was Complaining About Her Dryer Not Working Very Well, So I Checked The Lint Trap (Coin For Size Reference)
Image credits: Mofat_
#70 My Roommate Smashed My TV. I Already Called The Cops
Image credits: Whitedog2166
#71 My Disgusting Roommate And The Mess He Leaves Behind
Image credits: Ethical_Slutt
#72 Came Home From A Double Shift To Find My Roommate Left The Sink On For 7+ Hours
Image credits: rando7818
#73 After 3 Years Of Marriage I Just Found Out My Wife Cuts Around The Sticker Instead Of Peeling It Off
Image credits: stoavs
#74 Went To Get A Brownie During My Family’s Mother’s Day Party
Image credits: reddit.com
#75 The Way My Roommates Leave The Toilet Paper
Image credits: arielanything
#76 Our Electricity Bill More Than Doubled This Past Month. After Some Investigation, I Found This In My Roommate's Bedroom. He Does Not Pay For Electricity
Image credits: RandomSquezzy
#77 Today I Decided To Repolish Our Kitchen Wood, And One Of My Flatmate's Fiends Wouldn’t Listen
Image credits: jabusi
#78 My Roommate Knocked Over My $1000 Bike That Was On A Kickstand In The Garage And Just Kept Driving Over It
Image credits: Melodramaticpasta
#79 Husband Puts His Coffee Mug Next To 2 Empty Coasters
Image credits: mybellasoul
#80 When Roommates Disagree
Image credits: Z5555517
#81 We Have A Small Ant Problem And This Is How My Roommate Kills Them
Image credits: Euphoric_Working_192
#82 My Friend/Coworker’s Laptop Broke Because Her Roommate Accidentally Jumped On Top Of It. She’s Studying Abroad In Ecuador And Nowhere Near Any Repair Shop
Image credits: mrduncansir42
#83 Apparently, My Flatmates Think It Is Acceptable To Leave The Sink Looking Like This
Image credits: Lewisc7593
#84 My Flatmate's Lame Attempt At Emptying The Dishwasher
Image credits: fotbuwl
#85 Things Are Hard For My Roommate. Please Pray Y'all
Image credits: MtFrenchFries
#86 My Roommate's Remote Control
Image credits: malignantpolyp
#87 My Roommate Took My Pan Camping, Put Soap On I And Now It Looks Like This. How Do I Fix The Pan? After That, Tell Me How I Should Beat Him Up
Image credits: Walking_Pillow
#88 Housemate Went Home For The Holidays And Left This Mess Behind
Image credits: Calm-Orange5718
#89 My Room Was Clean When I Left For My Dad's House For Spring Break… This Is What I Came Home To After My Mom “Looked For My Wallet”
Image credits: Oonoroi
#90 My Son Bought 4 Cereals, Same Brand, Different Sizes And He Eats From All Of Them Without Finishing One First
Image credits: Joobebe514
#91 Got My Favorite Kind Of Ice Cream, A Half Gallon Of Vanilla Bean Blue Bell. I Got One Bowl Out Of It. My Roommate's Kids Got Ahold Of It. Came Home, This Is What I Have Left
Image credits: Jackie2Slaps
#92 My Roommate Using The Incorrect Size Screen Protector
Image credits: usctrojansf1ghton
#93 My Flatmate's Unseasoned Steak I’m Beyond Depressed To See This Take Place
Image credits: Bruh-Ac130
#94 Almost Totally Empty Dishwasher, Roommate Loads Their Plate Like This. I Live With Animals
Image credits: Jess_C_less
#95 My Roommate Came Into My Room Clean Shaven And Said " The Sink Is Clogged I Think. I'll See You When I'm Off At 11PM"
Image credits: HaTeRAdeQuEnChA
#96 My New Roommates Don't Know What A Lint Trap Is
Image credits: MikeJamesTV
#97 My Roommate Left My Cast Iron Pan To “Soak” For Three Consecutive Days While I Was Out Of Town
Image credits: BobbyDalbec
#98 My Roommate Came Back From A Trip And Left His Luggage On Our Kitchen Counter. It’s Been There 4 Days Now
Image credits: Final_v04
#99 I Have 2 Roommates, Not A Single One Of These Is Mine, This Is A Regular Occurrence
Image credits: Btp2000
#100 My Roommate's Girlfriend Unplugged My Phone Charger To Charge Her Laptop. It Was In The Top Socket
Image credits: Axikten
#101 My Roommate Tried To Breakdance In Our Living Room While Drunk And Broke My New TV
Image credits: hdstegink
#102 Girlfriend's Flatmate Buys A New Ketchup Bottle Every Time He Goes Fishing
Image credits: MetalDevil
#103 How My Roommates Leave The Kitchen All The Time. My Partner And I Are Trapped In Our Room Until We Move
Image credits: rockinrobin420
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