Analysis / Roommate Drama

A list of common roommate clashes occurring in both real life and fiction:

• Dramatic differences in standards of cleanliness (typically someone either being filthy or messy, or having ridiculously and unrealistically high standards of cleanliness and tidiness), or habitual failure to do household chores (or do them properly).
• Perennial lateness with and/or failure to pay rent or bills, and often also an unwillingness to contribute to communal supplies and/or deliberately purchasing the cheapest, lowest-quality supplies they can find when they do contribute.
• Issues with substances, typically habitual intoxication, especially when someone is always short on money for bills, but is never without alcohol or drugs, is a mean or sloppy drunk, routinely does idiotic, destructive, or dangerous things while drunk, or is consistently hungover, or when they use hard drugs.
• Dysfunctional communication styles, usually either conflating aggression, belligerence, and hostility with directness, or by communicating in an overly indirect or oblique manner, then growing passive-aggressive when they feel that no one is listening to them.
• Unauthorized consumption/usage or theft of food, beverages, and other household goods.
• Dramatic differences in noise creation and tolerance, typically either being extremely loud and inconsiderate (especially late at night, or involving sexual activity), or demanding unreasonably minimal noise.
• Clashes over guests, typically friends or significant others who are constantly over (especially if they regularly stay over), revolving doors of hookups, or unauthorized parties.