Living with slovenly roommates

[JonDuke]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

...the smoker of the house leaves his butts in the cupboards, on the fridge, and tosses them in the trash.

I'm amazed that the non smokers allow the single idiot to smoke inside the place.

Either way, best of luck getting out of that hole!!

[jeffporfirio]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The fire hazard thing must be addressed. Hopefully it will get your out of your lease. In the meantime:

1 plate, 1 bowl, 1 glass, 1 knife, 1 fork, 1 spoon. Maybe 1 pot.

Those are yours. You clean them after you eat, and take them to your room. Keep your food separate as much as possible. Do not clean the dishes of the slobs. Do not pick up after them. Take the garbage out when necessary. That's it.

Your bedroom is your home. Make it comfortable. The rest of the suite is not your responsibility. Let the people who make the mess deal with it.

Agree 100%. If you can afford it, get yourself a mini fridge and keep it in your room.

[llwhiteoutll]

If you're a roommate and not on the lease, then the RTA most likely doesn't cover you and you'll probably be subject to the Innkeepers Act. Might help you get out of it.

When I get a roommate for my new place, that #### wouldn't fly. Anyone who refused to keep up after themselves would be out on their ass. RTA or not.

[CaptainYooh]

Under the Residential Tenancy Act you have the right to quiet and safe enjoyment of the premises. You can issue a written notice to your landlord requesting him to rectify the situation immediately or terminate the Lease. This might worsen your co-habitual relationship with your roommates, so that may not be the appropriate option, but you be the judge of that risk. If the Landlord threatens them to terminate their Lease and keep the deposit, they might smarten up.

Other option is to issue a notice to the Landlord terminating the tenancy for non-sanitary living conditions and request your damage deposit return in full. If he refuses, arm yourself with photographs and file a complaint with RTDA.

[llwhiteoutll]

Yooh, I think that would only be an option if he had a lease with the landlord or is jointly on the lease. If he is only a roommate and essentially in a sublet situation, his rights and means of recourse are most likely altered.

If OP's roommate has the lease with the landlord and then got OP to move in without being on the lease, then OP's roommate could be considered OP's landlord. In that case, RTA would not apply since the landlord is sharing a bathroom and/or a kitchen with their tenant.

[Jets4Life]

Just for the record, there is a fire alarm. I simply overlooked it So no problems there. More of the cigarette buts everywhere, garbage, etc. The student from Bangladesh has a history of yelling at the owner too(in his own words), when he politely suggests things to him (like being cleaner). Who knows. Maybe if I wait it out another month, the angry South Asian dude will be evicted, and it could potentially put the fear of God into the other roommate to get their act together (*evil grin*)

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

Yooh, I think that would only be an option if he had a lease with the landlord or is jointly on the lease. If he is only a roommate and essentially in a sublet situation, his rights and means of recourse are most likely altered.

If OP's roommate has the lease with the landlord and then got OP to move in without being on the lease, then OP's roommate could be considered OP's landlord. In that case, RTA would not apply since the landlord is sharing a bathroom and/or a kitchen with their tenant.

OP stated that he signed a 6-month lease with the Landlord, who is NOT his roommate. RTA does not apply when your Landlord is also your roommate.

In OP's case RTA should apply.

[Simon96Taco]

Wow, that is disgusting. I feel for you! I like the suggestion of dumping the other roommates garbage/mess into their respective bedrooms, and keeping your own pot/dish/plate/spoon/fork in your own room. They'll soon get the hint. Still, sucks that you'd have to resort to that.

[Amethyst]

If the landlord is not a roommate, how is he responsible for getting one of the other roommates to do the dishes? The mess is caused by the tenants, not the landlord. Otherwise everyone could just mess up their place and break their lease.

When I had a roommate with different cleaning habits, we made an agreement where we alternated weeks for being responsible for cleaning the kitchen. If you don't think that will work, maybe there is some other trade-off you can make? For example, you do the cleaning and they pay the utilities?

[Ducay]

Keep your stuff in your room; live out of your room, and just survive the 6 months as best you can. Sloppy people like that don't usually change overnight.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

Burn it down.

uhhhhh......NO.


http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bre...-63927142.html


I was lucky the first time around.......

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

When I had a roommate with different cleaning habits, we made an agreement where we alternated weeks for being responsible for cleaning the kitchen. If you don't think that will work, maybe there is some other trade-off you can make? For example, you do the cleaning and they pay the utilities?

That's the plan. If they say "no" then I'll stick in my room, and not even enter the kitchen, unless I have to cook. I have a separate mini-fridge, as the owner must be aware that something is amiss. My saving grace may be that the owner had contractors construct a downstairs suite, and a young couple, that appear far cleaner just moved in, and to boot baked us cookies as a goodwill present.

If they are anything like me, which I can already tell, they may be, as I went downstairs, and thanked them for the cookies, only to notice a suite in immaculate shape, I can't see them putting up with a garbage pit for long, as they must be paying more, and are new. The 6% vacancy rate is also a big plus

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

I'm amazed that the non smokers allow the single idiot to smoke inside the place.

Yeah, why is he being allowed to smoke inside in the first place?

One thing accommodating him and exposing yourself to second hand smoke but if he can't even show some form of respect by disposing of his butts properly take the privilege away from him.

[Displaced Flames fan]

I would NEVER live with people I don't know. Don't understand how people can do it.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Under the Residential Tenancy Act you have the right to quiet and safe enjoyment of the premises. You can issue a written notice to your landlord requesting him to rectify the situation immediately or terminate the Lease. This might worsen your co-habitual relationship with your roommates, so that may not be the appropriate option, but you be the judge of that risk. If the Landlord threatens them to terminate their Lease and keep the deposit, they might smarten up.

Other option is to issue a notice to the Landlord terminating the tenancy for non-sanitary living conditions and request your damage deposit return in full. If he refuses, arm yourself with photographs and file a complaint with RTDA.

Thank you so much for this. I'll have to make a trip to the Residential Tenancy Office tomorrow, and pick up some legal documents. Much appreciated!

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

I'm amazed that the non smokers allow the single idiot to smoke inside the place.

Either way, best of luck getting out of that hole!!

He actually smokes outside. What he does is smokes 1/2 a cigarette, then places the butts wherever he sees fit in the kitchen (not his room for some strange reason). I continuously find cigarette butts on the floor beside the garbage.

[BigNumbers]

I am going to read this thread to my kids before bed, as a reminder to work hard at school! Those photos are scary!! Feel for you man.

[FireGilbert]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I would NEVER live with people I don't know. Don't understand how people can do it.

Obviously you've never moved to a new city by yourself and without enough money for your own place and furnishings.

[blueski]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Obviously you've never moved to a new city by yourself and without enough money for your own place and furnishings.

Reading this thread makes me happy I live in my nice one person van when in the city.

[sun]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Obviously you've never moved to a new city by yourself and without enough money for your own place and furnishings.

Obviously you've never heard of gofundme.com