23 People Share Their Worst Roommate Experiences
Living with a roommate can be an exciting experience, but it’s not always smooth sailing. When you share a living space with someone, it is necessary to be considerate and respectful of each other’s boundaries. Unfortunately, not everyone is an ideal roommate, and some experiences can be downright terrible.
To shed light on the topic, we asked 23 people to share their worst roommate experiences. The stories we received ranged from the mildly annoying to the downright disgusting, but they all have one thing in common: they showcase the importance of compatibility when it comes to living with someone else.
If you’ve ever had a bad roommate or are currently dealing with one, you’re not alone. Read on to hear about the experiences of others who have been in your shoes, and maybe you’ll find comfort in knowing that your situation isn’t the worst one out there.
“P.O He’s physically fit and intellectually sound.”
Grace (F)
Nigeria
“Mine is having to share a room during my NYSC with a fellow corper that is confused, lazy, dirty & lacks manners.”
Dee Dee (F)
Nigeria
“I once had a roommate in Uniben, Hall 3 to be precise. The guy had mental issues and was not supposed to even be in school at that point because the mental issues were very serious.
The first night he came into the room, he defecated in a bucket in the middle of the room when we were sleeping, someone woke up and gave him the slap of his life.
We thought that had given his brain a reset but weeks after we had to hide all sharp objects because he threatened to stab us in our sleep. He actually meant it. I could see it in his eyes.
We spoke to the hostel authorities about it but there was only little they could do.
He was suspended abi expelled after he slapped a lecturer in the Faculty of Art.”
Dani (M)
Nigeria
“So I had three roommates including me 4. She was my bunky. She literally acts like someone sent by the devil. What scared me most, was waking up one night to her sitting in the middle of the room and saying things I couldn’t understand, then she faced up and her eyes showed only the white part😩. Soldier ants were always on her bed but never got to mine. I begged to get a room change but no way because there was no bed space.”
Zyy (F)
FCT
“I am good at cooking and I kinda love it, but there was a particular day my roommate invited about six of his friends to the house and I had to leave the room. Shockingly, my roommate poked his head out of the door and called my name to come and cook spaghetti for them. Ah! Olorun oba oo. I wan mad that day. I wan rain havoc. It was so condescending and made me feel like a servant because his friends were like ‘oya make e come, which one e wan cook for us’ E remain small I start fight for there. Nah just the grace of God hold my mouth and arms back.”
Lanky (M)
Nigeria
“I’m not sure if it’s the worst but it’s one terrible experience I’m not sure I can forget. My roommate in my 300l first semester had mild issues with controlling her anger.
She was the explosive type while I was the implosive type. Whenever she was mad at me she’d shout and give me attitude and do all kinds of petty things to ostracize me from our clique of friends and even from eating whenever she cooked. (We used to cook and eat together. From the same plates sef).
I on the other hand was always quiet whenever I was mad. I’d do all the table throwing and lungs screaming in my head while watching movies on my phone.
Then one day she was extremely mad (I can’t remember why. It’s been a while😅), and this girl literally started breaking stuff in our room. Like she was so mad she started throwing things, flinging them in all directions and screaming while at it. It was really toxic and scary ngl. All my own was that she shouldn’t try to break anything on my big head😭.
Omo, na so I start to dey pack my bags oh. It’s not me they will kill for my parents. Will you believe this girl started threatening me like say I be her boyfriend? She was all “if I go through that door, I shouldn’t bother coming back.”” Ahn ahn, on top room we rented together? When it’s not that I’m squatting with you for free. When it’s not that I’m your boyfriend. It legit felt like I was in a toxic relationship with a partner😭.
Wild times😂💔”
Every man’s woman (F)
Lagos
“The first and last roommate I had can pretend for Africa.
She was a prayer warrior.
She was a calm and quiet girl at times.
She can talk badly about you behind your back but doesn’t like it in return.
She sleeps with different guys for food or money but they won’t eventually give to her cus they live like church rats.
She steals people’s food.
She is dirty.
She puts people in a bad position and pretends to know nothing until you find the truth and feel like breaking her head but you can’t.”
Ola (F)
“I once had a phobia of sleeping alone at night in school cause of a rubbery incident so my landlord helped me look for a roommate.
This girl lives in my room for free oooo.
One time I decided to go to my friend’s house for a few days to read for an exam, came back after 3 only to find out most of my things are missing. This girl traveled with my bag, slippers, cream, food, and other things I can’t remember.”
Ade😁 (F)
“My high school roommate would wake up in the middle of the night, randomly and start to Kabash like she was facing the Devil head on.
Don’t get me wrong, I respected her prayerful nature but she used to terrify me. I just kept thinking about what she was seeing and it scared me more”
Spandex (F)
Lagos
“I stayed in the school hostel all my time in school. I cannot recall all my experiences but there weren’t that bad. In my school hostel, were allowed a maximum of 8 hostel mates but considering some conditions, you can have as many as 12 in a room. These extras are called ‘squatters’.
On this rainy evening, a roommate, Wale, brought a friend from off-campus to spend the night in our room. I was in 200lv then. Hall 4 was as hot as always, but I was glad that the corner of my bed was close to the door, so sometimes, a little bit of fresh air and food aroma from next door neighbour would bless me.
This outsider who my roommate brought was suspicious. I wonder why he’d keep someone like that as a friend or acquaintance.
It was time for sleep for me. Ordinarily, you cannot be so conscious of your other roommates’ activities. This person goes for night class, this person goes outside to the lawn to browse because MTN has given him cheap data at night, this other person is cooking beans at 1 am and so on. Movements cannot be monitored.
I heard a tap on my hand the next morning and it was Wale standing right before me. Guy! You see my phone?”
F.I. (M)
Nigeria
“She hated washing the toilet. and she always wanted to use my things and keep her own.”
Lois (F)
Osogbo
“When two of my roommates lied to the rest to turn them against me.”
Brenda (F)
Benin City
“Well.
I had lots of dramatic roomies, so the room was always filled with drama. There was a time one of my roomie was secretly chatting with a boyfriend of one of my other roomie.
It didn’t end well…”
Optimistic (F)
Benin, Nigeria
“Well, I’d like to be as direct as possible, home girl thought it was a good idea to date my ex, as if it wasn’t painful enough, he’d come to see her every evening in that same room, and he’d act like he never knew me, and they would be all loved up in front of me, who does that?”
Bella (F)
Lagos State
“He told me a babe was going to come cos he was always going to her place and he wanted her to come to our side for once. I say, ‘okay. I go stay Richard side.’
Unfortunately for me, person dey arrange woman for him side too. So my last option was my neighbor, Ngozi. I asked, she agreed. Everyone was happy.
Oya na night reach Ngozi and I started hearing moans. At first it wasn’t Amaka (my roomie’s babe) own. It was from a song in an album that he was playing. The Intro of the album is Moans.
Na so him babe own come dey mix inside. And the album is all about sex abii love making.
So imagine staying with the opposite sex. Hearing things that’ll turn any warm blooded living thing on, but you can’t do anything with the person you’re staying with.
As I no fit sleep and I no fit touch, I go dey watch comedy videos for YouTube.
Fast forward to the future turns out Aunty Ngozi wasn’t sleeping that night like I had assumed. She been dey form sleep dey fight temptation like me😂😂😂. We both gave in to the temptations multiple times a few weeks later, so happy ending I guess?”
DJ Longbottom (M)
Lagos
“My worst roommate experience came from one time I met a girl who liked me and was coming close, but there was the usual strike, so I had to go home. Only for me to resume after a few weeks and find the same girl in the arms of my roommate.
I didn’t think much about it because I felt if she really liked me, she would have been with me, but my roommate had this guilty conscience and felt I was angry with him, so he went about making any & everything between us about the girl.
If I refuse to go anywhere with him, he will be like I am angry with him because of the girl. So one day, we both went to the hostel to see this same girl, because we were all supposed to travel to attend a wedding in Auchi.
Will you believe this same girl was now begging me to pay for her transport? Anyway, I refused because my roommate should be responsible for that. So when we returned she came over to hug me and told me how she missed my company.
My roommate who was standing there said nothing but went behind my back to tell everyone in our hostel off campus that I am trying to take his girl away from him. From that day I had to start explaining to anyone who came forward to accuse me of the matter. I was so embarrassed and I hated the rest of the time we spent together as roommates.”
Shaka boom (M)
Lagos
“Had this roommate that could not hardly close her mouth while eating and also disposes her used pads anyhow”
Bella (F)
Nigeria
“Nothing really….”
Israel (M)
Edo State
“Using my items without my permission. Displacing my stuff. Ngl, I could have kill alot😭 The worst is the smell…the bloody smell of unkempt humans!”
Ding (M)
“I was a shy girl who moved into the hostel newly. Bathing outside and walking around naked was not my thing at that time. So I would wear my bra and knickers downstairs with me and hide in a corner to bathe.
On this fateful day, my roommate saw me going outside as usual and she unhooked my bra and dragged it off my chest! Asking what I was hiding so that I would go to bathe almost fully dressed.
At that time I felt violated but now I feel it was just a crazy rite of initiation into the community of shamelessly naked girls lol”
Hannah (F)
Benin City
“I’ve not had many roommates.
Just 1 but the experience was not nice either.
Back then she’d always wait for me to do anything and everything in the house.
Even to throw away her pee in the custard bucket the next morning is a big issue for her.
She was very very dirty.
She won’t use her stuff but all the time she was always using mine, still, I won’t complain.
Omo a lot happened then.
The things we do share, we stopped sharing them together.
Coz she was the one who wanted to stop.”
Ada Eze (F)
Lagos State
“In 400 level I had a friend who stayed in the school hostel and we had an assignment or something, couldn’t remember the reason sha, maybe light or something so I told him he could come over to mine for the assignment, first night baba came and it was fresh and all, before I know next night he was here again, ha!, wasn’t he aware it was a one-off thing? So I confided in my guys and they said it’s a big mistake to let hall three boys stay over and all, so I started trying to get rid of him, baba kept coming and coming, and I kept piling excuses, one time I told him I had a nak appointment, baba still came oh, lol so I had to run from my room during the day and come back at night when I knew it was too late for him to come. Mad shit!”
Ipleadthefifth (M)
Lagos
“My worst room maté experience was the beginning stage tho. We ended up as soul sisters but… When we first met she had an attitude. She did not like my friends. She was chubby and I’m slim so we had to share a student bed. She also snores and sleeps recklessly with a touch of sleep-talking. Mhen!!! I got used to it tho.”
Brittany (F)
Lagos State
Living with roommates can be a great experience or a nightmare, depending on the people involved. As we’ve seen from these stories, some roommates can be inconsiderate, messy, or downright dangerous. However, it’s important to remember that not all roommates are like that, and many people have positive and lasting friendships with their roommates.
If you’re currently dealing with a difficult roommate, try to communicate your concerns calmly and respectfully, and if necessary, seek help from a mediator or your landlord. And if you’re still looking for a roommate, be sure to ask plenty of questions and set clear boundaries from the start. Enjoyed this episode of afrogist? You can read more here.
What's Your Reaction?
