# Roommate is kicking us out so his friends can move in

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 25, 2013, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653 "2013-04-25T10:06:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/41 "2013-04-26T06:06:59Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Originally Posted by **BigT** :  
> You have a chance to stop something bad from happening. Take it. Don’t be a baby and not do what’s right just because it’s easier. If it blows up in your face, you’re no worse off than you would have been if you’d moved out right away.
> 
> Guy #5 is a bully, and you should stand up against bullies, not let them run over you. Doing that is why so many otherwise good people have such crappy lives. They never stand up for themselves, even when the cost is small.

> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by **splatterpunk** :  
> This. Confront roommate #5 with all your other roommates surrounding the two of you. Make sure you have a bag of his weed to shake in front of his face as you lecture him on how we are a family, dammit, and we’re not letting you split us up so you can bring in your weed-smoking cohorts!. When he tries to grab the weed from you, you must grab him by the shirt and shove him up against the wall and say, “Did you hear me? Family!!”
> 
> The room will get quiet for a moment, and then the bully will look around and meet the gaze of everyone in the room, then stare pensively at the floor before he breaks into tears. Then you and the others will rush in for a group hug and all will be well. You’ll know you did the right thing when you hear the maudlin music swelling up in the background.
> 
> Trust me on this. I saw the same After School Special BigT did.

Bravo, bravo! Salute, **Don Splatterpunk**.

**BigT** , please tell me a real life story about you standing up to a bully. Or describe how this housemate is being a bully and not just a dick. Or what bad is going to happen by walking away from this living arrangement. What evil will the world have to endure? Tell me about the otherwise good people who don’t stand up for themselves like you do. I yearn to bask in your experience and wisdom. Please enlighten me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/42 "2013-04-26T07:10:40Z")

</div>

Time for all out war I say.

Dunk his toothbrush in the toilet.  
Fart on his pillow.  
Mix in some oregano with his pot.  
Make him some breakfast or goodies with your hair in it (not too much).  
Find a dirty old hobo and let him shower in his bathroom (if he has a private one).  
Recommend to him that he read _Silas Marner_ and really stick with it because the ending is worth it. Keep bringing it up to him.

😃 Then move when the lease is up.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/43 "2013-04-26T11:13:12Z")

</div>

> [@BigT](#):
>
> Don’t be a baby

Huh? Don’t be a _baby_?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/44 "2013-04-26T13:15:14Z")

</div>

Give it up. The only people who can successfully back stab others and those who don’t ask advice on internet boards.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/45 "2013-04-26T13:24:05Z")

</div>

> [@TokyoBayer](#):
>
> Give it up. The only people who can successfully back stab others and those who don’t ask advice on internet boards.

Blah. Past edit time.

The only people who care successfully backstab others are those who don’t ask. . .

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/46 "2013-04-26T18:15:35Z")

</div>

Just go to the landlord and say you want to sign a new lease. If he allows it then problem solved, if not then simply move, the roommate and the landlord against you sucks but so it goes.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/47 "2013-04-26T19:30:09Z")

</div>

Option with the least inconvenience and trauma: Move, obtaining any deposits due you. Do the revenge tip-off of the cops later.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/48 "2013-04-26T21:34:18Z")

</div>

> [@Aspidistra](#):
>
> Here’s the thing - this is speaking as a landlord. The landlord really doesn’t want to know about internal drama in your household. What he wants to deal with is:
> 
> **A group of five people who are all willing to live in the same house together, cause no trouble, and pay their rent on time**

This, with one redaction: what the landlord wants is to get the rent on time.

It could be 5 ppl splitting his 5 bedroom house, or one person renting the whole place for a large family or using all the space to set up a really cool Hot Wheels track. He really doesn’t care, as long as the place isn’t damaged or gets into the news as That Place With The Poltergeist Seances or something that makes it hard to rent in the future. Financial ability to pay is paramount here. One person who can say “I have a steady and secure income that could cover the rent should any of the others fall short” trumps “the five us should be able to scrape rent together every month, but if one of us falls short we’re going to be in trouble”. And by acting as a front man in paying for the rest of you, that’s the image #5 has projected to the landlord, accurately or not.

Your best strategy to continue living here at the same rent is to find your own band of 4 other cohorts (just Roomate #1 isn’t going to cut it) and appeal directly to the landlord to make your lot the set who gets the next lease instead of Roomate #5 and his Ganja Squad.

Bringing up the Ganja Squad bit may or may not help you. Aside from the possibility that he’s paying the landlord in pot (funny but not impossible), he may also view it as as way of income assurance that you will not be able to provide (“demand for weed on campus is always going to be there!”). Of course if Roomate #5 is viewed as liable to send the place Up In Smoke or to get arrested or something, that could change his POV.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653/49 "2013-04-26T21:49:01Z")

</div>

> [@robardin](#):
>
> Bringing up the Ganja Squad bit may or may not help you.

How could it possibly help?

“Let’s see, this person has been happily tolerating living with a pothead/dealer all this time, but only is complaining now because there’s a dispute over who gets to stay. Wow, I guess the best thing is to evict the whole crew.”

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roommate-is-kicking-us-out-so-his-friends-can-move-in/656653.md?page=2)
