When I first rented my apartment, I was relieved to have a roommate named Milly to share expenses with. At first, she was friendly and fun to talk to, but she rarely bought basic supplies, didn’t clean up, and was constantly late on bills. I tried to be patient and even covered her rent when she promised to pay me back, but the money never came, and the mess only got worse.
One day, Milly suddenly left to stay with her boyfriend, leaving most of her belongings behind. When I texted her about rent, she said she wasn’t paying since she wasn’t living there. I was shocked and ended up covering the full rent for two months while she ignored all my messages.
Finally, I warned her that if she didn’t respond, I’d assume she moved out. She never replied, so I spoke to the landlord, who changed the locks after confirming she was no longer on the lease. My friends helped me pack up Milly’s things.
I donated what seemed old or replaceable and saved anything that looked valuable. A few days later, Milly showed up upset, demanding to know why the locks were changed. She claimed she was planning to come back and was furious when she realized some of her things had been given away.
I explained that I’d tried for months to get in touch and couldn’t keep storing her belongings. Milly left angry, but the situation was finally resolved. I learned a tough lesson: always set clear boundaries with roommates and protect yourself financially.
When I first moved into my apartment, I was excited about the fresh start. Rent in the city wasn’t cheap, so finding a roommate seemed like the smartest way to manage expenses. That’s how I met Milly. At the beginning, everything seemed promising. She was friendly, easy to talk to, and we quickly fell into casual conversations about work, movies, and weekend plans. Sharing the apartment felt comfortable during those first weeks. I believed we would build a good living arrangement where we both respected the space and split responsibilities fairly. But slowly, small issues began appearing. Milly rarely contributed to basic household supplies like cleaning products or paper towels. Dishes piled up in the sink after she cooked, and trash often sat overflowing until I dealt with it myself. I tried not to make a big deal out of it at first, telling myself that adjusting to a new roommate always takes time.
As the months passed, those small issues grew into bigger problems. Milly frequently paid her portion of the rent late, sometimes days or even weeks behind schedule. At first, she apologized and promised it wouldn’t happen again. Once, when she said she was short on cash and waiting for her paycheck, I covered her share to prevent any trouble with the landlord. She assured me she would pay me back quickly. I believed her because I wanted to maintain peace in the apartment. Unfortunately, that repayment never happened. Instead, late payments became a pattern. The apartment also became increasingly messy, and I felt like I was carrying the responsibility for both of us. Every time I tried to bring it up, Milly brushed it off with casual excuses. I started realizing that patience alone wasn’t going to solve the situation, but I still hoped things would improve.
Then one day everything changed unexpectedly. Milly packed a small bag and mentioned she was going to stay with her boyfriend for a while. At first, I assumed she would be back within a few days. But days turned into weeks. Her room remained full of belongings—clothes, boxes, and personal items—but she never returned. When the next rent payment came due, I sent her a message asking about her share. Her reply shocked me. She said she wasn’t planning to pay because she wasn’t currently living there. I reminded her that she was still on the lease and that her things were still in the apartment. After that message, she stopped responding entirely. I sent several follow-ups over the next weeks, but every message went unanswered. Meanwhile, the rent still had to be paid. To avoid risking eviction or damaging my rental history, I covered the full amount myself for two months straight.
Eventually, I realized I couldn’t keep carrying the financial burden alone. After weeks of silence, I sent Milly one final message explaining that if she didn’t respond, I would assume she had officially moved out. Again, there was no reply. At that point, I contacted the landlord and explained the entire situation. After reviewing the lease and confirming that Milly had effectively abandoned the apartment, the landlord agreed to remove her from the agreement and change the locks. The next step was dealing with the belongings she had left behind. My friends came over to help me sort through everything. It felt strange packing up another person’s life into boxes, especially someone who had once been a friend. We separated items carefully. Anything that appeared valuable or important was stored safely, while old clothing and worn household items were donated to charity rather than thrown away.
