I’m thinking that you should talk with your other housemates and ask them if they’re experiencing a similar problem with this girl. If she were only taking your things, you either must have really nice stuff, or she’s got something personally against you.

Anyway, if the other girls have similar problems with her, organize a group pow wow and confront this girl together. You each should tell her that they know she’s been using several things without asking and then not washing them afterward. There is strength in numbers–she’s more likely to listen to four people than just one person, and the sudden uprising might knock some sense into her.

If you all don’t want to confront her, talk to your other roommates and have a different sort of pow wow. Have several of you become “advocates” and say that in order to split up the responsibility equally, you’ll make a chart detailing which girl is supposed to do the dishes on a certain day. For example:

Ashley - Monday
Tiffanty - Tuesday
Amber - Wednesday
Nadia - Thursday
Gloria- Friday

And so on and so forth. This way, you’ll be making sure that everyone in the house does their part cleaning up and taking responsibility. Since I’m guessing that the rest of your roommates already do this, you’ll be getting what you want from Little Miss Slob but not directly confronting her. Write up this list, and also make up a set of rules together detailing what’s to happen if a girl skips a day, if one girl is gone, etc. Then post this detailed list and rules somewhere in the house where everyone will see it.

This way, if your messy roommate continues her behavior, you’ll have a good reason (the house contract we made together.) to point it out and you’ll have the support of your roommates.

If none of this works, I would bring everything you don’t want her to touch into your room and keep it there under your bed or something. If you have food you think she’ll eat, either wrap it in aluminum foil (she’ll be less likely to eat it if she doesn’t know what it is) or invest in a personal refridgerator to put in your room. They’re not that expensive and you can sell it when you move out to a student or something.

Another idea you can do is leave food out that you’ve pranked to teach her a lesson–but make sure you warn your other roommates first about it. I’ve heard of spoonfuls of ground chile powder being mixed with brownie frosting, ice cream (strawberry.) and other foods to deter hungry and irresponsible roommates. I dont’ think it’s the best idea thought, because it will probably get her very mad at you, and her behavior will only intensify because she wants revenge.

I think your best bet is to draw up a household chores contract with her and the rest of your roomies.

I hope I helped you out. Good luck.

The liar was some crazy rich girl who left boxes of other people’s food in her room and would still lie about it when the evidence was put in her face and would start shrieking about people invading her room and other b.s. This went on for at least three months until the girl went back to San Diego (from the midwest) and got back on her therapy and medication schedule.

Not much you can do except hide your stuff until she’s gone.

ALWAYS set out rules at the BEGINNING of a new living arrangement.

Shift more rent towards those that break those rules because face it: everyone’s too busy and cash-strapped to be dealing with the infant stealing food and leaving stinking dirty dishes out. With that many people the dishes would pile up after just one meal so each person MUST make time for cleaning their dishes after each use. You’re right on that one. But you never came to an understanding early in the relationship to set up boundaries. If you don’t put up boundaries people will piss all over you and take advantage where they can. Aaa-holes can steal $5-50 a week of your food and you still have no grounds for legal action. Take some type of collateral: if she takes your food, take some of her clothing or books. Return the items when she pays you back for you food. As for the dishes.just keep yours in your room.but also, if they leave them out dirty just put them in their bed. They will get the idea ans quit being so childish.

You may also want to try harder when screening potential roommates. Try to get a sense of their personality. Asking blatantly obvious questions doesn’t really work.you need to know how to read people on this one.

Be smart when dealing with strangers and your worldly possessions, private space, and valuable time.

I ended up locking away anything that I didn’t want her to touch, which meant I kept all my things in my room and brought them out to the common areas when I wanted to use them. It was annoying, but less annoying than crazy lady having free reign over my things.

Too bad I couldn’t fit the couch in my room. Her dogs pretty much ruined it.

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Hope this helps -