When I see the word ‘roommate’, I immediately associate it with college or university. Granted, I myself never had the privilege of living with roommates, only housemates. But I believe that the experience is similar. There’s the sharing of a bathroom, hearing their sexscapades through the paper-thin walls, and the unclaimed pile of unwashed dishes from last month.

If you ever had to deal with roommates or housemates, you’ll probably find this list relatable. We’ve picked the funniest pics about sharing a living space with a near stranger. Also, feel free to look for some ideas on how to deal with difficult roommates – some of the posters from this list are quite clever.

#1 My Roommate Celebrates Christmas, I Celebrate Hanukkah…we Decided To Build A Compromise

Image credits: mcsassy3

#2 Old Roommate Punched A Hole In The Door. New Roommate Fixed It

Image credits: morbidhoagie

#3 My Roommate And I Sent Out Our New Holiday Card. My Dad Thinks I Am Gay Now

Image credits: mdip0215

Not everyone can afford a one-bedroom apartment and have the luxury of living alone. Especially not in this economy. We’ve prepared some tips for you on how to find the right match for a roommate. Below, there’s also advice on what to do when arguments and conflicts arise between your roommate and you.

As in most situations that involve people, communication is key. Learning conflict resolution is a useful skill that will probably be necessary later on in life. That’s especially useful for college and university students who are living with strangers for the first time in their lives.

#4 I Don’t Know Where My Roommate Finds These Refrigerator Magnets

Image credits: Dante_Padfoot

#5 My Roommate Fell Asleep At The Library So I Put 50 Shades Of Grey In Front Of Him

Image credits: reddit.com

#6 Used To Pay My Rent To My Roommate In A Funny Way Each Month. One Month I Went To The Bank And Got It All In Ones

Image credits: CoryVictorious

Jana Valentine, assistant dean of residential life and community standards at Bryant University in Rhode Island told U.S. News that living in a dorm equips you with conflict resolution skills for the future. 

“It’s inevitable whether you’re in a roommate relationship, a group project, in a student organization, or on a team,” she said. “We want to provide students with the skills to work through things that they can then take and have with them.”

#7 Our Cat Had All Four Roommates Feeding Him Each Day Because He Acted Like He Was Starving And We Didn’t Know That The Other Roommate Already Fed Him. This Was Our Solution, Hopefully He Will Slim Down A Bit

Image credits: emenememenem

#8 I Was Worried I Wouldn’t Get Along With My Roommate, But Then I Walked Into The Room And Saw This

Image credits: Mister_Freeman

#9 My Roommate Eats Food In The Shower

Image credits: babymunchrr

In this day and age, it’s possible to do a sort of background check on your roommate prior to agreeing to live together. But you can’t trust social media blindly, Monique Bates, director of residential life at Longwood University in Virginia, told U.S. News.

“[Don’t] assume that how that person presents themselves to be on social media is who they actually are.” She suggests meeting with the person a few times before deciding whether to be roommates.

#10 When Roommates Disagree

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#11 Roommate Is Coming Home Any Second Now

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#12 The Effect Of Tinder On Roommate Relations

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Jana Valentine also noted that opting to live with friends might not be the best idea. “Sometimes your best friends don’t make the best roommates. And sometimes a really good roommate is a great person to live with, but maybe you’re not best friends outside of the living situation. And that’s okay too.”

#13 My Roommate Put This On Our Fridge

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#14 My Friends Roommates Never Do The Dishes And Were Drinking Her Alcohol. She Found A Solution

Image credits: emzieees

#15 My Roommates Dog Has No Sense Of Personal Space

Image credits: Miss_Lame

Living with a roommate in college or university can be extra hard because it might be the other person’s first time living on their own. Heather Mayone, LCAT, licensed clinical art therapist and director of NYC’s Tribeca Therapy, told SELF that different people come with different understandings of what it means to take care of a shared space.

“It’s such an intense thing to go from, in the majority of cases, living under your parents’ roof to living with a friend or complete stranger on your own.”

#16 People Kept Leaving Poop Stains In Our Dormhouse Toilets So My Roommate Took The Situation In His Own Hands

Image credits: JoltTeaOn

#17 I Got A Mannequin. My Roommates Are Going To Love It

Image credits: SeattleiteSatellite

#18 Felt Like My Roommate’s New Humidifier Needed Something…

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Establishing ground rules early is key. Experts highly suggest writing up a roommate contract. Kat Cohen, CEO and Founder of college guidance company IvyWise, told CNBC Make It that it doesn’t need to be an official document. “Learn more about his or her living preferences, what chores and responsibilities you will share, and how he or she feels about visitors.”

#19 My Roommate Has A Way With Words

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#20 My Roommate Is Awesome

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#21 My Roommate Got A Food Saver. I Hate Him

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Martha Wessell, MSW, a clinical therapist in the Ohio State University Housing & Residence Education department, claims that her institution highly advises students to draw up a roommate agreement.

Topics to cover should include significant others, storing food, using each other’s stuff, quiet hours. “This conversation is about trying to help each other think about mutual respect,” Wessell told SELF.

#22 My Roommates Potatoes…

Image credits: Pretty_Track_7505

#23 Roommate Sets His Goals Pretty Low

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#24 My Roommate Says I Have No Taste In Art. Let’s See What She Thinks Of This

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The experts also say to keep realistic expectations. Many people imagine that their roommate will become their best friend. Kat Cohen told CNBC Make It that people should refrain from romanticizing the situation. “Instead of placing unrealistic expectations on the nature of this relationship, focus on fulfilling your responsibilities as a roommate by being considerate and conscientious.”

#25 Haven’t Seen My Roommate In 5 Days. I Came Back To This On My Door Today

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#26 I Moved Into My Girlfriend’s Apartment Today And Her Roommate Baked Me A Cake

Image credits: largerthanlogic

#27 My Drunk Roommate Was “Saving It For Later”

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Having an honest discussion about what’s bothering you is also important. Don’t leave passive aggressive notes for your roommate. Katie Burns, academic advisor and college admissions counselor at IvyWise, a New York-based education consulting company, told U.S. News that letting anger fester can only escalate the conflict.

“When you’re living in close quarters, it can be hard and tensions can be high. There’s a lot of emotions that happen in college, but you can always work things out with good communication.”

#28 My Roommate Keeps Bringing Girls Over So I Made A Survey

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#29 So My Roommate Went Out Of Town

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#30 My Roommate

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If nothing seems to work, the best decision is to move out. Ashleigh Edelstein, LMFT, writes that mental health and safety are worth far more than sticking it out with a terrible roommate. If you’ve signed the lease recently, ask your landlord whether subletting is an option.

If moving isn’t financially doable at the moment, look for apartments with $0 deposits. Put together a budget and a savings plan – perhaps it’s not doable now, but it will be something to look forward to.

#31 Roommate Issues

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#32 I Am Done Asking My Roommate What His Deal Is

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#33 My Friend’s Roommate Is English – He Came Home Yesterday To Find This Party In His Bathtub

Image credits: reddit.com

#34 I Was Born With Out An Ear. So For Christmas My Roommates Got Me This

Image credits: Zenofsloth

#35 Told My Roommate She Could Be In Charge Of Picking The Shower Curtain

Image credits: emzieees

#36 My Roommate Took This Selfie With My Cat

Image credits: TheBottomOfTheTop

#37 Roommate Got Drunk Last Night And I Woke Up To This In The Kitchen This Morning

Image credits: reddit.com

#38 My Roommates And I Play A Game Where We Hide A John Cena Action Figure Around The House. He Went Missing For A Week Until Today

Image credits: SmoothWay

#39 We Made A Snowman For Our Roommate

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#40 I Like To Surprise My Roommate

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#41 My Roommate Left On A Cruise For A Week, Right Before All These Snowstorms. I Decided To Play A Little Prank On Him

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#42 My Roommates And I Write Erotic Fridge Poetry When We Get Drunk

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#43 Someone Ate My Roommates Pringle’s

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#44 Roommate Throws Away Dishes So He Won’t Have To Do Them (I Bought All Our Dishes And Silverware)

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#45 Is Roommate Shaming A Thing?

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#46 My Roommate Places All Her Trash She Plans To “Recycle” On The Kitchen Floor, Yet Will Leave It There For Weeks Until Someone Else Takes It Out

Image credits: Hot_Salamander3795

#47 An Actual Text Conversation Between My Roommate And Me After She Woke Me Up At 4am

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#48 I Bought An Off-Brand Box Of Corn Flakes Cereal And My Smart-A*s Roommate Sticks This Picture He Drew On The Box

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#49 My Roommate Uses My Towels To Wipe Her Makeup Off

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#50 I Put Googly Eyes On My Roommate’s X-Ray

Image credits: Guygan

#51 My Roommate Bites Her Butter Then Drops It On The Pan When She Cooks

Image credits: reddit.com

#52 My Roommate Just Leaves $500 Laying On The Ground Like It’s Nothing

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#53 My Roommate Is Making Alcohol In Our Room And It Has A Very Strange Smell

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#54 Roommates Struggle Meal From Hell

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#55 My Roommate Moved Out Five Months Ago; Only Today Did We Discover His “Surprise.”

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#56 Thanks For The Idea. Roommate Comes Home From Vacation Tomorrow

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#57 My Roommate Thinks I Should Pay For Things I Had No Idea They Were Buying

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#58 My Roommate Has Been Using My Toothbrush

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#59 This Is The Toilet Paper My Roommate Bought. I’m Better Off Wishing The Poop Away

Image credits: reddit.com

#60 I Would Definitely Knock Before Entering

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