Roommate told me that I no longer have access to the washer and dryer. Do I have any recourse?

[Anonymous]

I've been living with my current roommate for about a year. It's an apartment. She's the only one on the lease. I pay her a flat rate for rent every month. She complained that last month the electric bill for our 2bd/2ba apartment was $300 and told me that I wash clothes too much and had to use the community laundry facilities. And she still expects rent in full. Her argument was that me doing laundry makes the bill higher. Before this argument occured I had been planning to move, so I told her that my use of electricity and water for shower, cooking etc increases the bill so I would just leave if it's an issue. I am moving by April 1. She said that I still cant do laundry in the apartment. I continued to say her argument was invalid since I'm using utilities for basic needs and left it at that. I do 2-3 loads of laundry weekly. Do I have any recourse here? Also, this person has financial management issues and I suspect is not allocating my rent money as she should due to a late rental notice on the door and her constant complaining about her bills are high and she has trouble with keeping money in her bank account. We also did not have a written agreement, but it was verbally confirmed that the flat rate was for my share of rent and utilities

[Anonymous]

Just leave and move out. Use the utilities when she isn't around.

[Anonymous]

Without a written agreement nothing you can do except move, which you are doing. Or just keep using it, because nothing she can do either.

[Anonymous]

Move with no notice. There's no agreement, so she has no recourse.

[Anonymous]

How is she stopping you from using the laundry? What's she gonna do, stay up all night and not go to work and guard it?

[Anonymous]

Neither of you have recourse here so to speak. Do what you want.

[Anonymous]

If you can, just do your laundry downstairs and try to lay low for a few weeks until you can move out. It’s not worth the conflict since it’s an informal arrangement between individuals. It’s bananas, of course, but that’s why you’re moving out.

[Anonymous]

There's nothing in writing so really you can do whatever you want. Just be forewarned that someone willing the ban you from using the laundry is also likely willing to mess with any clothes of yours she finds in there.

Maybe just offer to contribute to the utilities? That would be the neighborly thing to do.

Or just leave. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

She's crazy. NOthing you can do. There's no winning here. You leaving ASAP is how you win.

[Anonymous]

Pay your rent in full for this month and leave as soon as you find a new place. Don't use the laundry. It is three weeks max, so just do a few loads in the building machines. Don't turn up the heat. Lay low. Roommate is panicking about how she's going to pay once you leave and she'll find any excuse to blame things on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Without a written agreement nothing you can do except move, which you are doing. Or just keep using it, because nothing she can do either.

This right here.

[Anonymous]

She's on a power trip.

She can't tell you that you can't use the machine with no formal agreement... do whatever you want. Wash your clothes!

To make matters easier though, do the laundry when you know that she'll be gone for a few hours... she sounds a bit unstable.

[Anonymous]

You, a single person, wash clothes two or three times a week?

[Anonymous]

Why are you washing clothes so often? I do one load a week and the washing machine isn't even completely full.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can, just do your laundry downstairs and try to lay low for a few weeks until you can move out. It’s not worth the conflict since it’s an informal arrangement between individuals. It’s bananas, of course, but that’s why you’re moving out.

+1