When you first enroll in college, some universities require that you must live on campus if you are classified as an undergraduate student. Never do you think that going into this that you could be dealing with a person who you may have to end beef with. One of those universities is Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).
Before arriving on campus, they give you the contact information of your college roommate. In college, roommate issues are common, but sometimes, if you are lucky enough, you will make an unexpected friend.
Georgetown University’s research last year reported that it is likely for one in three college students to have roommate issues. Most roommate issues are easily resolved, but if not, these issues grow and get out of hand. Here are 5 ways to end the beef with your roomie.
Mayah Thomas, a Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University student, mentions she ran into minor issues that escalated into something more. Her roommate would bring extra guests and post their in-house discussions on social media.
In this case, the first way to confront the beef with your roommate for Thomas was a direct conversation through text without confrontation. So, Thomas did just this. She texted her roommate about the boy staying inside their dorm while neither of them was present, and how he made her uncomfortable in her living space.
Thomas stated, “If you are having an issue with your roommate, you should address the situation immediately to prevent further damage by just letting them know how you feel, and then that should end the beef.”
When you live in a household with someone, you have to maintain trust between each other and a good relationship, especially when you do not know your roommate. “The second way to end the beef could be to heighten security where you live as a preventative measure,” said Dewayne Gosha.
Last year, The Brown Daily published that there were over 11,000 roommate burglaries in dormitories. For an extra level of security, you could invest in on-site ring cameras or change the lock to your room to ensure that no one has access besides the owner.
Increasing security measures at your residence will give you the proof that you need legally to be provided another unit to live in, resulting in an eviction or dismissal of your lease depending upon your leasing agreement. Having proof of your roommate’s beef is the third way to end the beef legally because that leaves no room for opinions and the case is based on facts.
Kemison Bacon, a 23-year-old resident of student housing, actually caught his roommate on camera in his room going through his belongings. “I shared the video footage from my ring camera and provided it to my leasing office, and after determination, my roommate was served an eviction notice,” said Bacon. Video footage will always be better than just hearsay; with video, you could have a solid case to prove your innocence.
In this case, Geralyn Jones, an out-of-state Texas student, did not have a choice but to utilize the fourth way to end the beef, and that is consulting with authorities. Jones’ roommate situation was a little different because it required her to be in the same room but on the opposite side of her dorm that she had to share with her roommate. The primary issue with her roommate was more intense due to her stolen belongings, her cleanliness, and her unit was infested with roaches.
“The food such as meat and milk was left in the sink for months, and shortly after, we had roaches,” said Jones. Jones went on to explain the aftermath of her roommate issues, “I had at least five hundred dollars of clothing and shoes that were stolen from my room after leaving for a holiday break, then shortly after I found some of my stolen items in the common area.”
This left Jones no option but to consult with law enforcement on campus to report the incidents and to help resolve the matter. The Housing staff searched the suspect’s side of the house and found nothing but marijuana. This left no plausible proof to penalize Jones’ roommate.
As a result, Jones shares a loss that left her with only one option, the fifth way to end a beef. Move from the residence and find another home; even if you are not the issue, be the bigger person. Jones moved away to prevent any future loss she could have from keeping the same roommate that has proven not to be trustworthy.
“I found out my roommate was stealing from me; I would give him the rent money, and he would tell me he used it for the rent but never paid it,” said Milton Minton, a Florida resident that resides in normal housing. Milton shares that he is not a confrontational person and would rather move than argue over things he cannot control.
If you are experiencing roommate issues at your housing facility, you should contact your housing authorities to explore all of your options. In case of an emergency that your roommate issues escalate to an issue you cannot resolve, do not hesitate to contact law enforcement to help resolve your underlying issues. `
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