little rant about flatmates...

WolfSong2000

Wow, thanks guys...

The letter has not left my computer, but I did put up a little sticky note on the wall in the kitchen above where the dirty dishes go, pointing out I'd done all the dishes and anyone who asked me about them in the next few days would risk invoking my wrath. lol. Only flatmate who commented simply said she'd been doing all her own washing up...whatever. lol.

As for bills, gas, electric, etc isn't dealt with by us...we pay it automatically with our rent, but phone and internet are paid for by myself...one of the other flatmates insisted on buying a TV license, even though the TV was bought purely to watch DVD's, and is now insisting I contribute to the cost...I initially said that after a month, if I watched TV then I'd pay, and she's taken that to mean she can withhold the £15 she owes me for phone/internet over the summer...am not happy as come end of this month she'll owe me even more and will then complain about it.

The internet thing is a good idea, but not sure how it would work? I'm with O2...came with a disk, but one flatmate confiscated it, claiming I couldn't be trusted to look after it. Confused me no end as I'd had it for a while, lent it to a flatmate and never got it back. I think flatmate who took it is also the only one with a copy of the password...(she's also the one who treats me like a kid - see the pattern?). If I could change the password monthly so they couldn't log on until they'd paid me then that'd be great, because at the moment they're using stuff (e.g. TV and DVD player on top of phone/internet bills) that they haven't paid for. Same flatmate is now playing music in her room next door...not loud, but has a strong bass line...I moved out of my other room due to issues with another flatmate who was next door (her alarm would go off every 10 mins from 6:30am onwards, sometimes for over an hour...drove me absolutely insane).

In some ways I will really miss uni, but not this sharing with flatmates...definitely wont be keeping in contact with most of them after I leave uni. Only one bothered to wish me a happy birthday (small, but significant, especially as I try my best to remember their birthday and buy them presents every year). I think I'm just reaching the end of my tether...work is piling up, I'm getting stressed as I'm getting behind and my memory is getting so bad it's starting to have a really adverse effect on my uni work. Only good news is so far I'm not actually depressed...I am prone to utterly random bouts of depression which can get really, really bad, but touch wood, that's holding at bay. Just frazzled at the moment. lol.

Belisarius

It just basically sounds like you're a lot more mature then them, which is unfortunate. Do you personally need the internet right now all the time? If not, I would ditch the contract & tell them they need to sort it out (you could even make up a lie about it being cut due to some kind of problem with your bank account). Basically, I would withdraw from them as much as possible. I'd work in the library / college computer room (can actually help with stress to have a different work space) & socialize more outside the flat. I'd also take daily aerobic exercise (by this I mean get very sweaty) - it was my magic cure for stress & depression.

Fork86

Wow, if I was in your shoes, I would have refused everyone blaming you all access to your dishes, food, TV and the internet.

If you flat mate has the 02 CD with the password log in, simple. If she doesn't hand you back the CD, unplug the broadband modem and take it in to your room if you have a phone socket. You can turn off the wireless transmitter in some modems, so you can just hook up your laptop/computer with an ethernet (yellow cable).

I wouldn't take any sh*t from them.

Explain to them that from now on, unless they are going to clean up after themselves, they will not be allowed to use any of your things. Also explain to them that you will only clean up your own things, and not their dishes.

The sooner you do this the better.

KK22_2

I liked the idea of reading some of your letter's points back to them at an informal flat meeting. They are treating you like a mug, but you're also letting them. I know you've said you bottle these things up and then explode but for your own sanity, you need to let them know then and there that they are pee-ing you off!

Emmzi

post its over the dishes? no

and you need a tv licence even if it is just for dvds, if you can get any kind of a signal. So on that one, you are wrong, she is protecting you, you are being chikdish and should pay up.

I can see why it is getting acrimonious as none of you are behaving like adults.

Get off your high horse. Pay the bloody tv licence. Wash dished if you mind a) them getting dirty or b) sniping. It's a few minutes a day and not worth a big principled stand for the sake of the remaining 10 months or so you will live with these people.

Suck it up and get on with real life.

neneromanova

WolfSong2000 wrote: »

one of the other flatmates insisted on buying a TV license, even though the TV was bought purely to watch DVD's, and is now insisting I contribute to the cost...I initially said that after a month, if I watched TV then I'd pay, and she's taken that to mean she can withhold the £15 she owes me for phone/internet over the summer...am not happy as come end of this month she'll owe me even more and will then complain about it.

You DO need a TV Licence if you have a TV in your house. Hell, they're now saying you need one if you have the internet as you can watch TV through the computer over the internet. Stupid I know but it's only £108 a year (from what I can remember) or something like £10 a month so that's £2 each, but obviously you'll need to look into this a bit more

As for the internet, I would ring O2 and they can talk you through changing the password monthly. But I personally don't think the password idea is a good one just for the fact they could log on to the router and change it themselves. You will need a different login password to the router and then a separate mac password as it's wireless. But again I would ask O2 about that.

Good Luck

p.s. With the tv, I would have just pt it in my room, even if I couldn't have watched it. :rotfl:

Belisarius

^ I'm sorry guys buy you're both misinformed about the TV licence. You can have both a TV and an internet connection without needing a TV licence.

"You must be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV. It makes no difference what equipment you use - whether it’s a laptop, PC, mobile phone, digital box, DVD recorder or a TV set - you still need a licence.

You do not need a TV Licence to view video clips on the internet, as long as what you are viewing is not being shown on TV at the same time as you are viewing it."

If you DON'T watch or record programmes on your TV or computer then you DON'T need a TV licence. You can have a TV & no licence, you just can't watch TV programmes on the TV. Also, you are currently allowed to watch iplayer etc without a TV licence as long as you don't watch it live.

A colour licence costs £142.50

Craftyscholar

WolfSong2000 wrote: »

I think I'm just reaching the end of my tether...work is piling up, I'm getting stressed as I'm getting behind and my memory is getting so bad it's starting to have a really adverse effect on my uni work. Only good news is so far I'm not actually depressed...I am prone to utterly random bouts of depression which can get really, really bad, but touch wood, that's holding at bay. Just frazzled at the moment. lol.

Are you getting any help from uni medical services, student services?
Right now your main objective is to graduate.
Is there any possibility of getting a transfer into halls?

ALR

Its easy enough to change the passwords for the internet.
You would need to log into the router and change the password to the wireless network, and also make sure you change the login details of the router... administrator passwords etc.

o2 can advise you on how to do that if you call and ask.
The only thing you would have to be aware of is if your housemates wanted to and knew how, they could reset the router back to factory settings which would lose all of the information you had changed.
It depends on how technically minded they are and as to whether they would think of it...

neneromanova

Belisarius wrote: »

^ I'm sorry guys buy you're both misinformed about the TV licence. You can have both a TV and an internet connection without needing a TV licence.

"You must be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV. It makes no difference what equipment you use - whether it’s a laptop, PC, mobile phone, digital box, DVD recorder or a TV set - you still need a licence.

You do not need a TV Licence to view video clips on the internet, as long as what you are viewing is not being shown on TV at the same time as you are viewing it."

If you DON'T watch or record programmes on your TV or computer then you DON'T need a TV licence. You can have a TV & no licence, you just can't watch TV programmes on the TV. Also, you are currently allowed to watch iplayer etc without a TV licence as long as you don't watch it live.

A colour licence costs £142.50

Yes but you try to explain that to someone who "gets tipped off" that you don't watch tv, especially in a student let. It's just easier if you have one so won't get fined.