Flatting is hard. I’m glad I don’t have to do it anymore. Even if rents weren’t soaring, they are still difficult. You are in a very long running episode of Big Brother with no prizes, but way more drama. All of this can affect one’s mental health. I still can’t look at a post-it note without flashbacks of a flatmate who used to vacuum once a month, and then would put a note on the wall complaining that he was the only one who did any housework (he wasn’t). The flat mate who used to mosh in the lounge and put a hole through the wall is another memory I have – at least that meant there was nothing to put passive aggressive notes on.
People will tell you that flatting is good because you get exposed to different worldviews.
That can be good, bad, or weird.
The flatmate who brought an eel back from Ōpōtiki and kept it as a pet was hilarious, but an example of this. Feeding it Big Ben pies in a little paddling pool and leaving it on the laundry floor to see if we would pick it up thinking it was a belt.
Up north in Whangārei was even more weird/stressful/entertaining. I used to live in a rough-ish area of Whangārei called Raumanga. On a street full of tinny houses (Warwick Crescent represent), it used to be a weekly activity to sit out the front of our house with a beer and watch them get raided. I feel the shoes over the phone lines were a good giveaway. Or ongoing parties, break-ins, stolen property, assaults, police up your street, or people stealing your washing off the line.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say men are easier to flat with. Because we’re stupid. For example, I used to bribe my flatmates to pick me up from my video rental job (back during those times) with porn. For the petrol they spent, they could’ve paid for it themselves – but economics goes out the window when dicks are involved. But I digress.
While thoughts and prayers don’t do anything (yeah, I said it), I do feel for those renters out there at the moment. Please look out for each other. Spare a couch for the occasional couch surfer. Cos being a renter is hard. Property managers are scummy. Rental companies don’t care. If you are fortunate enough to not be renting, and you own your house, let’s not judge those who are doing it rough. Missing a few avocados on toast is not going to get you a house.
Take care.
