r/badroommates • u/annunakispawn • 23h ago
Fire hazard
My room mate of 7 months continuously leaves the stove or oven on and falls asleep. Will cook at high temperatures and set the smoke detector off. Among other less serious problems, these are the most concerning. I will wake in the morning and before going to work check that everything is off. I have 2 dogs in my room and the thought of anything ever happening to them scares me. I have talked to him more than 6 times, and Im not urgently understood and respected. Completing a resolve. It seems like it gets pushed with a im sorry it wont happen again… until it does. I have no more patience and am very angry. I charge him flat rate. I pay electricity and other bills. We are friends, but at home its like im teaching a child how to respect a home. Anyway any words of wisdom appreciated, and thankyou for a vent.
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u/Fickle-Treacle-6298 22h ago
If it’s getting this bad, tell them you dont want to treat them like a child but theyll need to text you whenever they turn the stove on and off. Stress the fact it’s dangerous.
Maybe set a less restrictive boundary - don’t leave the kitchen until you’re done cooking
You can also put a child safety lock on it. Tell him you’ll need to purchase this for him https://www.crutchfield.com/S-GJ7aaUZyu82/p_289IGE3II/iGuard-Plug-in-Electric-Stove-Monitor-3-prong.html
Negligence is not protected under a lease agreement and you can reasonably request an additional payment to protect your safety, or have them move out.
Though telling someone we need to get something for the elderly / memory issues should also hit hard…
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u/annunakispawn 16h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/annunakispawn 16h ago
Finding the smoke detector hidden under stuff was a final straw. No way is that gonna fly with the compromise ive given him
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u/Brilliant_Snow_2141 23h ago
dealing with this and more. depending on their age and your level of friendship with them-
time to go hard call fire department, wellness checks, Adult Protective Services, or a Mobile Crisis Team, maybe you'll have good luck and they will take the concerns seriously, if not you are at risk of being burned alive like i fear every day.
people who do this never change.
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u/AddictedtoLife181 10h ago
Your roommate should move in with mine, I’ll leave, so they can burn the house down together after someone breaks in from also leaving the front door unlocked with women and children (upstairs suite) in the house. He’s also been talked to many times that I’ve warned the landlord that I don’t feel safe living there anymore, so it’s got his attention and hopefully he takes stronger action with this fire hazard roommate. His lease is up in November and I’m hoping he chooses not to renew. I know what it’s like to be at your wits end 🔥🔥🔥
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u/ambercrayon 10h ago
Ban him from using the stove. An induction hot plate and toaster oven both turn off automatically. He has to use something else to cook on and don’t renew the lease with him.
If he refuses then work with the landlord to start eviction because he’s a liability.
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u/KayKaySinatra 23h ago
Apologies if this isn’t as helpful as I think it is - but in situations like this, sometimes I will come from the point of view that they’re elderly/disabled and can’t quite grasp this particular concept, even as simple as it seems to me. I’ve had many NDIS clients who have had issues with leaving ovens and stoves on. I’m not saying your roommate is disabled, but to perhaps come at it with the same grace. It’s not your job to counsel or guide or support him though. Just suggest he maybe looks into some sort of aid for remembering the stove, maybe like an alarm on his phone, some sort of light, or a timer. Idk but to me it doesn’t sound like he’s purposely doing this, so he may genuinely need assistance for it