Toxic Housing Situation

hannahbanana9811
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 03:09:57 +0000

I’m a second semester senior currently living in an off-campus apartment with one roommate. Everything was fine and dandy, until she started dating her boyfriend a few months back.

When they started dating, she told me he’d “be hanging around often.” Which was fine by me! However, what she meant was that he would be moving in with us, and not paying for anything.

Their relationship is toxic. They frequently get into screaming matches in the common space which leaves me no choice but to stay cornered in my room. In the past, he has attempted to physically harm her. He is very violent and aggressive, talks about his need to “hurt” things when he gets angry, and just today he was on the phone threatening to murder someone because they dialed the wrong number. He keeps a weapon in the apartment, as well. My roommate has attempted to break up with him, to which he threatened to hurt her and himself if she did. She is definitely not ending the relationship any time soon. When she did ask him to move out, he told her if she wanted to date him they had to live together.

The landlord found out he was living in the apartment over semester break. In response, he attempted to enforce rules (I.e. the boyfriend has to pay if he wants to live here, etc.). All it has done has made my roommate more sneaky about where he parks his car.

I am immensely uncomfortable in my own place and I don’t know what to do. My roommate is almost as aggressive as the boyfriend, so I fear that if I tell her my feelings she will retaliate OR she’ll tell her boyfriend, which would anger him and likely make me the subject of his anger issues as well. However, I’ll feel like a snitch going directly to the landlord. I don’t know what to do and I’m beginning to fear for my safety. My lease is up in May. Any tips?