<p>I live in single room dorm with one roommate. We have been having arguments lately over the use of the TV. The TV, Xbox, PS3, and surround sound ALL belong to me. His opinion is that since he lives in the same room as all this equipment that he has the right to use it whenever he wants, even if Im using/wanting to use it. For example, the other day I was leaving to go to the gym. He hopped on the TV immediately and I told him I was planning on using it after the gym. He didnt react well, and started saying how it was BS that I was "limiting his time on the TV". My response was that it belongs to me. I have been very nice about sharing with him, but his increasing complaints about not being able to use it all the time is really starting to get to me. Hes very defensive and that makes it difficult to accurately hear his view point. </p>
<p>Any opinions on the situation? Im trying to be as nice as I possibly can but its difficult to find out a way to make this work when Im constantly bombarded by insults every time I want to use my own TV.</p>
<p>His biggest argument: Its in the same room as him, therefor he should be able to use it whenever he wants.</p>
<p>My biggest argument: Its 100% my property. I dont mind sharing, but in the end its mine and when I want to use it I want to use it.</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s your stuff. If you don’t want him to use it, he can’t. Plain and simple; it doesn’t stop becoming your stuff because you brought it over. If you have tried to communicate this with him and he won’t reconsider, you really ought to consider either giving him an ultimatum on moving out or speaking with your RA for advice.</p>
<p>Calmly yank it all out and box it up.
He is wrong, his argument is wrong but he won’t hear it so unplug all of it and stash it in your closet.
He’s not respecting that it is your property.
You can 100% dictate who can and can’t use it.
Stand firm.
Plug it back in only if:
He verbally agrees to the new terms of using your stuff.
You get uncontested priority over all the equipment-NO ARGUMENTS from him.
He can use it ONLY with permission from you.
He agrees that he has no inherent right to use your equipment.
Dump him as a roommate when you can.</p>
<p>Just gonna say you both sound kinda like butts to me.</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s your stuff, but I imagine with the size of your dorm room it’s likely taking up a little more than just your space. I brought all that crap when I lived with roommates (and this is back when our TVs were CRTs), so we just came up with an agreement we could both live with.</p>
<p>Do you have cable? Who’s paying for it?
If he got his own TV, Xbox etc, are there enough plugs? Willing to share the same space at the same time?
Does it HURT you to share? Sounds like it. Are you not able to use it when you want?
Why do you care? Does he abuse the equipment? Use it TOO much? Just jealous he’s using it and not you?
Lastly, is there NOTHING he has–physical, mental, generosity of spirit, just being a decent guy that’ll give you an umbrella if it’s raining that you would trade for some game time with him? If not, you need a new roommate or live alone.</p>
<p>Just a story (true though)–I had a roommate who didn’t want to pay her part of the cable bill (four of us) because she “never” watched TV. And to be honest she didn’t watch TV very much. But we made her pay. And she complained. But she was part of the group and we went with that mentality. We needed her share at the time. But we figured between food and friendship that things would work out both on the emotional and monetary level. and we were right. We stuck together as a group for a good long time and helped each other out myriad times.
You can build long lasting friendships with very little capital.</p>
<p>Did you have any agreements about the TV and stuff before you moved in? For example, a lot of stuff like that is too big for it to make sense for each roommate to bring their own, so maybe they’ll make an agreement that one person will bring a TV and they’ll both share it. If there was any type of situation like this - like if he had his own TV but didn’t bring it because the two of you had agreed to share yours to save space - then yeah, I would say you need to let him use it.</p>
<p>Barring any kind of arrangement like this, however, I would agree with the above posters who say it’s your stuff, and you have the right to say who gets to use it and when. It doesn’t become his just because he lives in the same room with you. It would be nice if you shared, but he should definitely ask your permission, and if there’s ever a conflict, you should get priority.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the thoughts. Especially Gouf’s, your questions got me thinking a bit. We have no cable, we do have internet though (which we split 50/50). He does not have any electronics other than a laptop, although there is definitely enough room for him to bring from home/purchase his own. I recommended this and he seemed very against it, yelling about how he has truck payments to make and that he doesnt want to spend money (he just recently bought a new truck). I dont mind sharing with him, but he was abusing it. He was on the TV more than I was, and thats when I started being a bit stingier about my own usage about it. His leaving the controllers and remotes all over the place didnt help his case either.</p>
<p>We moved in together and each had nothing, so no agreements were ever made about sharing a TV or anything. No agreements were made about splitting the cost or sharing it or anything. Unfortunately, there is no way to change roommates at this time.</p>
<p>He also says how he doesnt like how I “hold the TV over his head”. I dont try to do that, just remind him that its my stuff. Just like he shouldnt hop on the TV whenever he wants, I dont hop into his truck and run to the store whenever I want. I know the values of each are way off, but I see it as the same principle.</p>