What Happens When Home Sweet Home Turns Into A Nightmare?

If splitting the rent leaves you with a splitting headache, it’s time to broker peace. Suchita Parikh-Mundul has some ideas

- Suchita Parikh-Mundul

In The Wizard Of Oz, Dorothy clicked the heels of her ruby slippers thrice, saying out loud, ‘There’s no place like home’, and was magically transported to her beloved farm and family. Ever since, the concept of ‘Home! Sweet home!’ has embedded itself in our collective psyche as the very centre of our comfort zone. Home is the place we head to for refuge and solace. But what happens when things turn nasty in this sweetest of all places?

Roommates/flatmates have become a necessity today—after all, not many can single handedly manage the skyrocketing rates of rental properties. Whether the roommate is a friend or just a logistical necessity, what should you do when constant disagreements turn your refuge into a battleground? Your lease or financial situation might not allow you to move out. But you also can’t come home every day to some unpleasant surprises. So what, really, are your options?