AITA for asking my roommate to stop using my expensive shampoo?
A college student asked her roommate to stop using a prescription medicated shampoo that cost 25 euros a bottle. The roommate said it was just “shampoo” and offered to hide it if the landlord wanted to share it.
What made the story more complicated was that the shampoo was actually meant to treat a scalp problem, not a luxury option, yet the roommate saw the issue as petty stinginess toward a mutual friend. Now, passive-aggressive tension pervades the apartment because of basic respect for personal belongings.
‘AITA for asking my roommate to stop using my expensive shampoo?’
Two college guys share an apartment without major issues until recently.
The shampoo is medically necessary and pricey.
The request for respect sparked defensiveness and drama.v
Roommate theft of personal items is a sign of self-righteousness, and the behavior escalates quickly. In this case, the user’s medicated shampoo becomes shared property simply because it’s in a shared bathroom—a classic boundary violation disguised as “no big deal.”
Some argue that shared space implies shared belongings, but prescription items are just as valuable as medication; no one borrows a roommate’s inhaler. The roommate’s choice to tell the story to friends suggests manipulation, not misunderstanding.
Socially, young people learning to live together often struggle with invisible ownership boundaries. “Prescription products are banned in shared housing—period,” says etiquette expert Thomas Farley (source: “Manners in the Modern Age,” Farley, 2021). Sadly, locking up valuables becomes a practical solution when trust is lost, teaching them early lessons in screening future roommates.
These are the responses from Reddit users:
Most users back the shampoo owner, stressing medical need and basic respect.
A few suggest petty revenge while agreeing the roommate is wrong.
Two prank ideas keep it playful without harm.
The student simply wanted his prescribed shampoo left alone, yet faced mockery and social sabotage for setting a boundary. Hiding items emerged as the unfortunate workaround when respect fails.
How early should roommates discuss rules for personal products? Have you dealt with a “borrower” who wouldn’t stop—what finally worked?
