How to deal with messy/lazy housemates?

I live with 3 people (2 female, 1 male). I'm 24, the girls are 24 and 27 respectively, and the other male is 36 (engaged to the 24 year old). Now that all that is out of the way... My housemates are complete lazy slobs. There is no other way to describe them. In fact I don't know where to begin. The engaged couple don't work. They essentially lay around on the couch all day and night watching TV, living off welfare. Through sheer persistence I have managed to get them to do their dishes (because they make a lot of them), but I haven't managed to get the 27 year old to do that yet. Other than their dishes, they literally do NOTHING. This is made so much more painful by the fact that the majority of mess comes from them, because they're around the house all day (I know they just lay on the couch all day, which is mine, and now broken from wear, because I work from home). In fact all the furniture in the house is mine, because I am the only one on the lease (they couldn't find a place because they're both unemployed). To make it worse, I have a dog, a labrador, who is an outside dog. The 24 year old also has a dog, and when she moved in, we agreed that he would be allowed inside to sleep at night (but only in their room). Whenever I leave the house and return later, I find him inside, so they're waiting for me to leave to do this. I have brought it up several times, but what can I do? They sneak him in. The bathroom is so disgusting that I think it is possibly dangerous. Our toilet even had fungus growing because I refused to clean it. They are so lazy that they NEVER take their finished toilet rolls out of the toilet (which is probably the thing that bothers me the most). In the 6 months that they have been here, they have vacuumed once (between the three of them), which only happened because they threw a party and (for some reason) poured sand all over the table, which ended up on the carpet, and after two weeks of literally yelling (as the sand was continually being trampled into the carpet), I managed to get them to vacuum (poorly, as it was). To be honest, I have only scratched the surface of their lazy/messy habits, but I could have my own 6 part novel series if I was to detail them all.



I will list what I have tried (and what has subsequently failed):



1. Chore list (fail).

2. Lead by example (fail).

3. Refuse to clean anything (extra special fail, as they chose to follow my example this time, and the place became toxic).

4. Yelling (fail, with exception of one time).

5. Subtle hints, such as leaving the vacuum cleaner in an obvious position (fail).

6. Obvious hints, such as saying ';it's your turn to vacuum, please do it this week'; (fail).

7. Move out (fail, I moved out, and within 2 months they were evicted from their own place, and begged to move into mine, because they were rejected everywhere else - unemployed factor).



If I haven't tried anything that you would consider worthwhile, please let me know :-)



Also, I should have mentioned, the 24 year old is my best friend, and I completely love her, in spite of her lifestyle. I often think that we're 100% compatible as friends, and 0% compatible as housemates. Nonetheless, I don't want to abandon her, but I also don't want to be her father. Are there any non-demeaning ways to 'train' housemates??



I should also mention that while they are basically off the spectrum when it comes to tidiness, I am probably off the polar end of the spectrum. I like my house clean. I am particularly fussy about recycling, and forced, weekly, to sift through the bin pulling out paper/recyclable material. It is frustrating, because I could not have made it simpler to recycle, there is a large open box for paper/recycle, and there is a bin beside it. How lazy do you have to be to put paper in the bin in this scenario? I should also have mentioned, that not only do I work, I also study, and so I am busy enough as it is, even in finding time to clean up my own mess, let alone cleaning up after three people, two of whom are sitting on the couch all day and night.



Sorry, there is a lot of rage happening because I found a fresh coffee stain on the carpet that I had steam cleaned less than a week ago... ironically I had the carpet steam cleaned (at my expense) because they spilled almost a litre of coffee on the light coloured carpet, and I couldn't get it out myself.



Wow, I do almost have my 6 part novel. I'm a rambler...



Thanks guys.How to deal with messy/lazy housemates?
sorry just couldn't read all of it but have one simple answer ';move'; life is too short for all this ...Good luck....the sooner you move the better! pleaseHow to deal with messy/lazy housemates?
I couldn't read it all either, but maybe you could try, at first, getting the engaged couple a job.

Threaten if they don't start pulling their weight they'll have to leave...

or just try and get used to it. It's all you really can do...
well i did read it all

and i too am VERY anal when it comes to my home %26amp; surroundings

i could not have put up with any of that never mind all



you are asking for help

and i will tell you the only way to solve this

but, sorry, its no magic wand, and you wont want to hear it



decide what you value more, your sanity or your friendship?

you have tried everything reasonably possible

and they have taken advantage of your generosity



ask your self this, had this not been your best friend, what course of action would you have taken?

i know they left before, but by having them back you are now enabling their behaviour, both their dirty slovenly habits, and their lazy attitude towards working and bettering themselves

as long as they live with you they have no incentives to do anything but be slobs



sorry, but for your own sanity, and your friendship, you have no choice

you need to sit them down and tell them you are giving them 30 days notice

DO NOT back down under promises

the age they are, they should never live like this, they are going to be like this for always

and drag you down with them, in fact they already have



30 days notice

and then you take time to get YOUR home back to its former clean %26amp; tranquil glory



and let these ';people'; fend for themselves
i did read it all and as poor house keepers as they are you are equally a bad decision maker



7. Move out (fail, I moved out, and within 2 months they were evicted from their own place, and begged to move into mine, because they were rejected everywhere else - unemployed factor)



TOO BAD, TOO SAD - grow up and get your own place or sleep under a bridge



repeat this one and this time correct your behavior + DO NOT let them move back in under any circumstances



it doesn't matter that the 24 y/o female is your friend - you are enabling her = STOP IT = if she is truly your friend she will understand your need for cleanliness and respect your wishes and come and visit you on Sunday afternoons for tea



since they are such welfare recipients turn them in to the agencies that they are collecting from = the agencies would love to know that they are being ripped off



ooohhh and ask for reimbursements for the damages done to your personal property while you are at it - that will reinforce that your are serious about them getting out - TODAY since they have the time to lounge around they have the time to move out
JUST TELL THEM
Move out, or evict them from your property. I know it would be hard doing it to a friend, but I couldn't stand living in those sort of conditions.