Minimalism and Roommates

If you share the space, maybe you could convince him that because he isn't there often he should put his things up when he is away. If he's away, his stuff should be out of your way, because you're the ones that see it and deal with it on a daily basis.

Obviously you shouldn't donate / get rid of all his stuff, but storing it away when not in use would at least keep the space tidier. If you're willing to do the work for him, ask if it's okay if you clean everything up and put it in his room until he wants to use it. Just don't let it become a habit of you sorting all his stuff every time he leaves.

I think it's fair to say that the communal space should be for things that all house-mates use, and if only one person uses it it should be put back in the personal area or the closet or wherever. If you share a bathroom, maybe ask him to put his toiletries away when he's away.

As a side note, it sounds like this guy would be a good candidate for minimalism. He travels often, so it's likely has just a few bags of things he uses often. Anything big or sentimental that he doesn't take with him could be stores in his girlfriend's house, but she probably doesn't want that clutter either.

/r/minimalism Thread