When my flatmate Laura first came over for a viewing, I told her in no uncertain terms how our relationship would be:

“You seem really lovely. But if you’re looking to be friends with your flatmate, don’t live with me.”

I explained I lived a busy life and that when I came home, I wanted my own space. Sure, I wanted her to feel comfortable and at home, but I had enough friends. The last thing I wanted was to end up like my female friends in their flat shares – where they’d leave their doors open so they could wander into each another’s rooms.

I wanted boundaries and no mundane chat like “how was your day?”. Laura seemed agreeable to this plan – though thinking about it, this might be because she’d just moved to London from Canada, and didn’t have another option.

But when she moved in in September last year, it became apparent she wasn’t going to stick to my rules.

Immediately, she started to ask me questions about my life. “What did you get up to this evening?” she’d ask,........

© iNews