I can handle it for limited timeframes but these days I would probably rather find another way to reduce my budget...
This is exactly what I'm wondering about Melody. What's helpful about this discussion is hearing from others about how much energy (emotional and otherwise) something like this might require.
When I say short time frames I guess most of my situations worked well for the first 6 months. I suspect his is because like a new romantic relationship everyone is on their best behavior. Over time, this deteriorates and resentment builds. Once resentment has built every small thing seems like a big deal.
For example Housie moves in, she's super excited to be my new housie, so she always cleans her dishes. After 6 months, the buzz wears off and she goes back to her once weekly schedule, it annoys me so I suffer with it for a while (resentment builds), then I finally talk to her, she agrees to resolve and is suddenly doing them twice as often. I am still annoyed, there are dirty dishes there 2 days out of three, but she thinks she's addressed the problem, so now if I got back to re-address the problem it's seen as an attack "I already fixed it"... it doesn't have to be dishes it can be anything, but I have found this quite consistently with every house share.
Issues I have encountered:
Refusal to help clean up for rent inspection ("I'm too busy") - an issue as the rental as completely in my name. If it had been in both of our names I bet they would have found time.
Dishes, big piles of dishes. No I don't want to wash my wok before I go to use it.
SO's being there all weekend every weekend (not contributing and housie rarely going to their house) but having an issues with my family members staying (at a lower frequency).
Drug use
Horrible pets (and unclean litter tray not changed often enough... I shouldn't have to ask)
Not helping resolve house problems (Refusing to skip a single class in order to let a plumber or handyman in, but expecting me to leave my corporate job a few hours early to do the same. We were paying half the rent exactly and housie was using my stuff so it wasn't like I was providing a "service" as one might for an exchange student. I had to handle this stuff 4 times out of 5, despite the fact housie was a full time student and classes were very close to the house).
Expecting zero distractions when studying (i.e. I was not allowed to even bring one friend over for dinner) but not offering the same to me. (Not that I needed or expected this).
Asking me to spend a weekend away from the house so her and SO could spend their anniversary there even tho I had to study for my exams {see comment about studying above}. (Response, "If alone time is really important to you guys maybe you should book a hotel but I don't mind if he's over that weekend"... she actually asked twice about this.)
I make it sound worse than it was though we actually got along really well, had a number of rad parties and fun times together. But after a while all the bad stuff "stacks" and you get resentful and it's very hard to change your perspective, each minor thing becomes a big deal.
I would put a fixed exit date on any future housemate situation to avoid the above.