Is it OK to use your roommate's shampoo?
Guilty
The short answer
Only in an emergency, and only if you say so the same day. Regular use without asking is taking, even a little at a time.
The ruling
From the public record. Names are replaced with roles.
Small claims division
Case no.PC-2026-00412
The roommate who owns the shampoo v. The roommate who used it
Filed 10/05/2026
- Plaintiff
- The roommate who owns the shampoo
- Defendant
- The roommate who used it
Statement of claim
My shampoo has been going down way faster than it should. I marked the level with a pen and it dropped every day I was at work.
Charge
Repeated, undisclosed use of the plaintiff's shampoo, established by pen mark
Judgment
Guilty
Roommate found guilty of using half a bottle of shampoo, as proven by a pen mark
Sentence
The defendant will buy the same shampoo, same size, within three days, and use his own from now on.
How the court usually rules on this
The court accepts that a single use, disclosed promptly, is a neighborly act. It does not accept gradual use spread over weeks, because the owner pays for every bottle. The usual sentence is replacing the bottle, same brand and size, not a cheaper one.
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