It's normal for a bank to charge YOU for a refused deposit.
My wife was a Avon lady for years and got more than a couple of bounced checks. Everytime, the bank charged HER for the bounced check...which she then made the customer pay her for. PLUS the cost of the check.
The Kahleeforneeya law on bounced checks:
1. [ß 1] Claim for Statutory Penalty
Under California's Bad Check Law #1, a person who has written a check to another person or business can be required to pay the amount of the check and either a statutory service charge or a statutory penalty if the check is returned by the bank due to insufficient funds. The person who wrote the check is called the "drawer" and the person or business who accepted the check is called the "payee."
More particularly, the Bad Check Law states that the drawer must pay to the payee the following amounts:
(a) the face amount of the check, plus a statutory service charge; or, if the drawer does not pay this total in full, then--
(b) upon the payee's proper written demand for payment, the face amount of the check, plus a statutory service charge, plus the costs to mail the demand for payment; or, if the drawer does not pay this total in full within 30 days, then --
(c) if the payee has made a proper written demand for payment, and the drawer has not paid to the payee, within 30 days of the demand, the total at (b), then --
(i) the face amount of the check, plus
(ii) a statutory penalty of three times the face amount of the check, but not less than $100 nor more than $1,500. #2
Several limits apply: (a) The payee of the check cannot recover both a service charge and a statutory penalty. (b) The payee cannot recover either of these unless certain conditions described in this Legal Guide have been met. (c) Only one statutory penalty can be recovered with respect to the same check. (d) Interest cannot be claimed if either a service charge or a penalty is claimed. (e) Multiple recoveries for the same loss are not allowed. (See the detailed discussion of the statutory penalty in part B at ßß 3-32 below).
2. [ß 2]Claim for Service Charge
The payee of a check that has been returned for insufficient funds (see ß 5 below) can require the drawer to pay the payee the face amount of the check and a service charge of up to $25 for the first check and up to $35 for each subsequent check to that payee that is returned for insufficient funds. #3
However, the drawer of the check is not liable for a service charge in any of the following situations:
Bank error -- The drawer is not liable if the drawer presents the payee with written confirmation from the drawer's bank that the check was returned to the payee due to the bank's error. #4
Delay in automatic deposit -- The drawer is not liable if the drawer provides the payee with written evidence that the drawer's account had insufficient funds due to a delay in the regularly scheduled transfer or posting of a direct deposit of a social security or government benefit assistance payment. #5
Service charge already imposed -- The drawer is not liable if a service charge has already been charged with respect to that check.
The drawer also is not liable for a service charge if the payee has mailed the drawer a proper written demand for a statutory penalty under the Bad Check Law, and the drawer has failed to pay the amount of the check, the service charge and the mailing costs within 30 days after the mailing. Instead, the drawer is liable for the amount of the check (see ßß 41-43 below) and the statutory penalty (see ß 1 above).
One customer refused to pay the bank charges for a bounced check, so she filed with the D.A.'s department for writing bad checks.
They sent her one demand to pay the cost of the check PLUS $500 or be arrested for check fraud.
She called my wife and made arrangements to pay.
IMO, your roommate should have to pay any charges levied by your bank for his NSF check.
If he does it again, replace the roomie.
Also I won't deny this 
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