Person Asks Web If They’re Being Unreasonable To Not Want To Pay Rent For Room They Won’t Be Using
Rent keeps going up as the global housing crisis deepens. To make matters worse, people turning properties into Airbnbs has resulted in locals being priced out of the market. So, if you can find a great deal, it’s a good idea to stick with it for as long as you can.
For one person who’s been renting a room from their sister for a year, they were taken aback when their sister asked them to pay rent even though they’re going to be away from home for two months. Unsure what to do next, they turned to netizens for advice.
More info: Mumsnet
Rent just keeps going up, but this person’s expected to pay rent even for a room they won’t be using
Image credits: katemangostar / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The person explains that they pay rent for a spare room in their sister’s house and contribute to chores and frequent random expenses
Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Recently, their brother-in-law’s parents asked them to house sit and dog sit for them, so they’ll be out of their sister’s place for two months
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Despite the fact that they won’t be living there, their sister has told them she still expects them to pay rent
Image credits: freebirdblue
The person’s friends think their sister is out of line, so they turned to the web to ask whether they’re being unreasonable for not wanting to pay rent while they’re away
OP begins their post by telling the community that they currently live with their older sister and have been paying £100 a week towards rent and bills. On top of that, they frequently pay for take-aways and Ubers – apparently their sister can’t use the app. In addition to all this, OP also takes care of their nephews and walks the dogs daily.
They go on to explain that their brother-in-law’s parents have recently asked them to house sit and dog sit for two months. Despite the fact that they won’t be living at home over this period, their sister has told them she still expects them to pay rent. When OP suggested paying half the usual rent, their sister agreed, but wasn’t that impressed.
OP says they don’t think it’s fair that they’ll still have to pay rent since they won’t be coming round for dinner and will still be helping out with their nephews and even working from home on certain days to make that possible. Their mum says they’d still be paying a landlord if they were on holiday, but OP says they’re housesitting for free, and it won’t exactly be a vacation.
They share that they made the mistake of telling their sister their salary, and she’s been holding it over them ever since, telling everyone they make more than her and her husband combined. OP says that’s not difficult, since 10% of their salary is a pension benefit, so they don’t earn as much as it seems.
Conflicted, OP says they don’t want to come across as ungrateful and feel that paying £50 rent while they’re away is more than fair but turned to netizens to ask if they were being unreasonable for thinking that even that is too much.
Image credits: Liza Summer / Pexels (not the actual photo)
From what OP tells us in their post, it would definitely seem that their sister is acting entitled and perhaps a little jealous, too.
If you’ve ever had to deal with a person who thinks the world owes them a favor, you’ll know just how problematic they can be. When that person is family, things can get even more complicated. So, how should you handle someone who’s entitled? We went looking for answers.
In her article for SavannahNow, Michelle Aycock writes that people who feel entitled usually believe it’s everyone else’s responsibility to take care of them, ensure their happiness, and give them what they want, all without any effort on their part.
In her article for Quick and Dirty Tips, Dr. Monica Johnson shares some strategies for dealing with an entitled person. Some of the most effective include practicing assertiveness, setting clear boundaries, avoiding power struggles, validating their emotions, practicing empathy, and steering clear of reinforcing entitlement.
Of course, the world is full of entitled people, perhaps best summed up in this Bored Panda list of 30 times entitled people showed their true colors, and this collection of some of the planet’s most entitled jerks. Perhaps OP doesn’t have it that bad, but they should probably talk it out with their sister before their resentment grows.
What would you do if you found yourself in OP’s shoes? Do you think their sister is playing fair, or being unreasonable? Share your opinion in the comments!
In the comments, readers swiftly concluded that the person was not being unreasonable, while others suggested they get their own place as soon as possible
If the friend is staying in your bedroom, they should be the one paying your sister. If you do decide to petsit, I'd insist on knowing what the vet visit entails, call to doublecheck the vet's price for that procedure, and insist on receiving cold hard cash BEFORE taking the dogs. No cash, no vet visit. I smell massive "don't be so picky and difficult" accusations a mile off if you ever try to get the money after the vet visit.
If she had a lease she would still have to pay rent if she was staying somewhere else so . Pay up
But in that case the room would be staying empty. A friend of her sis is occupying the room while she's away. And she's away because she is housesitting for free for BIL's parents.
Load More Replies...They're taking financial advantage of the OP because she makes more then her sister. If you have a lease you have to pay it, BUT your landlord doesn't get to move someone else in while you're on vacation. Also, the arrangement with the house sitting and paying the vet out of pocket (and their Uber) is just pure exploitation. The OPs sister and BIL definitely sound like they need a logger but they're starting to go from doing the OP a favor to ostensibly save her money, to draining her accounts dry by a slow leak.
You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. The average cost of living for a single person in the UK is £1732/mth including rent (Google “average cost of living single person uk”) the LOWEST avg cost of living is £1200\mth. So, OP has been saving a lot while living with her sister. Ignore the nephew sitting and dog walking, Sis probably does the grocery shopping and definitely cooks the evening meals when they aren’t getting takeout, which no doubt OP also eats the food and, honestly, that’s normal exchange when living with family while saving a ton of money. So, she also pays for an uber on their date nights… what she doesn’t say is if this a weekly thing or every now and again as a treat. OP is actually in a very cushy situation but the moment she sees an opportunity to save even more but at the risk of her sister not being able to make ends meet, suddenly Sis is completely unreasonable. I expect to be downvoted but IMO OP will be well served if Sis says “Go ahead, do your thing but don’t expect to come back.”
Load More Replies...If the friend is staying in your bedroom, they should be the one paying your sister. If you do decide to petsit, I'd insist on knowing what the vet visit entails, call to doublecheck the vet's price for that procedure, and insist on receiving cold hard cash BEFORE taking the dogs. No cash, no vet visit. I smell massive "don't be so picky and difficult" accusations a mile off if you ever try to get the money after the vet visit.
If she had a lease she would still have to pay rent if she was staying somewhere else so . Pay up
But in that case the room would be staying empty. A friend of her sis is occupying the room while she's away. And she's away because she is housesitting for free for BIL's parents.
Load More Replies...They're taking financial advantage of the OP because she makes more then her sister. If you have a lease you have to pay it, BUT your landlord doesn't get to move someone else in while you're on vacation. Also, the arrangement with the house sitting and paying the vet out of pocket (and their Uber) is just pure exploitation. The OPs sister and BIL definitely sound like they need a logger but they're starting to go from doing the OP a favor to ostensibly save her money, to draining her accounts dry by a slow leak.
You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. The average cost of living for a single person in the UK is £1732/mth including rent (Google “average cost of living single person uk”) the LOWEST avg cost of living is £1200\mth. So, OP has been saving a lot while living with her sister. Ignore the nephew sitting and dog walking, Sis probably does the grocery shopping and definitely cooks the evening meals when they aren’t getting takeout, which no doubt OP also eats the food and, honestly, that’s normal exchange when living with family while saving a ton of money. So, she also pays for an uber on their date nights… what she doesn’t say is if this a weekly thing or every now and again as a treat. OP is actually in a very cushy situation but the moment she sees an opportunity to save even more but at the risk of her sister not being able to make ends meet, suddenly Sis is completely unreasonable. I expect to be downvoted but IMO OP will be well served if Sis says “Go ahead, do your thing but don’t expect to come back.”
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