to tell an old friend she can't stay?

[MrsRudyRudpoo]

A friend from college has e-mailed me to ask if she can rent out our spare room for a few months. She is waiting for a visa to work in the USA to come through and fancies living in the city where I live as it's more exciting here than staying with her mum in a villiage. In short, I don't want her to. She has form for being a bit of a wild child (drugs/drink) and we have a 3 year old DD that i don't want being woken up at all hours! Also I work evenings and know that DP would feel uncomfortable it being just them two every night. I offered her the room for a night or two while she sussed out areas she might want to work/live but now she wants to stay for longer. I feel like a crappy friend but don't want her in our home for what could be months on end. I guess I want to know if I am an awful friend, and if I'm not how do I tell her no?! I am a wimp and dont feel like I can just say NO outright, how do I tell her nicely!
First AIBU please be kind:)

Just blame yourselves. "Oh sorry, I'm no good with people being around me all the time. I need to have a bit of space. And DH just likes to relax on his own when I'm at work. He hates having people around in the evenings."

I wouldn't be happy about a wild child entertaining my husband (if I had one!) every night, anyway, especially if I was at work at the time.

Just got home from work and read through the rest of the messages, thanks everyone! I will email her back tomorrow and explain that it just won't work but will offer to help her look for somewhere. I think that even though we are the same age out lives are a world apart and that she just hasn't thought through how much of an imposition this would be!

*our

I think some of the replies here have been a little harsh on your friend and maybe - as you've said - she just doesn't realise what an imposition it would be. So if you do want to let her down gently you can just say that you're really sorry but you won't be able to rent out the room to her as you've a number of other guests lined up and also that the space is being used as an office for your dh in the meantime - but if she is going to end up living in your city you really look forward to spending some time with her on an evening when you aren't working (sorry - realise that is a conflation of what lots of people said). But maybe don't be too cross that she asked, just put it down to her lack of experience of having a 3 yo etc - maybe she is regretful she doesn't have kids etc so maybe being sensitive about that would be nice.....