What's the weirdest house rule you've ever experienced as a house guest?

[Creativemode]

Just that really.

Mine is someone that wouldn't let me flush the toilet incase it woke their children.

Also another wouldn't let me go upstairs to the toilet incase the stairs creaked and woke their children (there was no downstairs toilet).

I had a school friend that wasn't allowed fish and chips in the house because of the smell.

Chingchoc we're also in Thailand and I totally get your rules! When I told dbro he shouldn't put toilet paper down the toilet he said that was fine and he totally would. So I said he'd be paying for the plumber if he did. I got a look like I'd slapped him for that. Ffs it's a rule for the whole country (maybe continent) not something I'd randomly made up. I also explained that Buddhas were not to be taken out of the country (it's seen as offensive to their religion) but DM told me hers was ok as it was lying down

After working in mental health for the last 16 years I would say some of these people have undiagnosed OCD or schizophrenia.

These experiences have cracked me up! My mum doesn't like non-family to use the loo for a number 2 but people just wind her up about it and go anyway.

My mother seems to have a new 'rule' about her chest of drawers. She complained that she doesn't have enough room in her 2 bedroomed flat to buy a special chair with more support. As the flat contains 6 chests of drawers - two in the living room, one in the second bedroom/work room where any guests would sleep, three in her own bedroom, as well as built in cupboards, a store room and loft space - it occurred to me that it's possible that some rationalising/furniture moving would create more space, so I went round looking at what was in the chests of drawers.

'MotherLee' I said. 'I'm sure you could manage with just 5 chests of drawers. The one on the far side of your bedroom has two drawers in it that are completely empty.'

She gave me an uncomprehending look.

'Those drawers are left empty for a very good reason.'

'Oh. What's that?'

'When your auntie visits. There has to be somewhere for her to put her clothes.'

My aunt visits once a year for several days. But two empty drawers have to be permanently kept for her in a room which is not the one she sleeps in - and one in which she has to disturb my mother if she needs to fetch a clean blouse.

ilove yes a few of us have said that! I get the OCD thing but why schizophrenia?

Most of it is funnyand nostalgic (Northern Grannies keeping a special room for best) but some sounds awful - inspection of sanitary towels, strict control over washing, lack of clean clothes, people being kept cold and uncomfortable and having food restricted.

Sorry to introduce a dark note into the thread but I honestly think some of this isn't funny at all, it's downright abusive.

That is really odd about Harry Potter as our church uses the film's as duscussion points (fight against good evil/ self sacrifice etc) for youth groups.

My sister once, when I was staying with her as a 12 year old, tried to get me to go to the public toilets a 1/4 mile from her flat to change my sanitary towels. Luckily my mum was there and put her foot down.

DP used to do grass-cutting. One client, who he dropped very quickly, had a very white house inside (from what he could see) and out. She expected him to pick up every stray bit of grass so it wouldn't spoil the whiteness of her paths and walls. She paid well, but the job really wasn't worth the hassle.

People could moan about a couple of our house rules:

1. I told one woman to smoke out the front, as inside the house would likely induce an asthma attack in either myself or DP, and I didn't want the hens in the back garden eating the ash.
2. I really feel uncomfortable with other people cooking in my kitchen (cooking is how I relax) so that tends to be another rule here.
3. I did once confuse my mother by repeatedly switching off the lights she'd leave on around the place, except for one. But there was a lone guinea pig in that room and it was the middle of winter, so wasn't getting much natural light.

twatbaging WTF?? I would NOT have your sister over. Ever. I have an epi-pen and what your sister is doing is basically attempted murder.

Oops, that was for Namechange, not I love Mixed up my posters there - sorry for any confusion.

My house growing up. You weren't allowed to go to the toilet at night, full stop! Otherwise you would be met in the hall by my step dad complaining that you were 'banging and crashing around' (even though you would be desperately quiet, tip toeing everywhere, no lights on etc)

Also no TV after 10pm (even as a teenager and adult guest) unless it was on mute, even though the volume was barely above a whisper (teletext subtitles was my best friend for many many years...)

Definitely shoes off in the house or all hell would break loose, including adult guests (but I do get this personally)

All doors had to be closed by pushing the handle down (even during the day), if you closed a door, gently by pulling it to he'd come marching up the stairs to share his displeasure!

And so many more that I have repressedcan't remember.

These things have stayed with me to this day, now I tell my OH off for not pushing the handle down in our own home Maybe I need therapy?

Twatbadger's sister is definitely a massive that.

*twat. Prudish autocorrect!

We stayed at a relatives house for a few days once when they were on holiday. We arrived to find that their DCs toy boxes were sellotaped up to stop my DCs from opening them. There was a long list of instructions, including not putting cups on the worktops, and a list of things that we couldn't use the sink for. It wasn't a very comfortable weekend!

Oh I know she is. Apparently she's allergic to oranges and I said it would be the almost the same as me going into her house and squirting orange juice as an air freshener.

She's given us nut based chocolate before as gifts.

We don't accept anything from her and don't eat food or drink at any party where she's present.

One party mother and I made sure every item was nut free (this was at another siblings house) so kids could stick hands in whatever bowl and it wouldn't be contaminated with nuts and she showed up and opened up a bag of peanuts and put them on the buffet table. Thankfully there was a chip shop down the road and sister kicked her out.

We think she's jealous of the 'special treatment' and that family cater for this allergy but not hers and not her choice to vegetarian.

Rightly we make a big deal over the nuts just not over the orange or veggie because most foods are veggie and don't have orange in!

twatbadging I'm reading and sitting here like this

So when you point out that she could actually KILL people with all those antics, she shrugs and says it's no big deal or what?

My childhood friend's (very devout) parents used to turn over the TV every time a bra advert came on - and this was pre-remote control days so mad scramble to get to the telly before we were tainted by the Playtex Cross-Your-Heart lady.

Once visited people where all the children were given same size portions at evening meal. Their children were all small, ours were 11 and 14 and only had 3 tiny spoonfuls on their plates. They looked horrified, but were too polite to say anything. It was remedied when I politely requested more, but it was rather awkward, hosts appeared a bit shocked that I had said anything. Otherwise our kids would have gone to bed hungry. Hadn't thought to take anything to eat with us.

Sorry, should have said they said it was because all children had to get the same amount so it was fair.

KatharinaRosalie person with the allergy is an adult so last time we kicked of she said it was no big deal because it's an adult not a child and an adult can see it's nuts.

She just doesn't understand the cross contamination issue. Well she chooses not to get it.

Basically we don't invite her anywhere now. She's banned.

It sounds cruel but part of me hopes her family has to deal with something this serious then she might learn.

DameDiaz - mum is in her 70s now. When Dad puts the heat on, I have two jumpers as do the kids, but at least with that it's OK. Especially as I'm mainlining cups of tea.

Both dad and FIL aren't good at socialising but have internalised the rule of being a good host means ensuring your guests have wine or failing that tea/coffee to hand at all times. Poor FIL keeps trying to teach me about French wine but as I'm invariably tipsy (see above) after 25 years I'm still pretty ignorant...

To those fucking weirdos on here with their 'only fart in the bathroom' rules: you do realise that you fart while you're asleep, in the bedroom?

I actually cannot see anything wrong with 4 weekly collections apart from the need for a bigger recycling bin, our "bin" in the kitchen isn't even full of non recyclable stuff after a week, so 4 weekly would be no problem, don't people recycle virtually everything apart from tetrapak?

Comes over as a bit smug?

"the Playtex Cross-Your-Heart lady."

Or, not forgetting, "Triumph has a bra for the way you are!" unless of course you're too devout to have anything so filthy as breasts

you do realise that you fart while you're asleep, in the bedroom? and most likely breath it in. Especially if you bury your head under the covers