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.

I'm wondering that, too, AcrossthePond55. Some of these I could work around, take my own towels, bring my own loo roll, bring and drink wine, a mug etc. But being cold, miserable, uncomfortable and made to feel morally inferior? No way. I'd hope I'd meet at my house, a hotel, a church or go camping whilst popping in for a cup of tea only.

Across it's one of the many reasons why I don't have a relationship with my dad

The things about heat and light are difficult though. Even if they are not rules.

My mother is only comfortable at at temperature of about 24/25 C- whereas I feel too hot if it's much above 18. So I wear layers when I visit her, and try removing them to a minimum. But even so I feel uncomfortable.

She also likes an unusually high level of lighting. So there's a central light fitting with about 6 or 7 bulbs and she has removed all the little shades to make it brighter and put in bulbs of higher than the recommended strengths. This means there is about 300 watts plus of light in a low ceilinged white room - plus sidelights. It makes my eyes hurt. (On a recent visit, she told me that the fuses keep geting tripped and the bulbs going after about a week.)

JennieLee Do you know if your mum has had an eye test recently? Having so much lighting on seems very odd.

Jeez, Jennielee, I would absolutely hate that! I live in Scotland, so 24 to 25° is a hot summer's day to me. I also hate bright lights at night 🌃 - as soon as the curtains are drawn, I have lamps and dimmer switches around the living room. So much more relaxing than bright lights, which actually hurt my eyes 👀 and make me feel more tired.

She wears glasses and has regular checks. (Also has had cataracts done.) I think she's always been like this - but last time I saw her she was fretting about not being able to find a new sufficiently bright light fitting. I ended up suggesting the RNIB site- though they tend to specialise in things like hand held aids and desk or floor lights. My Mum wants a central light that illuminates an entire room brilliantly.

I have been known to wear shades when visiting, and tend to go round during daylight hours only.

*PigletJohn - please, please^ will you come and have the lights row with my mum?

She lives most of her life in Stygian gloom, only turning the lights on when it is pretty much full dark. She has problems with her eyesight, and has to hold the paper/book right at the end of her nose, to be able to see it, and I am sure that she wouldn't struggle so much if she just turned the bloody light on!

She won't listen to me, of course.

This is a reverse situation as I recently had a houseguest who wasn't the best. She was someone I have known for years, but not in any meaningful way (more acquaintances through the children rather than bosom buddies) and she invited herself to stay for a few days, as she was in the area.

So far so good, right?

She then - without asking - put 4 small items of clothing in my empty washing machine on a hot wash for 3 hours because she had run out of clean knickers.
She examined the contents of my fridge and announced I would have to go shopping as there was nothing there she could eat.
She turned her nose up at my spaghetti bolognaise because the sauce had onions and garlic in it.
She didn't like the sea air, it made her tired.
She didn't like the sun, it gave her a headache.
She didn't like walking because of her weak ankles and knees.
She couldn't tolerate my dog being in the same room and was allergic to the cat.
She put the hot water on for a shower and forgot to turn it off and the most heinous crime of all, used my extra special handmade soap to wash herself with.

So now I too have a list of houserules
Fill the washing machine up if you want to do any washing, surely that is common sense? Or wash your grungy undies by hand.
Buy your own frigging food if you are so goddamn fussy about what you eat.
Don't come to my house by the coast if you don't like the seaside.
In fact don't come to my house ever ever ever again.

Fill the washing machine up if you want to do any washing, surely that is common sense? Or wash your grungy undies by hand.

I think that one's slightly unreasonable for guests who are only staying s short time and won't have that much stuff with them. I'd be a bit unhappy if I was told to handwash my clothes if they didn't make up a full load!

"I think that one's slightly unreasonable for guests who are only staying s short time and won't have that much stuff with them"

If you're only staying for a short time you bring the right amount of clothes for the time you're away. I wouldn't let someone run an almost empty washing machine either, it's very irresponsible.

"She couldn't tolerate my dog being in the same room and was allergic to the cat. "

She can't help that, can she?
I can't stand being around sun avoiders though.

But there was other stuff in the house waiting to be washed, she could have added her undies to a full wash - we are on a water meter and a prepaid electricity meter and not exactly loaded. A 3 hour hot wash for 4 items is hardly environmentally friendly either.

But hey, I am a fucking awful hostess. She's still never coming back though

She isn't allergic to her own cats (6 of them, beautiful Persians) but my harmless rescue tabby made her sneeze - but fair enough, that's not a deal breaker. \i'm being petty. Shutting my little dog out of the sitting room was cruel though, and it's my house, my dog is allowed to sit by the fire if he wants to. He's sociable and his feelings were hurt. yes, I am projecting somewhat

Not all dog owners insist that their dog must be in the same room all the time so she couldn't have known before coming that would be the case.

She used to come round for coffee all the time, before I moved to the coast, she knew damn well my dog is part of the furniture, he's very needy.

What I have realised is that there is a massive difference between having someone you don't know all that well, stopping by for a coffee for an hour or so once every few weeks, and the same person staying in the same house for 4 days.

She's going to email me a shopping list before her next visit so I can make sure I have the right food in. Never gonna happen.

On the dog front, I once visited a house where they apparently didn't have visitors that often. Dog came out barking, and snapping. Hostess says breezily "he just wants to get to know you" so I bend down and offer a hand. Which he bites, drawing blood.

No apology, given a plaster and then told off for being jumpy around the dog. The house was the parents of a bf of mine. He asked if we could not have the dog in with us in the evening as I was a bit anxious. He was told it was the dog's home and the dog was there first.

Naturally, I never returned. I later discovered they'd be blacklisted by the post office too and was not surprised. They apparently grumbled a lot about how weak the postman was. I'm only amazed the police were never called.

My friend's son is a postie and he has a list of houses he is not able to deliver to, because of aggressive dogs. If my dog was the least bit barky and intrusive with guests, he'd be in the kitchen, no question about it. He's an elderly Jack Russell/Chihuahua cross and about the size of a rabbit and he's definitely not a snapper. But I can understand being wary of dogs in general, there are too many news stories about family pets that have attacked people out of the blue.

My friend was not allowed in the living room, ever. It was for adults only and the parents would only sit in there when their kids were asleep.

slowjim she sounds like a relative of mine who invited herself to my dms and did that.

User I couldn't hold my tongue if my dps were like that. How awful.

user your parents behaviour clearly makes you ill - don't put yourself or your DC through it any more. They don't deserve your time or your kids cut them off before they drill that level of fear into your babies.

My late father had a rule that supper had to be at 6.30. Even after he'd stopped work. (He might have been hungry when he got in.) Even though he wasn't going out. (He might have needed to eat before he left.)

About 15 years back when my older brother was visiting, some friends of his who lived nearby dropped around about 5 and were offered tea and they sat round chatting.

My mother got more and more agitated because a) as a good host she couldn't ask them to leave and b) as a good host she didn't feel she could start cooking a meal in front of them but c) as a 'good' wife she ought to be making her husband's supper.

So eventually they left and supper was dished up - shock horror - 30 minutes late.

Several days later my brother, then at his own home, received a letter from my father saying his friends were not to be invited round at any tme which might prevent my mother from cooking the evening meal.

I think older people become really set in their ways and can't cope with any deviation but why would you alienate your Dec.

We weren't allowed to talk at the table as children either - horrible rule. I love love love loud chatty funny family meals with my own DC and partners!