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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU?? Partner living in my house for free but it's crippling me financially

608 replies

Moneys2Tight2Mention · 09/01/2019 09:39

This may be long!!!!

I didn’t think I was being unreasonable but the reaction I have received from my boyfriend makes me feel like I have been!

I live in a mortgaged (interest only – this is relevant) house. The deposit was given to me by my parents and I cover all bills/mortgage etc. I went through a really tough time last year and my boyfriend of three months ended up staying over a lot. That has gone from “staying over a lot” to never actually going home and he has lived in the property rent free for the best part of a year now. He used to live with (and is officially registered at) his parents rent-free at their large house. I have never asked for a penny in rent etc and I have actually said to him on occasion when he has offered me a token gesture that it costs me the same whether he’s there or not and I don’t want his money.

He is very generous with me, when we go out he pays for absolutely everything. He often picks up dinner etc on the way home and I rarely have to pay for any food shopping. We have a good social life and are always out and about, he will rarely let me pay for anything despite the fact that I insist on occasion! He is self-employed and takes home a good wage. He puts a lot of money into savings every month.

Recently I have had an increase in outgoings elsewhere in my life. My work have also cut my hours and it’s got to the point where I am struggling financially. Yesterday I wrote down all of my outgoings and realised that they total a lot more than my take home wage therefore I am cutting into savings every month just to get by.

I had a conversation with him about this last night, I worked out that all in the house costs me £1200 a month (interest only mortgage and bills) and asked him for a small amount of money (suggested £100 a week) to help me out so I’m not always dipping into savings every month.

What ensued was really surprising to me!! He said that essentially he didn’t want to hand over money like that as he would be “paying off my mortgage” (interest only for the record – however he did not know this) for me. He threw back in my face that I always said that it costs the same to have him here than to not, and that he could just live at home for free so why would he pay me rent. He also said that if he paid me £100 a week and we had an argument, that he wouldn’t be entitled to anything back and would have essentially “lost” that money and be “throwing it away”.

I explained that my house is actually on an interest only mortgage as that’s all I can afford currently, so I am essentially not paying off my mortgage either, however have been “throwing away” £1200 for the pair of us to have a roof over our heads for the last year. I said that even if he gave me £100 tomorrow, he would have still had a year of “free living” from me so would no way be out of pocket. He also said he didn’t want to rent so that he could save money every month for “our future” – which is very well and good however I am draining my savings just so that he can live rent-free… I am going into the red every month whilst he furnishes his savings account.

We argued back and forth about this for about an hour and in the end he begrudgingly agreed to pay me the £100 a month. I can tell he’s unhappy about this and I am therefore unhappy about this too. There’s a huge elephant in the room today and we both have a bitter taste in our mouths and a sense of unfairness.

AIBU??? Should I just ask him for half the bills instead?

Thanks all

OP posts:
howabout · 09/01/2019 16:50

Other way of looking at it is if you need the £400 pm from your BF to make the sums work by paying it he is making you reliant on him. Doesn't sound like this is what either of you want atm?

CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger · 09/01/2019 16:52

WhenISnappedAndFarted - yes, if he was to add her name to the account and he (and only he) was putting a reasonable (i.e. the same as 1/2 the monthly mortgage payment) amount in each month, although I would ensure that both signatures were required for withdrawals!

Chamomileteaplease · 09/01/2019 16:55

Why do you keep talking about this airy fairy £100 a week?

If you start talking about half the bills it will surely make more sense to him? bloody hope so

LuaDipa · 09/01/2019 17:00

Of course he should pay towards his living costs. The thing that strikes me most in this is that he begrudges any small amount of his money helping to secure your future. I’m sorry to say I’m just not sure he sees you as a long term prospect op.

Piewife · 09/01/2019 17:15

He earns £2-3k a WEEK and he is bothered about contributing £100 when he knows you're now struggling a bit?! That seems quite mean to me, especially when he's been living rent free for so long. I couldn't deal with this in a partner. He needs to grow up and pay his way. He must be stashing a fortune, and a lot more than he could if he wasn't getting cheap living.

Aeroflotgirl · 09/01/2019 17:22

Wow you are enabling him to feather his nest, and he has a grudge about contributing just £100 per week from his £3k a week pay packet, very mean and tight, a total dealbreaker. He is living with you rent free, saving possibly 1k per month plus, whilst you are lumped with the expenses of keeping him and the house he is living in. Cocklodger alert!

Robin2323 · 09/01/2019 17:22

So if you lived on your own with out his him buying the food could you still a fiord it?
As you'd still need to eat.

And when he's saved up will he buy his own place and move in without you?

He doesn't seem like you're working together on it now or in the future.

Yulebealrite · 09/01/2019 17:28

it could be that it's not actually the £100. After all the op says he's not tight. It could be what it represents - ie actually officially living together rather than staying over.

We won't know unless the op actually discusses long term thoughts. Ok he says he's saving for their future but he could walk away with it tomorrow. He's not actually committed anything to her yet. The avoiding paying official rent is avoiding this commitment, even though so far he has been contributing in kind.

AnoukSpirit · 09/01/2019 17:30

I agree with you, op, his reaction is the issue not the money. I couldn't comment on the financial side because I haven't seen your spreadsheets, so I don't intend to try.

He also said that if he paid me £100 a week and we had an argument, that he wouldn’t be entitled to anything back and would have essentially “lost” that money and be “throwing it away”.

This is so perverted, but in the context of what you have shared throughout this thread it's not that out of place.

He's behaving like somebody who thinks he's purchased you. Which is not normal.

Him not letting you pay for socialising, meals, etc is one of those things that at a superficial level sounds lovely and caring, but when you examine it a bit more closely it looks controlling instead.

Paying for meals and socialising - treats basically - means he gets to play the big shot, gets the ego boost of being able to play the generous and devoted boyfriend, whilst living in your home and watching your savings disappear.

It's all about the public face, which means people tend to respond with (as you've seen here) "oh but he's so generous, he can't be so bad really" when you try to seek their advice or support with his disrespectful behaviour. That's not an accident on his part.

The story about his ex is very convenient, and I agree with the pp who observed it sounds like the usual controlling man's line that gets trotted out to make you more compliant.

Likewise, making it so unpleasant for you and causing all this stress seems intended to make you less likely to push the issue or ever challenge him again if he's being unfair.

I can only tell you my observations as an outsider with more perspective than you can have as the person in the middle of this.

I think you would find the information here really useful in deciding whether his reaction is something that can be worked on, or a more serious indication of someone who is financially controlling: www.freedomprogramme.co.uk

I'm not recommending this because I think he's some evil monster or definitely being controlling, however there are significant warning signs here. The section on financial control covers coercive control (abuse) and contrasts that with how a respectful but imperfect partner would treat you and handle these issues. So you can take the information and weight it up for yourself.

What really concerns me about this op, is the attitude he has revealed towards you, the degree of manipulation that seems to be being exposed, and that by refusing to contribute and insisting on playing the big shot in public on things that don't help he is pushing you further into a financially precarious position (e.g. Running down your savings) that makes you more vulnerable and more dependent on him...

Ultimately, that's the aim of any form of controlling behaviour - to have power over you, however it can be obtained. It's not about monsters, or 24/7 blatant cruelty.

HauntedPencil · 09/01/2019 17:35

What you are asking for is fair, when you account for food, utilities internet etc etc it probably includes very little "rent"

howabout · 09/01/2019 17:37

It could also be that up till now the Op's property and her paying the mortgage has given the impression that she is the financial equal of her BF. Either through change of circumstance and short term this is no longer the case or it never actually was. Perhaps the BF suspects Op has been / is holding herself out as something she is not. The entanglements make it almost impossible to tell for him and he is also likely to be mistrustful of what the final outcome will be.

The focus on day to day expenses and a "rent" contribution tends to look like obfuscation. This would be a Red Flag to me - a bit like when you have a BF with a smart suit and flash car and a massive credit card debt he doesn't tell you about till all of a sudden the repayments become a problem.

Whatsnewpussyhat · 09/01/2019 17:42

He is using water/electricity/gas/living completely free whilst earning 2-3k per week!!!! Send him back to mummy ffs.

As soon as he has enough to buy his own house he won't give a shit about yours.

tiggerkid · 09/01/2019 17:50

So he doesn't mind spending money on food and going out and doesn't consider it a waste but contributing rent is a no-go because he doesn't want to pay off your mortgage? And at the same time he wants to save for your future together?

Sorry but I think it's time to say goodbye.

Yulebealrite · 09/01/2019 17:54

Basically after me rabbiting on for ages, I think to sum up all my putting it from the b/f perspective, the op needs to ask him to prove his commitment to her by contributing. If after discussing their relationship and it's future, he still doesn't seem committed and is still unhappy about the £100/sharing bills,, then she should step back from their relationship and send him home to his parents. Its crunch time. Either they move forward as a couple making decisions together that are fair to both, or they have come to the end of the road.

Every relationship comes to that point some time or other. Commit or finish. That time is now I think.

explodingkitten · 09/01/2019 18:00

You can't let him pay towards the house because it would make him entitled to a share of it.

So you have to think of something else.

Bekabeech · 09/01/2019 18:20

explodingkitten - sorry but thats rubbish. A partner paying rent does not entitle them to a share of the property - unless you are married, in which case it is the marriage that entitles a share. The assumption that just paying gives you some rights is a mistake a lot of women make.
In fact unless he signs a rental agreement he has less rights than a lodger. So I would tend to advise him not to pay a commercial rent, but making a contribution - which £100 a week seems pretty fair.

CottonTailRabbit · 09/01/2019 18:53

By his logic if he ever wanted to rent a place himself the landlord will have to give it for free because he could just live at his parents for free if he wanted so why should he line the landlord's pockets hence landlord should provide the housing and bills cost free. He might get the landlord a couple of takeaways and a bottle of wine now and then. Nowt fairer than that, right?

Find out how much it would cost him to rent a similar place as yours. Suggest that as his contribution. If he refuses because parents are free then send him back to his parents no matter how harsh that seems in the short term.

The £100 is confusing matters. It reminds me of people asking their husbands to help with the laundry and the husbands huffing. It isn't help it is his half. Both laundry and rent.

Get the conversation onto fair rent. Tell him you've talked to others, had a think and have come to the conclusion if he's living in your house he must pay fair market rent and half of billls.

CottonTailRabbit · 09/01/2019 19:07

For your future you need to know where his priorities lie. Does he want:

Option 1: pay fair rent, live with you.

Option 2: pay no rent, not live with you.

Remove option 3: pay stupidly low rent and live with you. Y

You are allowed to say you let option 3 happen for a little while but now you are clear it needs sorting out properly.

bourbonbiccy · 09/01/2019 19:09

Sounds like he just "ended up " moving in. He pays for all your socialising,so while you can live without doing all that...then do it then and he can go back to his parents or agree on a happy amount. You are both currently unhappy with the £100 arrangement. If you can't have a civilised conversation without there being an elephant in the room the next day....I suggest you both take a step back as you're both clearly not ready for the relationship.

You have previously made this ok for him to live with you and he pays for food shopping and all your socialising, so he's hardly living off you. Now your circumstances have changed so that has to hanged for both of you. He is better going back to his parents, although if this happens, you will still have the bills and now the food shopping and half of any socialising you/both of you choose to do.

Lweji · 09/01/2019 19:12

Bekabeech

Actually, kitten talked about "paying towards the house", which is not the same as "rent".
"Paying towards the house" does entitle the person to a share of the house.
Paying rent doesn't.

This is why, OP, get his contributions in writing (even if it's a text) and never mention anything about towards the house. Always expenses only.

explodingkitten · 09/01/2019 19:32

@Lweji @Bekabeech

I did indeed say paying towards the house, which is also what the IP keeps saying:
. I have suggested that he pay £100 a week INSTEAD that I can use towards my house.

This does entitle him to a share of the house. It would be better if the OP would just ask for his share of the electricity, food, water etc which might be the same amount of money that she needs. But she doesn't do this, she keeps saying he has to pay towards the house. The wording however does matter legally.

flirtygirl · 09/01/2019 20:08

Op sit down with him again and ask for 50 % of the bills he costs you and the food including the increased council tax. Put it in writing and stop asking about him paying towards the house. Your language is muddying the waters and potentially giving him a claim down the line.

HappilyHarridan · 09/01/2019 20:11

I think op is still getting single person discount on her council tax, despite him living there for a year.

Op also keeps mentioning another property which is linked to her increased outgoings.

Op, do you own/have an interest in another property? If so is that part of the reason you are struggling financially? If so it’s not really fair to make that your boyfriends problem.

Juells · 09/01/2019 21:00

If so it’s not really fair to make that your boyfriends problem.

Isn't the boyfriend's problem that he wants to live for free, either with the OP or with his parents? Everything costs, toilet paper, water, heating, electricity, internet, cable TV. He's never paid any of those bills, so doesn't know what a scrounger he is. Send him home to Mummy and Daddy.

Moneys2Tight2Mention · 09/01/2019 21:13

No I don’t have another property.

We had another discussion tonight and have decided to split up. He’s taken his things and left already. I feel sick, deflated and scared to start over again at 30.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

OP posts:
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