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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Houseguest who won't leave

293 replies

MadzG1471 · 22/06/2024 15:41

I am getting quite annoyed with a houseguest who just won't leave. This is a friend from America, who was planning to be in the UK for a few weeks this summer. I offered him a room at my partner's and my home. We initially spoke – in admittedly quite vague terms – about him staying for two weeks at the beginning of June, after which he was going off on European trips with his girlfriend. It sounded very much like I was going to see a fair bit of them but they wouldn't be here all the time.
However, while he was staying with us, his girlfriend broke up with him and their summer plans fell through. It's now been over three weeks. Although he doesn't expect to be fed and watered, and is self-sufficient, he often mooches around the house and has shown no sign of leaving. He has started doing his laundry in the washing machine. Today I asked when he was planning to go and he said that he felt guilty for imposing on us but mentioned that his summer plans were up in the air because of the break-up and didn't offer a specific date. I feel too awkward to ask him again. He is a writer whose work can be done anywhere, so I worry that this is turning into an open-ended thing and we now have not a guest but a lodger we didn't ask for.
I am trying to be as nice as I can and feel guilty turfing out a friend who is very unhappy about this break-up. He is obviously heartbroken and depressed. But I am getting increasingly vexed with his presence and that he hasn't offered to help in other ways, e.g. with chores, buying groceries etc. He didn't bring a thank-you gift which I was surprised by. There was also a couple of days where he asked if a friend could stay over, who we put in the guest-room. Again, I feel like I didn't sign up for this! There is talk of further visitors in the middle of next month (!) It's all so hideously awkward.
AIBU, and how on earth do I get him to leave without being mean? (And also creating bad blood with a friend who I do like, in spite of my increasing passive-aggression towards him.)

OP posts:
Mamasperspective · 23/06/2024 19:29

Tell him you have other guests coming to stay so you need the room and he will need to book himself an AirBnb

Danielle9891 · 23/06/2024 19:30

I'd lie and say you're expecting a family member or friend to arrive next week so will need the room.

LetoMotherOfApollo · 23/06/2024 19:31

‘Thinking about it, I am not comfortable for more friends of yours to stay at ours. It feels all a bit too much at this point. I wasn’t expecting you to stay for that long, and kind of longing to get my normal routine back now. It’s lovely having you, but I’d love if you could make further arrangement for the rest of the summer. You are welcome to stay for another week to sort out your further travel plans.’
(don’t ask him when he wants to leave. He has proven that he doesn’t get hints)

I also liked what another person on here wrote. Something that it’s a rite of passage for writers to travel Europe. He could turn the break up and his travels into a book?

Also, I wouldn’t lie like others here say. Lies catch up with you. Also he might come up with a bunch of suggestions how he and your new visitors will all happily squeeze together.

good luck. Let us know how it worked out. There might be a reason why the girlfriend split up with him. Did his mother spoil him a bit? Well, he needs to learn somewhere, somehow… that’s what good friends are for! You are doing him a favour, really! 😜

Blondeshavemorefun · 23/06/2024 19:32

Def need to say something

Been over the two weeks so overstayed

EatTheGnome · 23/06/2024 19:33

"My parents are coming to stay next weekend, you'll need to find a hotel nor another place to stay from Thursday as I need to freshen things up."

LetoMotherOfApollo · 23/06/2024 19:41

British people straight forward? 😂 I am German but have lived in the UK for 20years. Speaking in polite hints was like a whole new language to learn for me! But I found lots of people also appreciated my directness here. I’ve got two friends who love to take me clothes shopping as I will happily tell them if their ass looks big in an outfit. 😁

pinkyspromises · 23/06/2024 19:43

LetoMotherOfApollo · 23/06/2024 19:41

British people straight forward? 😂 I am German but have lived in the UK for 20years. Speaking in polite hints was like a whole new language to learn for me! But I found lots of people also appreciated my directness here. I’ve got two friends who love to take me clothes shopping as I will happily tell them if their ass looks big in an outfit. 😁

We are bizarre in that way. Its true

ThatsAFineLookingHighHorse · 23/06/2024 20:09

Just tell him you need him out by next weekend. He can fly home or he can make plans to travel solo, but he can't stay any longer.

DexaVooveQhodu · 23/06/2024 20:11

Mate. You're a great friend and I've been glad to have you here but if you stay for much longer it's genuinely going to jeopardise our friendship. We need you to make a move within the next few days. We need our space back.

Incakewetrust · 23/06/2024 20:16

OP you're being a doormat.
You need to put your big girl pants on and tell him it's time to go.

beatrix1234 · 23/06/2024 20:19

You have a sister in law/French friend/brother coming to visit with her kid so and so date and he needs to leave by them.

tempname1234 · 23/06/2024 20:19

OH MY!!! I read the headline and thought if my good friend. She as contacted by a firmer neighbour from the States (from over 20 years ago) that she wanted to visit England and could she stay for a week or two.

prior to this, it was only sending each other Xmas cards since my friend moved away from the states 29 plus years ago when they’d been very friendly neighbours.

this lady stayed for THREE months.

no hel around the house, no contribution to food, no hostess gift. Layer my in their “visit” was quite rude about my friend too.

they ended up paying for this “friend” to change her flights to finally leave. That or we contemplated calling immigration when the three month mark was going to hit. This lady came in October and stayed through Xmas and new year!!

please, please, tell him you have guests coming or family coming, then you’re going on your summer holiday so he must go and can’t come back for at least rest if the summer (be open ended). Give him a week to make his new plans or change his flights to go home. There really are loads of places he could go in Europe where cost of living isn’t too high and if he rents something not near a coast, he could get an inexpensive airbnb.

best of luck!!

RareFatball · 23/06/2024 20:23

Stop pissing about and get him told. Tell him you feel he is abusing your friendship and he now needs to leave. No flaffing just tell him straight.
People like him need to be told directly as otherwise they continue to use others for their own benefit.
He has had over 3 weeks of free board and lodgings saving him a small fortune while your the one out of pocket with extra groceries and utilities being used.
No discussion, just tell him he has outstayed his welcome.

Dibbydoos · 23/06/2024 20:26

Ive just watched Uncle Roger's video and he said white people kryptonite is shrimp paste. If you have a guest who wont go home, fry up some shrimp paste 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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MadMadaMim · 23/06/2024 20:36

Hi Friend. We need to talk about your plans and sort out what's happening. I'm really sorry about your break up and the repercussions this has had on your Europe travel plans. We've been happy to extend your 2 week stay to give you time to decide and plan what to do. Ideally, you should be moving on next week - that will have been 4 weeks you've here with us and ve loved it bit i don't want it to become something m hative and impact our friendship - I don't even habe family stay more than a week!

And I know you're hurting now but you'll regret wasting your time away here. Do what you set out to do. Travel. See Europe. You really r want this simply to be the trip when I broke up with Ex. Make it the trip you made new friends and saw new sights travelling Europe.

Let's set a date so we are all clear and agreed on when you go.

JoniBlue · 23/06/2024 20:39

Have an unexpected need to put family members up, due to a housing emergency, and he will have to leave. What about getting a few brochures for singles trips around Europe and suggest he books one and continues seeing Europe without her?

JudgeJ · 23/06/2024 20:41

Dearover · 22/06/2024 15:44

Haven't you got a couple of other house guests coming to stay in a few days?

Or half a football team, depending on the size of your house.

JoniBlue · 23/06/2024 20:43

Scrap my suggestions, this is the best one.
HuevoRanchero · Yesterday 09:45
You just need to be up front. ‘Friend, it’s awkward because I know you’re unhappy about the break-up, but while we’ve enjoyed having you here, the arrangement was for you to use our house as a base for a fortnight, not for the whole summer. We’re going to need you to move on. We have other people coming to stay and want a bit of a break from houseguests in between.’

Pedallleur · 23/06/2024 20:43

Why the fannying about with him? When do you plan to leave, tomorrow next week/month?

RareFatball · 23/06/2024 20:44

Brandnewday2024 · 23/06/2024 18:19

Am I getting this right?

Your friend, who has gone out of his way to pay you a visit, has unexpectedly had to end a long term relationship?

And your only concern is getting him out of your house?

I sincerely hope you have very good friends in a real life situation.

This is a wind up, right?.

gingersnapdrop · 23/06/2024 20:49

“This has been wonderful and I wish we could keep hosting you! But I know you’ve got so many places to be. Let’s sit down and plan the rest of your trip. This train leaves tomorrow. What should we do for our last night?”

Whatinthedoopla · 23/06/2024 20:49

You could say -

that you are going on holiday and that no one can stay in your home alone without you there.

That you have family/friends staying over and you need the home and space.

You are having a party, and the room is needed for people staying over

It's so awkward, but he is using you. The same way he doesn't care about this, you shouldn't care much either. Just plainly say he needs to leave, or is he expecting lodger rights?

Springwatch123 · 23/06/2024 21:10

Be careful to say you have people coming etc, because he’ll expect to return after they’ve gone.

Epidote · 23/06/2024 21:16

Something like that: Dear friend I'm sorry your summer plans are on the air, my summer plans are to spend July and August with my family and they are still going ahead. If he drags the date, be more specific and tell him a date.

AnnieSnap · 23/06/2024 21:16

I realise to many people straightforward honesty is just ‘out there’, but maybe try telling him the truth about how you’re feeling. You are supposed to be friends. Just communicate properly!