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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Cheeky fucker houseguest

227 replies

TheLargestToblerone · 23/01/2025 16:01

I don’t think I’m being unreasonable overall, but I’m not sure if I’m overreacting because I’m pissed off.

DP has a friend who has been more or less homeless for nearly a year. The reason he was made homeless was not his fault, so I do have a lot of sympathy for him. He’s been sofa surfing or living in his car most of the time. But one option fell through and winter in his car is awful, so in October he asked to stay with us for a couple of days. And the next week a couple more days. And on. He’s moved a bed into our spare room. He asked about it, and I agreed, because otherwise he was on the sofa in the sitting room and it was a total PITA. But that was a mistake as now he seems to think it’s more permanent. He stayed four days last week. He asked to stay every day this week, but we said no. His work is sporadic and he doesn’t earn much, so we have never asked for money.

We feed him dinner, he showers here, he washes his clothes here and he’s never offered to contribute to anything. He brings wine for himself and offers none of it, and drinks ours when he doesn’t bring his own. He sits here eating tubs of chocolates and tubes of crisps and doesn’t offer any. He sits watching YT videos without headphones. He breathes though his mouth and sniffles endlessly without blowing his fucking nose. He washes up his own coffee cup each morning and leaves everything else. He doesn’t offer to help with anything, not cooking, not clearing away, not washing up.

I’m going to tell him to fuck off tomorrow a day early, but I don’t understand why people are like this? I would never stay at someone’s house and not even bother to walk my plate to the kitchen after I’ve been cooked dinner. He genuinely has nowhere else to go, so why would he not make sure he doesn’t lose that?

I am getting DP to tell him to take his bed with him tomorrow morning and that the maximum he will stay here in future is 1 night, and not every week. DP thinks that’s too harsh, and it is short notice for him to take the bed (which smells) with him. But I am fed up and want him and his stuff gone.

OP posts:
BobbyBiscuits · 23/01/2025 17:10

I think to be fair you should give him some notice. Tell him he's essentially out but give him a chance to go to the council, present himself homeless and he hopefully gets a place in a hostel.
But give him a window of opportunity to go arrange another mates sofa for a few days in the interim. And if you're feeling generous you could offer to store his stuff for x weeks.
It's completely fine for you to say your time is up here. He's clearly a bit of a freeloader who may just move onto another couch rather than stick it out to get something permanent, but that's not your issue anymore.

CoffeeCueen · 23/01/2025 17:19

@BobbyBiscuits i agree. If OP’s ds wants to stay friends, especially.

If you do give him a little bit of notice, then before he goes do him the favour of being honest - tell him kindly it would help his case if he was falling over himself to be the world’s best house guest - offering to help out/cook/clean/walk the dog; not taking the mickey expecting to eat the host’s food, offering to pay contribution to bills when he can, stop wasting his cash on junk food and alcohol and either make a contribution or save up for when he’s out of work again.

Tell him those things show a host he is not just going to freeload and he’s trying to be a good tenant.

Apparently being evicted wasn’t enough of a wake up call, he needs a bit of tough love

LazyArsedMagician · 23/01/2025 17:21

*The reason he was made homeless was not his fault.

he was evicted from a Council property*

Come on @TheLargestToblerone, he's taking you for a ride.

It's not your responsibility to house him, he's been sofa surfing and taking advantage for a YEAR. Both you and partner have been pushovers by not saying anything about his rude behaviour, so now you can resolve it by telling him no more, one night a week max and he needs to contribute even if that is by cooking and cleaning up YOUR joint meals.

Clarice99 · 23/01/2025 17:21

YANBU at all. If anything, you've been far too lenient. This is an adult, taking the piss out of your generosity and kindness on a massive scale and not taking any responsibility for himself.

Yes, the fact that he has former rent arrears with the local authority may prevent him from getting accommodation in future. But, he should have thought of that and made an affordable arrangement. Council properties need to be paid for. They're not a rent free option for wasters like him. Ditto his other debts.

Fucking sponger.

Hdjdb42 · 23/01/2025 17:21

I'd dismantle his bed and leave it outside, by the side of the house. I would not have him over again. Stop being such a people pleaser, he doesn't care about you and making mess.

Kisskiss · 23/01/2025 17:21

He’s a selfish lazy slob. Whatever the situation, if you’re able bodied and staying with someone and they are making your dinner you need to be offering/and washing up after.
thats on him, for wearing out his welcome

Lolapusht · 23/01/2025 17:24

Mouth breathing is enough…

corvidconvo · 23/01/2025 17:29

Life apparently hasn't been made uncomfortable enough for him to pull himself back up again. Sad, but true. If things get bad enough, he'll start helping himself instead of leaning on his friends and being a cf sofa surfer.

Catofthesouth · 23/01/2025 17:31

Just chuck him out tonight

Anjo2011 · 23/01/2025 17:33

He’s overstayed his welcome. Don’t have him for any nights at all, you’ve more than done your bit.

RedHillLady · 23/01/2025 17:35

People act like this when others allow them to!!!!

Why have you sat there in your own house and not said anything?
You allowed him to not contribute and get away with drinking your wine.

For goodness sake don't let this continue.

Ragruggers · 23/01/2025 17:37

If he has debts and was evicted from social housing he won’t be offered anythng else.I expect he didn’t pay the rent or council tax.Tell him he needs to go elsewhere it really isn’t your problem .You have been very kind cooking him meals he has cost you to house him and he doesn’t consider any of this.He needs to find work and a house share.Stay strong and have hm out as soon as possible and don’t offer him the sofa even for one night as you will be back to square one in no time.

Normallynumb · 23/01/2025 17:39

Absolutely cheeky fucker
You don't understand why he's like this because you have values and a conscience. This guy has none.
He has exploited your empathetic nature
Simply because you've let him.
As a single guy I very much doubt if he will be eligible for council accommodation.
That isn't your problem
Tell him to pack up his shit and go.
If there's any chance he has made a copy of a key, then please change the locks
He's the type to hide in your loft!!

Normallynumb · 23/01/2025 17:43

Cross posted with you saying he was evicted from a council property
Tough shit. Still not your problem

Thingymajigii · 23/01/2025 17:43

This sounds terrible, you poor thing. You have been a darn sight more patient than I would have been.
I lived in a shared flat for a while and one of the room mates would offer his room to sofa surfers. They would occupy the kitchen, helping themselves to my food, using the shower, washing machine etc, it was unbearable in the end. I'm just not very tolerant. Hats off to you for having him there as long as you have.

Abitofalark · 23/01/2025 17:51

Naive yes and a lesson learnt the hard way. You have to know yourself and your temperament before letting someone stay in your home. Living with someone you don't know / aren't in a relationship with is one of the hardest things. Realistically, they aren't going to be ideal or as you wish them to be.

He may be generally clueless, have never learnt to do domestic things or to share or he may think he is being unobtrusive as befitting a guest and it's not his role to start bustling around washing up and doing things in the house, other than rinsing his own cup.

You've reached the limit of tolerance but asking him to move out immediately is going to come as a shock and will have far more serious consequences for him. Telling him that he can't stay with you any more but giving him a few days to absorb and adjust to the reality would be more reasonable, if you can bear it - knowing that he's leaving in a few days might make it tolerable. Saying he could stay one night in future is a bit odd though.

Yellowbananasarebetterthangreen · 23/01/2025 17:53

but I don’t understand why people are like this? Because so far you've allowed him to be like this.

pinkyredrose · 23/01/2025 17:53

TheLargestToblerone · 23/01/2025 16:48

He says he won't qualify for housing because he has large council tax and HMRC arrears.

He's talking shit.

Why did he become homeless?

MikeRafone · 23/01/2025 17:54

march him down to the council offices and request he fills in the forms for housing, gets temporary accommodation and is sorted in the official channels as he can no long stay with you - that isn't harsh as its part way to sorting his own places for himself

InkHeart2024 · 23/01/2025 17:54

You need to stop providing him with a home. His entitled attitude means he's worn out your goodwill (and probably explains how he got evicted from a council property TBH) and his housing issues are no longer your concern. If he's burnt all his bridges, literally all of them, that's because he's not a nice and decent person!

Choccyscofffy · 23/01/2025 17:54

Get him out and don’t let him stay again.

MikeRafone · 23/01/2025 17:57

but he was evicted from a Council property and I think that does complicate things if that is seen as making himself homeless.

then scrap my previous post

he will be in a large amount of debt with council and possibly council tax

he will not usually get rehoused until the debt is cleared by anyone

a caravan somewhere is possibly his best bet until he can clear his debt with the council

is he claiming any benefits?

rwalker · 23/01/2025 17:58

Vaxtable · 23/01/2025 16:03

He needs to present himself to your local council as homeless, or search out his local homeless team or charity that may help him

The council will do exactly nothing for a single man