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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Shouldn't I have asked for details of random friend staying?

72 replies

w1azrdingabout12345 · 26/12/2025 13:42

My OH has a friend who is coming to stay over in January, totally fine. She wants to bring a friend over to stay too, I said fine. But we have a 7 month old baby and I said we need to find out details on this friend, ie, their name who they are how long she's know them, their gender?
OH has had the convo with the friend who is giving the details but is questioning why we need to know and making it very awkward.

Am I being unreasonable with asking?

OP posts:
SmileyMoonset · 26/12/2025 14:45

Kimura · 26/12/2025 14:21

Nothing unreasonable about wanting some info on a stranger you're allowing to stay at your house.

I can see how the friend might have felt a bit awkward about being asked certain details though. Maybe they assumed you'd trust them not to bring a maniac to stay with their friend's family, and all the questions are making them feel like you don't.

She’s inconsiderate enough to leave the OP storing her stuff for 5 years so who knows.

OP - don’t “hope” she take it. Say “we need the space can you move it all by the end of January please”

As your kid gets older you’ll need space for bikes, sledges, paddling pools etc etc etc. Be assertive!!

coconutpie · 26/12/2025 14:54

HomeTheatreSystem · 26/12/2025 14:37

Hah, so she's a dyed in the wool cheeky fucker. She can hire a van and move her stuff into paid storage like most people do. No wonder she has no understanding of how unreasonable she's being about you asking for more details about this friend. I'd withdraw the invitation and tell her she and her friend can stay in a hotel and she needs to clear her stuff from the garage or you'll be taking it to the dump. You're up to your eyes with the baby and your capacity for entertaining adults who take advantage has evaporated over the last year.

This post nails it. I would withdraw the invitation - make up an excuse if you must, eg baby is going through a growth spurt / not sleeping phase and you’re just not able to have overnight guests at the moment, and she must collect her stuff otherwise you’ll be booking a skip to dump it all and sending her the skip invoice.

Dallidalli · 26/12/2025 14:58

w1azrdingabout12345 · 26/12/2025 14:20

Thanks for replies. She is just staying overnight - has left a garage worth of her stuff here for the last five years so we are really hoping she takes it all with her. I read the messages and he just asked for a bit more details like name, how they know each other and said that we have never had strangers come to stay in the house before. It just got awkward as she started bringing up criminals etc....

We will let her stay lol but I'll be extra cautious I think whilst here. I have honestly never had this situation come up before in life

What do you mean she brought up criminals?
Quite frankly OP, boundaries have been blurred. Tell her directly she has to look for alternative accommodation for herself and this friend. If your OH is kicking up a fuss tell him to take a hike as well. You are not obliged to house people you are not comfortable with. Who is that friend to your OH? How are they connected?

BreatheAndFocus · 26/12/2025 15:06

w1azrdingabout12345 · 26/12/2025 14:20

Thanks for replies. She is just staying overnight - has left a garage worth of her stuff here for the last five years so we are really hoping she takes it all with her. I read the messages and he just asked for a bit more details like name, how they know each other and said that we have never had strangers come to stay in the house before. It just got awkward as she started bringing up criminals etc....

We will let her stay lol but I'll be extra cautious I think whilst here. I have honestly never had this situation come up before in life

She’s upset because you’ve destroyed her image of you and your DH. There she was thinking you were doormats who never made a squeak of protest, and now you’ve gone and asked questions when she’s told you what she’s doing.

You’re being completely reasonable asking for details of the friend. Most normal people would be more than happy to explain a bit more (“She’s an old friend from uni”, “He’s my boyfriend. He works for X and lives in Y” etc).

However, you’re being unreasonable to allow your garage to be used as her personal storage unit. Tell her you assume she’s coming to take all her crap away, and when she says No, then say you need the garage/are knocking it down/setting up a home business in it/whatever, and her things need to be gone by Jan 31st else they’ll be removed and disposed of.

i wouldn’t let her stay in your house now either after she’s been so rude and entitled.

HomeTheatreSystem · 26/12/2025 15:19

And be sure to communicate the need for the removal of the stored items in writing, referring to your multiple previous requests she remove the stuff over the past 5 years that have gone unactioned by her. Give her 2 weeks to sort it and after that the stuff will be got rid of.

Doseofreality · 26/12/2025 15:23

SmileyMoonset · 26/12/2025 13:58

You arent aren’t a hotel. Even without a child in the house I wouldn’t allow a complete a stranger to stay in my house without knowing a bit about them in advance.

She’s being pretty rude, and quite frankly, odd.

Edited

This! I wouldn’t have anyone I didn’t know staying in my home, regardless of any children . It would be a flat “No, there’s a Premier Inn down the road, you cheeky fucker”.

Jagrap · 26/12/2025 16:54

kαλοκαλοκαιρι · 26/12/2025 14:41

This is a bit daft at the start.😂 The 7 month baby is relevant because they have one. It’s the context prompting the issue. If they had the 1 or 5 year old of your example they’d be relevant too, but they don’t, so they’re not. The implication remains ‘I am uncomfortable about a stranger being in my house around my child in a way which I wouldn't be/ is way stronger than. if it was just a stranger in my house around my possessions’

Right, so the fact the baby is 7 months is completely irrelevant. She could have just said - I feel uncomfortable having a stranger around my child. It was the way it was worded 'But I have a 7 month baby...' as a sentence starter, as though both the baby and its age was why she couldn't possibly host.

GingerBeverage · 26/12/2025 17:08

What do you get out of this relationship?

Is she a steadfast friend, a brilliant laugh, super thoughtful and helpful, a considerate gift buyer, generous with her time, someone your life would be far worse without?

kαλοκαλοκαιρι · 26/12/2025 19:05

Jagrap · 26/12/2025 16:54

Right, so the fact the baby is 7 months is completely irrelevant. She could have just said - I feel uncomfortable having a stranger around my child. It was the way it was worded 'But I have a 7 month baby...' as a sentence starter, as though both the baby and its age was why she couldn't possibly host.

I think you’re focusing unnecessarily on the fact she’s given the age of her baby which changes in the grammatically perfect sense, the logical structure of the sentence, when she’s probably just used to talking about her baby, and we all understood anyway that she is a bit worried about a stranger around her kid without having a few more details, and that the age has nothing to do with it :) merry christmas

HipHopDontYouStop · 26/12/2025 19:08

You don’t know this extra person. I would not let them stay personally.

snoochieboochies27746 · 26/12/2025 19:16

Why did you say fine in the first place? It's not fine. I wouldn't care who the friend is or how long she's known the friend, I absolutely would not allow a stranger in my house - ESPECIALLY with a child in it. You are unreasonable for saying they could stay in the first place. Rescind the invitation would be my advice. They can pay for a hotel.

ParmaVioletTea · 26/12/2025 19:59

Your OH’s friend is the unreasonable one not bring open about whom she wants to bring to your home.

it’s your home!

Frankly, I’d be saying No because of her entitlement.

pinkyredrose · 26/12/2025 20:17

Why the fuck are you storing her stuff for yrs on end? She's obviously a CF. I wouldn't let her stay, she can use the money she's saved on storage to pay for a hotel.

Jagrap · 26/12/2025 20:30

kαλοκαλοκαιρι · 26/12/2025 19:05

I think you’re focusing unnecessarily on the fact she’s given the age of her baby which changes in the grammatically perfect sense, the logical structure of the sentence, when she’s probably just used to talking about her baby, and we all understood anyway that she is a bit worried about a stranger around her kid without having a few more details, and that the age has nothing to do with it :) merry christmas

Yes, hence why I started with something like 'it might just be the way you worded it'. I agree it's probably irrelevant, it just read a bit PFB.

hollytheheroic · 26/12/2025 20:32

Is it so you can Google them? Otherwise I don't know what difference knowing their name makes. And if you do google them and don't find anything that doesn't mean anything. Either let them stay or don't. But knowing rudimentary details won't make a difference, surely, it's still someone you have never met?

grumpygrape · 26/12/2025 20:32

You see, if I was your OH's friend I would have been saying something like 'is it OK if I bring X she/he is my friend from Uni/lover/cousin, whatever.......' we can share a room/bed etc.
But of course your OH, being a bloke, didn't think to ask whereas if you'd been in conversation with her you would naturally have done if she hadn't offered the info.
Do you at least know what bed/room arrangements are needed ?
The garage storage is something else and I would expect OH to make it very clear there needs to be a set in stone end.

billiongulls · 26/12/2025 20:37

I'm puzzled why having 7 month old baby is relevant really.

Aplstrudl · 26/12/2025 20:38

Have you asked her if she is collecting her stuff? If not, why not? Tell her to bring boxes as you need the space back.

somanychristmaslights · 26/12/2025 20:43

Sounds like you need to get a bit more forceful. Tell your friend she HAS to take her stuff with her. We all know how just “hoping” will end up….

LadyGaGasPokerFace · 26/12/2025 20:48

You’re not a hotel, so therefore you won’t be putting them up for the night.

mummytrex · 26/12/2025 21:38

You're doing her the favour. I'm if she doesn't like the questions she is always free to stay in a hotel. Sounds very entitled between the reluctance to answer questions and using your house for long term storage!

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 26/12/2025 21:39

why don’t you just shift her stuff from storage to the room they’re staying in, with the wide eyed “oh I thought that’s why you were coming to take your stuff, the storage already has other stuff in it now!”

DaisyChain505 · 26/12/2025 21:43

Why have you still got all of their stuff?

make sure you send a message before their stay saying “you’ll have to make sure you have room to take everything back with you so pack lightly!”

Cadenza12 · 26/12/2025 21:50

She's never going to take her stuff as after 5 years she obviously doesn't need it but can't be bothered to sort it out or bear to get rid. Give her a deadline then say you're going to dump it. Personally I'd not have a stranger staying.

outerspacepotato · 27/12/2025 09:33

Is friend going to leave the friend they're bringing with you too as well as a garage full of stuff?

Why would you allow yourself to be used for free storage for a garage full of stuff for years? You have a kid, you pay for that space in your rent or mortgage, but you can't use it because some asshole has dumped their shit there for 5 years. You have a hoard of someone else's stuff. That's nuts.

I'd give them a month's notice to pick it up or it's gone. Send via mail they need to sign for and email as well as verbal.