Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is lodger being disrespectful?

207 replies

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 01:24

This time last year my husband and I decided to take in a lodger. We found a lady who would provide a very good arrangement: she would pay full asking price but only use the room when working. On her days off shed return to her home. The agreement was for 6 months only, and we extended for another six months so not a long term thing. Shes always been respectful, quiet, clean, tidy. No complaints. We let her in to our inner circle - as time progressed conversations became friendlier, shed often share dinner with us, our toddler loves her. Its been a v good balance.

Like i said earlier, this lodger returns home regularly, where she has a long term boyfriend. We always said he was welcome in the house, as well as her family. Said boyfriend visited once (didnt stay), she had an uncle come over for tea and I always said her daughter should come visit. The tenancy agreement has no rules about visitors, theres something vague about how permission is needed for anyone to stay over a week. We never thought it necessary to say anything more about visitors given her personal situation.

About a month ago, she breaks up with her boyfriend (she told me) and literally one week later she rocks up to the house with a man we've never seen or heard of before. We know this because we saw it on our ring camera whilst we were away for the weekend.
She brings him into the house and is critical of our home - that I buy plants and kill them for example (I laughed when I heard her say this and brushed it off but her tone kinda stung).
Then, in the hallway, the guy says something about me drinking j*zz and she laughs (we have another camera in the living room so could hear) then they go upstairs where I can just about hear her begin to criticise something else but the camera stops picking up dialogue. By the way, she knows about the cameras, theyre not hidden. We tell people about them. We put them in to watch our dog initially but left them for security.

My husband was livid and wanted to kick her out but I talked him down, said the money was important, and shed only be around for a few more months. We didnt mention any of this to her. I hoped she wouldnt bring him back.

After this, the guy becomes a permanent fixture - never comes in again, just parks on the road side and takes her. A couple of times hes been outside, with her, when im arriving home with my toddler and she never thought of introducing him to me.
She never mentioned him to us even though shes been seeing him every day for the last month or so.

Last week at home DH, now placated from his anger, jokes around, asks the lodger if she has a new boyfriend, who he is and she tells him his name, what he does, and she is v open. When the guy comes to pick her up DH goes out to meet him, of his own initiative.

Im technically still in the dark.
But im like its a good arrangement. Just suck it up, just a few more months. Im bothered, and dither between giving her notice or letting it be.

A few days ago, she does the hard work for me and gives notice. Great. Shes gone in a month.

However today, we spent the day out. We tell her well be out and guess who comes back in the house? The guy. Annoyingly he parked on our drive when we had planned for the dog walker to use it.

Im really annoyed. I feel like my space has been violated. I dont know this man, and for all i know, she doesnt really either. She was vetoed before being allowed in the house but now the door's been swung open to a man, when we have a little girl with us.

AiBU in confronting her? Im not a confrontational type and feel myself shaking just thinking about the chat itself but I'm 15 weeks pregnant and upset. At this point I dont want him here and want to tell her as much. It all feels so dodgy. Her life is her business as long as it is away from here.

OP posts:
InterestedDad37 · 14/06/2026 07:08

Probably a good idea that you're not planning more lodgers. If you really want to make a point, on her very last day, you could wear a t-shirt saying "I don't kill plants and I don't drink jizz".

CatkinToadflax · 14/06/2026 07:10

While she’s paying to be your lodger, it is her home and her safe space too.

Couldn’t the dog walker have parked on your “off road parking” if the drive was unavailable?

TheVeryAngryBanana · 14/06/2026 07:12

You're being ridiculous

Seebiscuits · 14/06/2026 07:12

You really don't sound like you having a logger was ever for you, and that you have had a mildly unpleasant experience, which you can chalk down to experience.

I thank her and move on when she moves out

AguNwaanyi · 14/06/2026 07:16

It sounds like the rules around visitors are based on precedence from your previous reactions to them, which have included encouraging her to have people over, so she’s just followed that. Also sounds like you all got close so maybe you are a bit disappointed that she stopped sharing when she got with someone new, rather than her breaking any rules.

Passaggressfedup · 14/06/2026 07:17

It sounds like you wanted all the benefits of having a lodger but not have any of the inconvenience. It's her home too as a lodger.

Bunny44 · 14/06/2026 07:33

While I don't think it's appropriate for a lodger to bring random guests over without checking (lodgers generally have different rights from tenants), I'm really shocked about you listening to her private conversations. That sounds like a massive violation of privacy.

Backpain2026 · 14/06/2026 07:37

Just on the parking thing.

Tenancy agreement says tenant has right to park a car off road. Any sensible person would assume that this would mean a visitor car as well, if the tenant isn't also using it.

So she can park off road, but not on the driveway. Have you ever shown her where this alternative parking space that you expect her to use is located?

And why couldn't the dog walker use the alternative space

Evaka · 14/06/2026 07:38

If this is for real OP you are being incredibly inconsistent, unfair and intrusive.

JollyGreenSleeves · 14/06/2026 07:43

I think it’s really quite creepy that you and your husband have eavesdropped on her conversation with her new partner.
Once you could see it was the lodger with a friend, so not a burglar, you should have stopped watching.
People have a legal right to privacy- I think you’re out of order, but I can see from all of your previous replies to posters that you you’re unlikely to reflect on your behaviour.

Ophy83 · 14/06/2026 07:49

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 03:07

Before we left on our weekend away, id made a concoction of rice and eggshells I saw on YouTube to revive my orchid. I forgot to put it in the fridge so when they walked in and saw it decided to make a joke of it

Edited

I think that's fair enough. I was confused by the comment, but if you had a strange concoction in the fridge that looked like jizz then the joke makes sense (initially I thought you meant he was saying it after seeing a photo of you which would have been very different).

Re the parking- unless you had told her about the dog walker needing to park in the drive I don't think it's a big deal.

Springsummertime · 14/06/2026 08:03

You sound like a nightmare, listening to her private conversations is absolutely insane! Your lodger sounds like a perfectly sound lodger!

Renamedyetagain · 14/06/2026 08:05

Poor lodger.

Op: AIBU?
Everyone: Yes.
Op: But x..
Everyone: Unreasonable
Op: And y.....
Everyone: Unreasonable too
Op: and an irrelevant z.....
Everyone: stop being a dick now, please

Ethelspagetti · 14/06/2026 08:06

I don’t think she did anything wrong. You listened into a private conversation and took some banter very personally. She isn’t your friend, just a lodger. The car parked on the driveway is annoying, I would have said please don’t let him park on the drive again as I’d told the dog walker to park there. I would have said hello if I saw him outside waiting for her. She knew you seemed mad about her new boyfriend and the atmosphere must have felt different. That’s probably why she’s leaving. I don’t think you should have another lodger.

BurnoutGP · 14/06/2026 08:07

Youre jealous and upset because you heard them slag you off and you thought she was your friend. Thats fair enough but just own that because your other reasons make you sound bonkers

Honeyhonay · 14/06/2026 08:08

If she aware you watch her every move in her home on camera?

LarissatheDragon · 14/06/2026 08:09

I think you're actually not being completely unreasonable. There is a territoriality and a sense of needing to protect one's nest when you're pregnant / have small children, which you do.

The conversation you picked up was creepy and the fact she's not actually introduced him to you, is very odd and rude.

I would absolutely get the locks changed, as soon as she's gone - or while she's in the process of moving her stuff out, so she knows its happening.

50sandFabulous · 14/06/2026 08:09

This is all on you though. You opened your house up to a Lodger, with nothing in the contract about visitors. Seem like such a crazy thing to do!

Genevieva · 14/06/2026 08:12

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 01:58

Thank you, seeing shes leaving, saying anything now will just seem like picking a grudge or being petty. Its only another 3 weeks. But I will say something about the drive, that bit was annoying.

Keep it friendly. You should have texted at the time to ask her to tell him to move because you need the space. It may not happen again.

OneFunBrickNewt · 14/06/2026 08:13

Sounds like a great lodger to me!

CaesarAugusta · 14/06/2026 08:19

You've said yourself that the tenancy agreement has no rules about visitors, so she has done nothing wrong whatsoever. You can't police what your lodger's visitors say.

ec5881 · 14/06/2026 08:21

If I were you rather than straighten anything out for the long term you just want to get through the next three weeks well. Maybe in a good moment mention that you need the drive free (dog walker etc) and that she inform you if she’s going to have visitors. I expect that would be enough to make her hesitant to have him round for the foreseeable. Also don’t tell her if you’re going out too so it’s less of an open invite. It sounds like she’s been v respectful in general before this, and as awful as the jizz comment is she might not realise the camera has audio so didn’t think you’d hear; all this meaning she’ll probably be conscientious before she goes. I would say it’s a learning curve to make these things clear in future if there is an expectation but it’s a tricky one because she had a BF at the time. Everyone is v different on this so important, particularly as parents, to work out what boundaries are right for you guys and make this clear to lodgers if you do it in future so all know where they stand. Sounds like it’s gone relatively well all things considered and thankfully the more tricky bit will be short lived. It’ll be lovely to have your own space back especially for the next baby, and was hopefully helpful to have the money in the mean time.

Pinkchickenwine · 14/06/2026 08:22

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 01:47

Honestly, yes I agree, i probably would have been the first to ask her when we got back about the guy if I hadn't heard. I dont think i was being "incredibly nosey". Its a strange man in my home, where I live and my safe space. Of course I'm going to want to know who they are.

I would have gotten over it had she made some kind of attempt to introduce us. Theres been opportunity but shes chosen not to. Thats the bit thats bothering me

In your safe space that you’re happy to have money in exchange for!

You’re not that concerned about your safe space!

Pinkchickenwine · 14/06/2026 08:23

Renamedyetagain · 14/06/2026 08:05

Poor lodger.

Op: AIBU?
Everyone: Yes.
Op: But x..
Everyone: Unreasonable
Op: And y.....
Everyone: Unreasonable too
Op: and an irrelevant z.....
Everyone: stop being a dick now, please

This!!

AImportantMermaid · 14/06/2026 08:26

It sounds like you and your DH are overly involved in her life. You’re acting like the parents of a teenager - your DH going out to introduce himself is overstepping, as are cameras all over the house and listening in to her conversations.

Swipe left for the next trending thread