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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:
PurpleVine · 14/06/2026 08:27

you never listen to her conversations - except for that time where you listened to her conversation.

she's a lodger not a friend or relative. you are acting like you're her mum and being all hurt that she's not coming to you to tell you all about her new boyfriend and asking your permission to have a life.

if you have lodgers again in the future you need to remember it's a business arrangement.

thefloorislavayes · 14/06/2026 08:27

DysmalRadius · 14/06/2026 01:42

So you spied on your lodger and her boyfriend and listened to her private conversations with him from when you weren't in the house; your husband gave her the third degree about her new boyfriend and then went out to meet him like some weird overbearing father in a sitcom, and now your furious because they waited until you went out to spend time in your home, but also your daughter lives there so she shouldn't be allowed to have him over then either, despite you explicitly inviting her to have people over previously.

I'm not sure you're cut out to have lodgers - you seem really confused where the line is between your business and hers.

This, OP needa to learn some boundaries

cheekynamechang3 · 14/06/2026 08:28

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

AIs know how to use punctuation and also, how to use tenses correctly.

lookingforluv · 14/06/2026 08:32

She doesn’t have to share anything with you. You’re not entitled to that information. This sounds like a very bizarre set up. She’s renting a room from you. You both seem to be quite nosy.

tripleginandtonic · 14/06/2026 08:33

AlcoholicAntibiotic · 14/06/2026 01:51

You’re going to have fun when your daughter gets older and starts to date.

As for the lodger, from what you’ve said her boyfriend is never in the house without her or when you’re there. What exactly do you think he’s going to do? And she’s leaving soon.

If you get lodgers in future, tell them they can’t have visitors at all.

And warn them you'll be spying in them and listening to every conversation

PancakeCloud · 14/06/2026 08:34

YABVU. She is paying you. It’s her home too and so it is reasonable she occasionally has visitors. You spied on her and listened to a private conversation- this is extremely unreasonable. What on earth would you be confronting her about?

PrayForPlagues · 14/06/2026 08:34

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 03:24

Not being told when someone is visiting. I think its impolite when youre lodging at a live in landlord.
I realise everyone has their interpretation of what politeness means so in the absence of it being agreed on before, I have to stay quiet.
I think putting in so much detail has caused my point to have become lost

But you encouraged her to have people visit? Your lodger has done nothing wrong

Beelineshmeeline · 14/06/2026 08:37

Being completely brutally honest, as landlords you're both red flags. Having cameras to see the dog is fine, but using it to listen into a private conversation on a paying lodger is a blatant breach of privacy and I'd be furious if I were her. On top of that you're acting like you have a right to know who she's seeing and I'd find that so creepy and overstepping, you have zero rights to meet her new boyfriend or know anything about him, especially when he's either picking her up or she's bringing him back when you're not there.
The fact you said there's a vague part of the contract that states she'd only need permission if someone if someone is staying more than a week shows you didn't care about this until she didn't include you. And your husband taking it upon himself to go out and meet him without invitation is really creepy.
I was a lodger in my younger days very briefly for a work opportunity in London and I'd have been making a legal complaint about you to the local council as a landlord/lady if you'd treat me like this. Lodgers rent a room and if you said they could have guests, it's not your business if they do, you have no right to even ask questions about their guests unless they've broken a rule.
I'm glad your lodger is getting away and I would watch out for a possible complaint because if she's felt as uncomfortable as I would have in this situation she'd have looked up her rights and know what to do.

Please don't rent a room out again if you can't hold back being this possessive and invasive over someone else's life.

Pinkchickenwine · 14/06/2026 08:39

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 02:54

I didnt like a strange man coming into my house saying I drink j*zz

Something wrong with your keyboard? It keeps putting random *!

The word is jizz!! You can say it!

You eavesdropped, never a good idea!

Hobnobswantshernameback · 14/06/2026 08:41

Is AI actually this shit?
Blimey who knew

RVectensian · 14/06/2026 08:45

Why should she introduce you? She had no plans for you to meet, and didn't need to.

Why shouldn't he park in the drive? You're treating her like a daughter whose choices you need to give approval to.

ConstanzeMozart · 14/06/2026 08:47

allthingsinmoderation · 14/06/2026 05:31

I disagree with the posters saying you are the problem for being nosey.
Its not nosey to have security cameras in your own home that your lodger is aware of.
The plant comment i wouldnt take seriously ,the blokes "j*zz comment is creepy and im glad your lodger and his time is up.Its reasonable to be unnerved by a unknown to you male making sexual comments about you in your home.
Trust your instinct ....its telling you something had shifted and feels off.
I do agree with posters saying its not worth saying anything about the conversations you heard ,as for the parking issue its reasonable to mention the inconvenience of that but as shes leaving soon its probably not worth it.

I agree with this. I can’t imagine anyone I know making that comment. It sounds like something an adolescent might say, not an adult. I also can’t imagine anyone I know laughing at a comment like that. It sounds like your lodger’s behaviour/manner have changed since she met this man. Technically her private life isn’t your business, but my instincts would be telling me this setup wasn’t working any more.
I wouldn’t bother saying anything though, as she’ll be gone so soon.

SqueakyFromme · 14/06/2026 08:50

But the new Friend is disgusting saying the comment about swallowing, sounds immature and basic .

Coconutter24 · 14/06/2026 08:54

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 03:20

It crossed my mind that she and him both were burglars, so arriving together might not have mattered. Its an assumption I followed them round the house listening. The comments they made and I quoted were literally the only two things they said before moving off.

You agreed for her to stay for 6 months and extended that to another 6 months but now you’re concerned she’s a burglar?

TheSquashyHatofMrGnosspelius · 14/06/2026 08:58

YANBU but ...let it go. I let houses. Some of the things tenants have said and done to me would melt your eyeballs.

This would barely register with me now.

She might want a reference at some point. Then you can get creative.

slashlover · 14/06/2026 09:01

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.

So you told her that her boyfriend was welcome in the house but when she brought her new boyfriend to the house it was wrong?

Monty36 · 14/06/2026 09:01

Very rude to park on someone’s drive when they have not invited you to do so.
She is gone in under a month now.
Bide your time. But tell her when you are out and when you come back you need to park on your drive.

A858 · 14/06/2026 09:04

The beginning of your post sounds like you e encouraged her to bring visitors, and there’s also nothing in the lodgers agreement. Maybe she isn’t disrespectful but it just didn’t occur to her that this is a problem? Why not try talk to her if everything was fine otherwise? You can’t vet her boyfriends, but, with reasonable notice, you can discuss an updated agreement that doesn’t allow visitors.

C152 · 14/06/2026 09:10

You're being so unreasonable, OP. Your lodger has done absolutely nothing wrong and certainly hasn't behaved disrespectfully. You, on the other hand...

Your complaint is, she made a joke about you killing plants (which, from the sounds of it - your orchid concoction - is true) and her new boyfriend made a single crass joke. So, two jokes, which you only know about because you eavesdropped...spying on your lodger is hardly respectful behaviour, is it?

Your other complaint is that once, her boyfriend parked his car on your empty driveway while you were away. You think she shouldn't have allowed this, despite you never saying that she couldn't park in your drive.

You have a thin skin and are clearly not suited to sharing your space with anyone.

FitAt50 · 14/06/2026 09:15

You sound like a total nightmare and your lodger has had a lucky escape. This is her life not Big Brother. Did you and your husband actively sit down and listen to all recordings of her. Have a word with yourself.

PancakeCloud · 14/06/2026 09:17

TheSquashyHatofMrGnosspelius · 14/06/2026 08:58

YANBU but ...let it go. I let houses. Some of the things tenants have said and done to me would melt your eyeballs.

This would barely register with me now.

She might want a reference at some point. Then you can get creative.

Eurgh, this is why people hate landlords. She sounds like a dream tenant and you think the OP should be giving her a crap reference.

Esmeraldathe3rd · 14/06/2026 09:19

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.
So incredibly inappropriate. She is not your daughter. Or even your friend. She is your tenant. You are not allowed to listen to other people's private conversations, you shouldn't have been watching her.

You're complaining that he parks on the street, literally has nothing to do with you. At all.

You have said she's allowed guests. So she brought a guest round. She used the driveway, of her home, while you weren't even there. Absolutely fair. To think for a second a dog walker would take priority over a resident is weird.

Honestly. You've behaved completely inappropriately. She has been perfectly normal.

Bluehouse14 · 14/06/2026 09:22

You and your husband are being particularly precious. You encouraged visitors and only had an issue if they stayed over 1 week. He's only come over when you're out which I think personally is preferable. She's entitled to think what she likes about you or your house. She's paying you money and being a good tenant so is being perfectly fair. Did you explicitly tell her about the driveway being out of use that day? If not, how were they to know. Your husband sounds like he's got an anger problem btw. I don't think you should get any more lodgers.

TheSquashyHatofMrGnosspelius · 14/06/2026 09:22

PancakeCloud · 14/06/2026 09:17

Eurgh, this is why people hate landlords. She sounds like a dream tenant and you think the OP should be giving her a crap reference.

No not crap. She would be a dream tenant for me too quite honestly. I am not a hated LL. I have never parted with anyone on bad terms apart from one who was about to be struck off the nursing register and legged it to a foreign country without paying the last month rent.

That doesn't mean I didn't know what some of them were up to (damaging property to get rent reduced etc.) A lot of LLs have hated tenants for a reason. It works both ways.

Sassylovesbooks · 14/06/2026 09:24

This woman is your lodger, not your daughter! She's a grown woman, who has a boyfriend, that only comes into your home when you're not there. You're this woman's landlord, she doesn't need to introduce you to her boyfriend at all, if she doesn't want too. Your husband rushing outside to introduce himself to her boyfriend is odd!!

OK, perhaps the comments you heard on the security footage, were a little rude. However, it was a private conversation, that you wouldn't have heard, if you hadn't viewed the security footage. You only viewed the footage, because you saw your lodger with a man you didn't recognise.

Your lodger is leaving shortly, there's no point in putting in rules now. If in the future you have a lodger again, you need clear boundaries regarding visitors. You either accept visitors by prior arrangement or you veto all visitors. You also need accept foremost you are the person's landlord, they don't have any obligation to tell you about their plans or life in general, only if something may affect you, like having a visitor.

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