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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:
AlcoholicAntibiotic · 14/06/2026 11:49

culty · 14/06/2026 11:46

Doesn't off road parking sorta imply the driveway? Or am I missing something there

Yes, I was wondering the same thing.

i also wonder if OP has ever told the lodger where the off-road parking she can use is located. I’d definitely have assumed off-road parking = driveway unless I’d been specifically told otherwise.

PolkaDotPorridge · 14/06/2026 11:51

She sounds dreadful and I wouldn’t want strangers my home with or without a child. Get rid. If you need the money, get it elsewhere.

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 11:57

Blinkfirst · 14/06/2026 11:04

I think you are getting some stupid comments. I also wouldn’t like anyone who says what the new boyfriend, or someone who condoned it said being in my house. She sounds like she has changed from friendly and respectful to offish. I would keep peace till moves out, then change locks . Anywhere there is a ring doorbell or cameras people know what they say can be heard, it’s not “spying”, you don’t have a camera in her room! Good luck with new baby, and pleased for you that you don’t have to do lodger thing again.

100% - its like the employee on their way out in the last month "I'm being the real me, now I am, what are they gonna do?"

and you know what sort of people make stupid comments

yes, stupid people

Asperula · 14/06/2026 11:58

I think you are the one being disrespectful to listen in to private conversations. I agree with the 90% poll majority.

OneAquaFatball · 14/06/2026 12:03

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 11:48

Unfortunately, you've overheard a disrespectful conversation about you in your own home between a soon-to-be ex-lodger and some random bloke she's hitched up with. .

You'd be none the wiser if that interaction between the two happened instead while they were sat in the car,

The point most people are missing, or deliberately minimising is - those things should not be said by your lodger while she's in your home, or her boyfriend, who becomes a temporary guest once she invites him in. Basic respect and courtesy. It's not like those things were said in quiet tones in the privacy of the bedroom she's nrenting.

Now you have the information in your head and the bloke has further added to your pissed-off ness by parking on your drive when you were out.

Meanwhile, its mad how many are trying to make you out to be some unhinged stalker, who's tracking their every move and standing outside their door - yes, I've actually lodged with that person.

Guess most on here think its fine for people to shit-talk you behind your back in your own home and that somehow, you're the wrong'un for finding out via your home security. Make it make sense, people!

Edited

Sorry about your lodger, sounds like a nightmare. But the OPs lodger being rude doesnt mean people (me included) are all weirdos for wanting clarification around the privacy issue. this situation only came to light because there was audio recording happening inside the home, which raises a separate and more serious concern.

It’s not just about “being notified of cameras.” There’s a big difference between CCTV for security and devices that:

  1. record sound
  2. are reviewed regularly without a specific incident
  3. are effectively being used to monitor behaviour

That goes beyond basic home security and into something much more intrusive, especially in a shared living space. Most people aren’t saying OP is a “stalker,” they’re saying that kind of setup needs clear and full disclosure and strong justification, which the OP hasn’t clarified, otherwise it’s not reasonable. If OP comes back and discusses the privacy notice aspect and I’m wrong, will happily retract!

On the “respect” point, yes, ideally a lodger and their guest shouldn’t be saying rude things. I agree. But realistically, people do have private conversations in what they assume is a semi-private environment. Also “rude” means different things to different folk. That’s exactly why expectations around surveillance need to be clearly set upfront.

As you say, things can be true at once in that comments made were disrespectful and the way they were discovered raises legitimate concerns. And the question being asked was whether OP is being unreasonable overall. Since their feelings clearly were disproportionate, and the privacy violation is a big one, whereas offence is relative (even OP says she didnt feel upset by the plants thing) this is why I think many people are saying overall yes and it doesn’t make them weird.

Goatsarebest · 14/06/2026 12:05

Another one who likes the idea of the extra cash a lodger brings but doesn't consider that it involves sharing space and bringing in someone into your home that is an independent adult who will act as an independent adult.
Best you find another way of earning some extra cash.
Your husband's behaviour is weird. But in my opinion cameras in your living space is weird too. Even if you have a dog.

Goatsarebest · 14/06/2026 12:13

tsmainsqueeze · 14/06/2026 10:58

Certainly is being disrespectful , but i would be more offended that she has slagged me off , she is no friend of yours.
You haven't got long left until she's gone so i would just bite my tongue until then.
She is totally out of order bringing this man into your home though .

The thing is it's her home too. That's what you give up when you take the cash from a lodger.

Bonden · 14/06/2026 12:22

Are you American? That level of self-righteousness …

notanothernamesurely · 14/06/2026 12:23

Yeh I think she’s been really respectful. Hasn’t had him in the house with you/your child - waited until you are out? She sounds like a great lodger - I doubt you’ll get anyone that doesn’t upset you.

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 12:30

OneAquaFatball · 14/06/2026 12:03

Sorry about your lodger, sounds like a nightmare. But the OPs lodger being rude doesnt mean people (me included) are all weirdos for wanting clarification around the privacy issue. this situation only came to light because there was audio recording happening inside the home, which raises a separate and more serious concern.

It’s not just about “being notified of cameras.” There’s a big difference between CCTV for security and devices that:

  1. record sound
  2. are reviewed regularly without a specific incident
  3. are effectively being used to monitor behaviour

That goes beyond basic home security and into something much more intrusive, especially in a shared living space. Most people aren’t saying OP is a “stalker,” they’re saying that kind of setup needs clear and full disclosure and strong justification, which the OP hasn’t clarified, otherwise it’s not reasonable. If OP comes back and discusses the privacy notice aspect and I’m wrong, will happily retract!

On the “respect” point, yes, ideally a lodger and their guest shouldn’t be saying rude things. I agree. But realistically, people do have private conversations in what they assume is a semi-private environment. Also “rude” means different things to different folk. That’s exactly why expectations around surveillance need to be clearly set upfront.

As you say, things can be true at once in that comments made were disrespectful and the way they were discovered raises legitimate concerns. And the question being asked was whether OP is being unreasonable overall. Since their feelings clearly were disproportionate, and the privacy violation is a big one, whereas offence is relative (even OP says she didnt feel upset by the plants thing) this is why I think many people are saying overall yes and it doesn’t make them weird.

Edited

I don't think the issue is the plants thing though, is it?

I've carefully not mentioned it previously, but seen as the general tone is minimisation of events, the main trigger for the OP's thread is the scrotey bloke saying she drinks jizz while stood in her hallway.

As said, its about having basic respect for someone when your stood in their home.

Also, there are some weird comments on here basically acussing her of spying on people, with one person saying the next step would be her having CCTV in the lodger's bedroom, which is just hyperbolic fantasy to minimise the behaviour

The 90% opinion poll proves nothing other than many have decided "wah, CCTV in your own home and you've listened to their conversation, you're spying on people" is worse than having guests in your home shit-talk you behind your back, shows the woeful standards many purport to live by,

or perhaps many people just enjoy a Reddit-esque Sunday pile-on for their cheap dopamine rush?

My best guess is the lodger has given due cause, possibly only on a gut level, for the OP and her partner to start playing closer attention to someone who is largely unknown to them, other than she's previously rented a room without issue

Charlize43 · 14/06/2026 12:39

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 12:30

I don't think the issue is the plants thing though, is it?

I've carefully not mentioned it previously, but seen as the general tone is minimisation of events, the main trigger for the OP's thread is the scrotey bloke saying she drinks jizz while stood in her hallway.

As said, its about having basic respect for someone when your stood in their home.

Also, there are some weird comments on here basically acussing her of spying on people, with one person saying the next step would be her having CCTV in the lodger's bedroom, which is just hyperbolic fantasy to minimise the behaviour

The 90% opinion poll proves nothing other than many have decided "wah, CCTV in your own home and you've listened to their conversation, you're spying on people" is worse than having guests in your home shit-talk you behind your back, shows the woeful standards many purport to live by,

or perhaps many people just enjoy a Reddit-esque Sunday pile-on for their cheap dopamine rush?

My best guess is the lodger has given due cause, possibly only on a gut level, for the OP and her partner to start playing closer attention to someone who is largely unknown to them, other than she's previously rented a room without issue

Edited

I think you are missing a point.

If she hadn't been spying, she would have no knowledge of the 'plant killer jizz drinking' comments. She'd be none the wiser.

At some point OP & husband would have decided to watch what is on the CCTV - which effectively is spying. It's OK having it for the dog, but they didn't watch it for the dog, but to spy on the lodger.

Let's watch the CCTV and see what are lodger got up to while we were out.

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 13:12

Interesting you claim I'm missing the point:

1/ I've copied below the salient section of my original comment in this thread made at 11.48

to make it even easier for you, here's the first few paragraphs from my post

Unfortunately, you've overheard a disrespectful conversation about you in your own home between a soon-to-be ex-lodger and some random bloke she's hitched up with. .

You'd be none the wiser if that interaction between the two happened instead while they were sat in the car,

While I've not said "CCTV", its clearly implied and I'm also directly replying to her OP, where she mentions listening back to the convo via her CCTV.

2/I think its highly unlikely that a lodger of 12 months is going to be unware of the locations of the various CCTV cameras

A person has more right to listen back to conversations caught in their own home made by disrespectful guests than the any implied expectations of privacy in of said guests, stood trash-talking in non-private areas of the house.

The normal response from a lodger, especially one who has been graciously invited into the home-owner's inner family circle, would've been:

>Your landlord drinks jizz

>Don't be saying that, this is her home and she's alright really

Instead her lodger laughed

If you don't want to get caught 'accidentally' shit-talking your landlord, don't 'accidentally' shit-talk in their home when they have CCTV cameras around the place.

Hope that sufficiently covers off all salient points for you

MILLYmo0se · 14/06/2026 13:14

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 12:30

I don't think the issue is the plants thing though, is it?

I've carefully not mentioned it previously, but seen as the general tone is minimisation of events, the main trigger for the OP's thread is the scrotey bloke saying she drinks jizz while stood in her hallway.

As said, its about having basic respect for someone when your stood in their home.

Also, there are some weird comments on here basically acussing her of spying on people, with one person saying the next step would be her having CCTV in the lodger's bedroom, which is just hyperbolic fantasy to minimise the behaviour

The 90% opinion poll proves nothing other than many have decided "wah, CCTV in your own home and you've listened to their conversation, you're spying on people" is worse than having guests in your home shit-talk you behind your back, shows the woeful standards many purport to live by,

or perhaps many people just enjoy a Reddit-esque Sunday pile-on for their cheap dopamine rush?

My best guess is the lodger has given due cause, possibly only on a gut level, for the OP and her partner to start playing closer attention to someone who is largely unknown to them, other than she's previously rented a room without issue

Edited

The 2 comments she's upset about are him say she kills her plants, then after he sees the odd eggshell liquid concoction for her struggling orchids in a jar in the fridge he makes the drinking jizz comment. Not anything any of us would like to hear about ourselves but he's not like he just walked in and randomly started making comments about a women's sex life, there was context for his comment, ridiculously immature as it was

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 13:29

MILLYmo0se · 14/06/2026 13:14

The 2 comments she's upset about are him say she kills her plants, then after he sees the odd eggshell liquid concoction for her struggling orchids in a jar in the fridge he makes the drinking jizz comment. Not anything any of us would like to hear about ourselves but he's not like he just walked in and randomly started making comments about a women's sex life, there was context for his comment, ridiculously immature as it was

except that's exactly what he did, walked in and made random comments about her sex-life, albeit triggered by the fact his brain saw the liquid concoction

Does the presence of plant food in her own home give someone the right to state she drinks jizz?

instead of telling her new boyfriend to knock it off with the jizz comments in her landlord's home, she laughs - the same lodger that OP had allowed to stay for an extra 6 mths beyond the arrangement and invited her in to their inner circle.

Her husband was livid and wanted to kick her out because of this

Then the entitled plank parks on her driveway

There's a pattern of behaviour from the guy and it says self-absorbed douchebag, while her lodger has taken a turn in the last month or so,

MmeDubois7 · 14/06/2026 14:00

I think the issue is having a lodger and what comes with that is that they may have boyfriends and guests when you are out.

Having a lodger when you have a young child is far from ideal. I understand that the money is good but are there other ways you can save money.

MmeDubois7 · 14/06/2026 14:03

I was wondering what jazz was. I assume it's some alcoholic drink that OP likes.

BeJustBee · 14/06/2026 14:20

NewAgeDawning · 14/06/2026 04:20

Thank you, this was a 6 month one off that got extended for another 6 months only because we like her. Never meant to be an ongoing thing. The list of rules is a great idea and one to consider going forward

I’d say the same. I’ve had lodgers for years and barring the odd one they’ve all been lovely- as long as you have clearly written rules and boundaries! I found out the hard way too but you live and learn. One of the funny ones was they started ‘helping’ themselves to things in my house. I don’t mind the occasional bin bag or detergent but if you’re going to turn the dishwasher on for your three items because you can’t be arsed washing up and help yourself to my tablets I’ll be having words about that and a lesson learned to add to the house rules!

You’re rightly feeling put out to have stranger in your house. You have a young family and she knows the dynamic in the house having lived there so long. While she didn’t break any rules she could have politely mentioned it , bringing him in while you’re out suggests she knows you won’t approve of said man but like others said maybe she just needed a shag and chose to do it when you were out. Shes not being unreasonable and neither are you but lessons learned for you. 🫶🏻

TheSeventh · 14/06/2026 14:33

culty · 14/06/2026 11:46

Doesn't off road parking sorta imply the driveway? Or am I missing something there

I suspect op got confused between off road and on road parking and doesn't realise her lodger has permission to use her drive

Charlize43 · 14/06/2026 16:19

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 13:12

Interesting you claim I'm missing the point:

1/ I've copied below the salient section of my original comment in this thread made at 11.48

to make it even easier for you, here's the first few paragraphs from my post

Unfortunately, you've overheard a disrespectful conversation about you in your own home between a soon-to-be ex-lodger and some random bloke she's hitched up with. .

You'd be none the wiser if that interaction between the two happened instead while they were sat in the car,

While I've not said "CCTV", its clearly implied and I'm also directly replying to her OP, where she mentions listening back to the convo via her CCTV.

2/I think its highly unlikely that a lodger of 12 months is going to be unware of the locations of the various CCTV cameras

A person has more right to listen back to conversations caught in their own home made by disrespectful guests than the any implied expectations of privacy in of said guests, stood trash-talking in non-private areas of the house.

The normal response from a lodger, especially one who has been graciously invited into the home-owner's inner family circle, would've been:

>Your landlord drinks jizz

>Don't be saying that, this is her home and she's alright really

Instead her lodger laughed

If you don't want to get caught 'accidentally' shit-talking your landlord, don't 'accidentally' shit-talk in their home when they have CCTV cameras around the place.

Hope that sufficiently covers off all salient points for you

People can say what they want. You can't police what people say and think, however crass or disrespectful.

If the OP hadn't been spying she would never have known and would have saved herself a lot of upset.

OneFineDay22 · 14/06/2026 17:40

StormGazing · 14/06/2026 11:23

I’d dislike strangers in my home, especially with young children. I also have learnt familiarity breeds contempt is indeed correct!
of you ever do this again, state no visitors overnight / at all etc

I don’t think it’s legal to say no visitors. If it went to court, it wouldn’t be legally binding.

edit: this legally depends on whether or not the lodger’s bedroom door has a lock, so ignore me. It may or may not be legal.

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 17:47

Charlize43 · 14/06/2026 16:19

People can say what they want. You can't police what people say and think, however crass or disrespectful.

If the OP hadn't been spying she would never have known and would have saved herself a lot of upset.

Okay, keep moving the goalposts

previously you claimed I was missing the point, but my post proves otherwise and you refuse to engage with it and instead have to resort to

SpYiNg

and pEoPlE cAn SaY wHaT rHeY wAnT

and to put you on the straight and narrow, I'm not policing anything

people can say what they want, but I notice they didn't say it to OPs or her husband's face, which is quite typical of the "I will say what I want brigade" 🙂

ThatCosyDreamer · 14/06/2026 17:56

Some really strange comments here.

I wouldn't like the thought of some random man being in my home where my toddler lives, even if we were out at the time. The polite thing to do would have been to mention it to you first.

Charlize43 · 14/06/2026 18:14

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 17:47

Okay, keep moving the goalposts

previously you claimed I was missing the point, but my post proves otherwise and you refuse to engage with it and instead have to resort to

SpYiNg

and pEoPlE cAn SaY wHaT rHeY wAnT

and to put you on the straight and narrow, I'm not policing anything

people can say what they want, but I notice they didn't say it to OPs or her husband's face, which is quite typical of the "I will say what I want brigade" 🙂

Edited

You are missing the point!

Count yourself lucky that I'm not spying on you and can't hear all the names you might be calling me at this moment!

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 18:25

Cambridge Dictionary definition of spying:

"to secretly collect and report information about the activities of another (country or organization)"

Brackets added for obvious reasons

OPs first post includes: By the way, she knows about the cameras, they're not hidden. We tell people about them

i/the cameras are clearly visible, they are not secret or hidden and surreptitiously collecting info without the lodger's knowledge

ii/the lodger was made fully aware of them and presumably when they came round for the initial visit, prior to signing any lodger's agreement.

She's given her implied consent to live in a place where CCTV is present, else she would have gone elsewhere, no?.

iii/OP has stated the lodger has been there 12 months, instead of the original lodging agreement and it is reasonable to expect they have gotten used to the presence of the cameras in the shared areas - else why would they have chosen to stay beyond the initial 6 month agreement?

Points i through iii shows OPs scenario fails to meet the literal criteria for spying

AnswerIsNo · 14/06/2026 18:28

Charlize43 · 14/06/2026 18:14

You are missing the point!

Count yourself lucky that I'm not spying on you and can't hear all the names you might be calling me at this moment!

You can say I'm missing the point as many times as you like, it adds no further validity to the first time you claimed it

As for your insistence that spying is occurring, here's my most recent post at 18:25

Cambridge Dictionary definition of spying:
"to secretly collect and report information about the activities of another (country or organization)"

Brackets added for obvious reasons

OPs first post includes: By the way, she knows about the cameras, they're not hidden. We tell people about them

i/the cameras are clearly visible, they are not secret or hidden
and surreptitiously collecting info without the lodger's knowledge

ii/the lodger was made fully aware of them and presumably when they came round for the initial visit, prior to signing any lodger's agreement.
She's given her implied consent to live in a place where CCTV is present, else she would have gone elsewhere, no?

iii/OP has stated the lodger has been there 12 months, instead of the original lodging agreement and it is reasonable to expect they have gotten used to the presence of the cameras in the shared areas - else why would they have chosen to stay beyond the initial 6 month agreement?

Points i through iii shows OPs scenario fails to meet the literal criteria for spying

and... if you choose to think I'm calling you names 😇, you're somewhat overestimating your importance