My son has moved in with his girlfriend, and with the cost of living I decided to advertise for a lodger. My apartment is not tiny but not overly large either. But fit two adults comfortably with two double bedrooms. I was clear in my listing on spare room. I had many people interested but 90% I knew instantly it would not be a happy arrangement. I also expressed that there would be two cats on the premises, hence someone would have to be a cat friendly individual.
I thought I had found the perfect "Flat mate lodger". But he is driving me bonkers, he has no ability to be considerate. I emphasized must be clean and tidy and leave things as he found them. I'm now at the point am "I being intolerant" Things he does - leaves bathroom light on repeatedly, never empties the bin, I will empty it and then he will come along fill it up within minutes, he thinks nothing of speaking loudly on his phone from around 4am in the morning (his family are abroad). He refuses to try and have a friendly relationship with the cats and they are banned from entering his room (despite me making a big deal that lodger must be a cat person). he takes over the kitchen cuboard space with no consideration to my needs. But this very much seems to be overall disposition regarding lots of things. Example the agreement states one parking space, I came home a few weeks ago and he had two cars parked here and I had to park in a neighbours space, at first I thought it would be for only a few hours, two days later, I had to ask him to move the car. If he sits at the breakfast bar he will get up but cannot put the stool back.. I believe in his own country he is from quite a wealthy family and women did everything for him. He told me when he first enquired that he worked long hours - Yes from his room, so he is here alot. He thinks nothing of having a shower then having another one five hours later, turning the heating up at all hours of the day. I very much feel like his outlook is that he is paying for a service of a B&B, I do his washing as I thought it silly to have halve loads in the washing machine, and I give him fresh bedding weekly and hand him back his clothes, he casually mentioned he liked his clothes ironed - I quickly retorted there is an iron in the cuboard by the stairs!
The cats I feel so bad for as I made such a big deal about them in the advert and feel I was somewhat duped, they are friendly and playful and don't understand why they cannot say "hello" to him. - he is not cruel to them, but is now making it very clear in his culture cats do not live in the house.
I know I need to consider if I should really be sharing my living space with someone at all or if I am just not cut out for it. I don't want to give him notice I would feel horrid. Am I just being intolerant? I suppose it could be alot worse from posts I have read on here.