Taking charge of things in your personal life can be very freeing, especially when an issue is weighing heavily on you. For one man in California, he has to make a difficult choice with a lodger that’s living in his newly inherited home. Because of this, he turned to Reddit’s r/AITAH to ask if he’s in the wrong for moving into his new home with a lodger who clearly doesn’t want him there.
OP goes on to explain that he inherited a house from his grandmother but there is a current lodger, a woman with a 6-year-old. She allegedly moved into the home because OP’s grandmother kept the rent more than affordable ($150 just for utilities), as well as doing housework for her. She also wanted to keep her child in that specific school district without having to move back in with her ex, who she had issues with.
However, there is a glaring issue: The lodger doesn’t feel safe with OP moving into the home because she doesn’t want a man living there. Allegedly, this is because of past issues she’s had with her ex and now the living arrangement no longer suits her. The lodger has been leaving OP notes about her feelings on the matter instead of talking to him face-to-face.
OP attempted to handle the matter by writing back that she can move out whenever. She wrote back and told him that she doesn’t want to leave, and that she pretty much wants OP to leave his own home for her comfort. However, he doesn’t want to leave because 1. It’s his house and 2. “The house still has a mortgage that I would have to continue to pay in addition to paying for rent somewhere else.”
He also said that selling the home is currently off the table because he has to get rid of things his grandma owned, as well as being able to avoid tax reassessment if he moves in within the year.
Many people felt outraged by the fact that a lodger who is living there for very little would basically tell OP that she wants him out of his own home for her comfort. One person commented, “You own the house. If she doesn’t like it, she can move.” Another suggested if finances are the problem, he could probably “get someone to rent for a lot more than 150 dollars a month, for two people.”
This opened realistic discussions about rent and just how much people are paying, upwards of $800 for one-bedroom apartments in certain areas. Is this a case of somebody feeling entitled and trying to take advantage of a situation, or a case of a woman in true distress about her living situation?
Personally, I think it’s the latter. Either way, OP will need to make a decision that works for him as the new owner of the house. It is his inheritance, after all.
