RoomMate Trouble?

Question

I have kids, well me and their mother seperated, and she moved out. Well my buddy needed a place to stay, he has no one here his family is a joke, so I decided to help him out. I told him he pays half the rent and bills, which probably came out to be at least 300.00 a month. Well I hooked up with someone and she and her kids been staying over with me when my kids are over. Well its getting serious between us. My roommate thinks he doesnt have to pay all his rent or the bills, because my girlfriend is now living there. He got a DWI so he cant drive, I was taking him to work and picking him up everyday,without giving me a dime for gas, he doesnt buy groceries, but he sure does eat the food my girlfriend buys. And now hasnt been to the house in about 3-4 weeks but all his stuff is still there. My question is should I still charge him rent since he is not there, or should I put his stuff in my storage and make him pay if he wants his things back.

It is my house. I also gave him the biggest room in the house. He DIDNT help with gas for the car or buy groceries ever. I let him stay because he had NOWHERE to go.

Answer 1

That's a hard call. I can see and understand both sides of the story. You were being a good friend helping your buddy out when he needed it. But it sounds like you're both sort of taking advantage of each other. It is unfair that you make him pay half of everything when you're girlfriend AND her kids are staying there. And if you think about it, even him paying 1/3 of it is too much, technically. Since I don't know facts here, say you have TWO kids. And your girlfriend has TWO kids. (Since you said you have kidS and she has kidS) and your rent and bills are $600 a month. If he pays half, he's paying $300 for only one person. While you have it easy and pay $300 for SIX people. Even 1/3 of it, he pays $200 for ONE person and you pay $200 for 6 people. So i can understand how he's feeling ripped off.

If your girlfriend is buying groceries, that could be a part of her share of the rent. Instead of her paying $200 for bills a month, she can spend $200 a month on food. That's what I'm doing at my house. I live with my dad and my uncle moved out (he was paying half of the bills, about $300) and I'm supposed to take over his share, with no money for bills, I spend like $400 a month on food.

If he's a good friend, I think the 3 of you should sit down, and CALMLY discuss all the issues each of you have with the arrangements. Maybe you can wor it out to where one of you pays rent, one bills, and the other food. I think he should pay less than you and your girl though. You guys do have the kids and stuff.

However, if he's basically "moved out" and left all his stuff there, I think you have the legal right to charge his stuff rent. You're not a warehouse. You can tell him to come get his stuff by a certain day and time and tell him if it's still there, it's going out. Or you two can make arrangements on storing it for him or whatever.

Neither one of you are wrong. You both have legit cases and you're right in your own ways.

If he's gonna be a total a$$hole about it all, then I'd keep his stuff and make him pay what he owes to get it back. But I'd call Legal Aid or something, just to ask and make sure YOU can't get in trouble for it.

**Also, if you're all cool with it, you can figure out how much the bills were BEFORE your girl moved in. Then figure out about how much they went up after she moved in and have her pay the difference. If bills were $600 before she got there, and now they went up to like $750, have her (or you-or whatever) cough up the $150 difference and come to some agreement about the food.

He should appreciate YOU being there when he had noone else, but he may also feel that you're taking advantage of him since you're the only one he has and you know he has nowhere else to go. (Not saying that's what I think, only what he MAY POSSIBLY feel)

Answer 2

*Alright well I am going to assume you never got anything in writing about how much he is to pay you every month or week, or whatever right?

.Well since he is not on your lease I believe you have the right to kick him out. And as for his things being left there you could start charging him storage fees etc.

*Now I can see why he got upset about your g/f basically living with you...it's because you probably aren't making her pay for anything (rent/utilities/ etc.) like you are making him do. Which that is pretty unfair of you to do. I mean if your g/f is going to be living with you then she should also have to fork out money for rent and utilities b/c her and her kids are using just as much if not more electricity/water etc. as your roommate, so it's only fair to make her pay 1/3 or 1/2 also for the bills.

.If anything you need to look up the legalities on roommates and what the laws are w/ no contracts etc. then do things the legal way. good luck.

**And for future advice.....

~Don't be a hypocrite and make your buddy pay for 1/3 or 1/2 the bills and then let someone else in and not make them pay for anything (food is great, but it doesn't pay the rent.) so start making your g/f fork out some dough to help pay the bills too. BE FAIR.

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Answer 3

Call up an attorney and find out what your rights are. Personally I think you have every right to move out and break your lease because she is creating an unsafe environment for you. Start packing and moving stuff out now. Like someone else said... don't make it too obvious. Keep all your other things including bathroom supplies in your bedroom and put a new more secure lock on the door. Take your laptop back and send that to your father for safekeeping. If she won't let you touch the laptop, have your father come to the apartment with the receipt, and call the police. They will make her give it back to you. Management is only there for the money. Heck, my one place pretty much had in their contract that if my roommate, whom THEY placed with me, tried to do bodily harm to me, they weren't responsible.

Answer 4

!. I can understand a roommate if your kids are not there.
2. You messed up with moving a woman in. It infringed on his space.
3. Why should he pay half if you have a woman living with you. You should pick up 2/3 and him 1/3.
4. You messed it up just give him his things back when he ask for it. Or, call him and ask him to pick up his things.
5. People like you make having a roommate a hard thing to do.

Answer 5

If he's mooching, then it's time to let him know he's got two choices, to start paying again or move out. With that many people in the house; things get expensive. Let him know there's no 'free ride in this world'....if he doesn't take you seriously and doesn't come home, absolutely put his stuff in storage. Let him figure things out, he'll either sink or swim; you know?

Answer 6

to avoid losing a friend i would def make sure he doesnt plan on staying there because if hes off doing his own thing for a bit and comes home to find out you kicked him out youll have more issues than you bargained for. but i think he should still pay rent.

Answer 7

If he's a really close friend, You should most likely talk to him. Tell him he either starts taking responsibility or he has to leave. If he decides to leave , then you bring up the money matter. Hopefully everything works out.

Answer 8

You should still charge him rent but he is totally right that it should be adjusted with your girl there now. Don't lump in his taxi privileges or cafeteria facilities. Spell all of that out separately and itemized. Do it asap before you guys aren't buds anymore.


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Answer 9

Don't make him pay; you'll make an instant enemy and you probably won't get the money anyway. Instead, find a way to contact him, and tell him that if he doesn't get his stuff out by a certain date, you'll keep/sell/donate it as you see fit.

Answer 10

Let him know you are boxing it up and going to leave it outside or put it in storage and make him pay.