We are always taught to be nice, polite and compassionate towards others. We are told that there is no such thing as being too nice, but in life, when dealing with people, you realize that there actually is, because not everyone will treat you like that back.
An example of this would be a story posted on Reddit by user Historical-Joke9732 who was renting their house to their acquaintances for a lower price, but the tenants still had the audacity to ask for a free room when the landlord was moving out of it. So the homeowner simply sold the house and the new rent prices are not their worry anymore.
More info: Reddit
Homeowner was moving out, so their roommates wanted to turn the spare bedroom into an office, but didn't want to pay for it
Image credits: denisbin (not the actual photo)
The Original Poster (OP) bought a house in a city with a high cost of living and is still paying the mortgage. The house is in a good location which is near a college, so there isn’t a shortage of tenants.
Up until now, the homeowner was living in the basement suite which has not only a bedroom, but a living room, bathroom and kitchen, and the upstairs was inhabited by 4 more people: a couple in the master bedroom and two singles.
In October, the OP found out that they got a job in a different city and were planning to start it in the new year, so they talked with the couple to offer them the basement. They agreed with the price, which meant that their old bedroom would be vacant.
The author of the story owns a big house where they live in the basement suite and the upstairs is shared between a couple and two singles
Image credits: Historical-Joke9732
It was a master bedroom, so they asked if any of the singles wanted it before they started looking for another tenant. None of them wanted it, but the existing tenants were interested in turning it into a home office.
This was not a problem, but because the tenants would be using that room, they needed to pay for it, which was not taken well. According to their calculations, the OP wouldn’t suffer a loss because they would be getting more money from the couple, so it was fair to give them the room for free.
The tenants dared to negotiate with the OP because they were friends of the OP’s friends, and although they were not close, they were friendly. But the homeowner was already asking for a lower rent than the market value and wasn’t willing to give up the room for free.
Since the homeowner is moving to a different city due to getting a job offer, they offered the basement suite to the couple and their room to the singles
Image credits: Historical-Joke9732
The landlord and the tenants weren’t able to come to an agreement, so the friends found out about the conflict and were mad at the OP, accusing them of being greedy.
This situation was both stressful and didn’t seem worth the time and energy, so the OP decided to sell their house with all the leases and allow the new owner to set their rent prices and decide who can have the spare room.
While the homeowner was not up to dealing with their tenants, they still felt bad that the roommates would have to pay more for rent or move out to a further area, which would prolong their commute. The OP knew they were making their friends’ friends’ lives more complicated, but people in the comments believed they made a smart decision.
The couple agreed to move into the basement but none of the singles wanted the spare bedroom, though they were thinking of turning it into an office
Image credits: Historical-Joke9732
First of all, they were moving to a different city, so they would have needed to pay someone for taking care of the house and second of all, Redditors believed the tenants deserved what they got, because they were demanding a room for free when they were already paying less than a stranger would for the ones they were renting.
This most likely is the problem. When you rent to someone you know or was referred by someone you know, it can get tricky. Compass Property Management agrees that renting to people you trust may seem like a good plan, but that depends on the friend.
The company defines the advantages of having a friend, a family member or an acquaintance as your tenant: “In some cases, when you enter into a contract with a friend, you can potentially depend on them to pay the rent on time, take care of your property, and follow the rules. Your friend might even be more flexible about allowing you into the home for inspections and repairs than a resident you aren't friends with.”
The homeowner didn't mind until the tenants told them that they won't be paying more for it, despite their rent being already lower than market value
Image credits: Historical-Joke9732
However, there is a reason why people are wary of mixing business with friendships and involving money in a friendship. Compass Property Management explains that “While you may hope your friend is more likely to take care of your home, it can be hard to hold a friend accountable to the same rules you would for a tenant that you don't know on a personal level.”
As we’ve seen with the Redditor’s situation, it is hard to negotiate with tenants you know because they might expect special treatment from you, but you as an owner must “consider what happens when a friend constantly pays rent late, disrespects the property manager you've hired, or consistently violates the terms of the lease agreement. It's difficult to discipline a friend in the same way as a random renter.”
The homeowner's tenants were referrals from their friends and family who also thought that it was unfair to ask for more money for the bedroom
Image credits: Historical-Joke9732
It was too much of a hassle to deal with this situation, so the author of the story simply sold their house, passing the tenants to the next landlord
Image credits: Jeremy Hall (not the actual photo)
It’s easy to see how a relationship can be ruined and it already happened to the homeowner in the story as they were called greedy and those friends who referred the tenants are also upset that the OP took measures to protect themselves.
Do you think there was another way to solve the situation? Do you think that since the OP was moving anyway, selling the house was the most convenient despite leaving their acquaintances on their own? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
This made the tenants and their friends even more mad, but the readers believed it was the sensible thing to do when dealing with entitled people
