Dear Christine,
After living alone for some time, I decided to rent a room in my home to a young woman who said she needed some assistance.
We made arrangements and agreed that she would pay me just $250 a month in exchange for helping around the house. Within a matter of two weeks, those promises were thrown through the window. She cleaned the house once within that period, and started leaving dirty plates and saucepans around the kitchen sink for me to clean. The bathroom is another matter. She cleaned it once and that was it.
To top it all off, her young man comes and sleeps over most nights. She even went and got a copy of my house key so he can come and go as he pleases – which is sometimes very late in the night.
I had looked forward to having someone in the house with me, as it is a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house. However, I feel as though I can no longer cope with the situation and have asked her to leave. She says she will do so when she finds another place.
What recourse can I take? I’ll like her to leave like yesterday. Monthend would be a month since she has been living here.
– J.H.
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Dear J.H.,
You should call the police and have them talk to the young woman. They will see to it that the right measures are taken. Do not take matters into your hands.
You should also change the locks on your doors when they leave.
Next time you have a lodger, make sure there is a signed document outlining what is expected of him or her. While I do not have an idea of your age or know whether the need to have a lodger is necessary, I’ll say it may be better to just live alone.
– CHRISTINE
