My brothers best friends mom is renting out her house, and my brother told me I should move in with them. I was told rent was going to be $1000. I agreed and moved in. His mom was moving out as we were moving in and asked us to give her grace with the lease as she needed to find her keyboard in her boxes. It’s my brothers friends mom so I thought why not. Well that sure came to bite me. The $1000 rent turned into $1200 for ONLY ME! my brother and his friend pay $1000. AND NOW there’s another one of their friends moving in who didn’t have to pay any rent the first few weeks he moved in, and then has to pay only $800. Mind you we all have our own room. We each share 2 bathrooms. We all share the same kitchen. Why on earth am I the only one paying $1200 in rent?? I was told $1000. I bring this up to the mothers son (the best friend) and he cannot give me an answer other then “that’s just how it is”. Supposedly when this new guy starts to make more money he will pay $1000 and my rent with go down to the same as everyone else’s. I’m struggling as it is trying to pay off credit cards that I used for a dental emergency. $1000 rent was doable. The extra $200 is taking from cc debt repayment funds. The best friend complained to my brother that I confronted him over the rent. They think I should just accept that my rent is the highest and that “in a few months” it will become equal. We still have no signed a lease and I moved in on Feb 1st. I don’t know what to do. AITA?
Comments
^^^^AUTOMOD Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read this before contacting the mod team
My brothers best friends mom is renting out her house, and my brother told me I should move in with them. I was told rent was going to be $1000. I agreed and moved in. His mom was moving out as we were moving in and asked us to give her grace with the lease as she needed to find her keyboard in her boxes. It’s my brothers friends mom so I thought why not. Well that sure came to bite me. The $1000 rent turned into $1200 for ONLY ME! my brother and his friend pay $1000. AND NOW there’s another one of their friends moving in who didn’t have to pay any rent the first few weeks he moved in, and then has to pay only $800. Mind you we all have our own room. We each share 2 bathrooms. We all share the same kitchen. Why on earth am I the only one paying $1200 in rent?? I was told $1000. I bring this up to the mothers son (the best friend) and he cannot give me an answer other then “that’s just how it is”. Supposedly when this new guy starts to make more money he will pay $1000 and my rent with go down to the same as everyone else’s. I’m struggling as it is trying to pay off credit cards that I used for a dental emergency. $1000 rent was doable. The extra $200 is taking from cc debt repayment funds. The best friend complained to my brother that I confronted him over the rent. They think I should just accept that my rent is the highest and that “in a few months” it will become equal. We still have no signed a lease and I moved in on Feb 1st. I don’t know what to do. AITA?
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our voting guide here, and remember to use only one judgement in your comment.
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1. I confronted my brothers friend over what is unfair rent imo
2. it may make me an asshole bc it’s my brothers best friend and I don’t know if i’m overreacting
Help keep the sub engaging!
Don’t downvote assholes!
Do upvote interesting posts!
Click Here For Our Rules and Click Here For Our FAQ
Subreddit Announcements
Follow the link above to learn more
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
Sounds like you either deal with it or move out. You don’t have a lease so there’s nothing forcing you to stay there.
This is a shit show and you are on the receiving end. They lied to you and want to gaslight you into feeling they are doing you a favor and it’s your fault for complaining about being treated unfairly. You did not sign a lease so Its time to think about living with some folks that are not looking to screw with you. The fact that your brother is one of them is VERY disappointing but if you don’t feel right (and I wouldn’t) get out before you do sign a lease. If they complain about you backing out, you tell them that’s just how it is when I’m lied to to. NTA
INFO: you say you each have your own room, but is yours larger compared to the others, or have some other benefit like balcony access? It’s not uncommon for a roommate to pay more if this is the case.
EDIT: NTA. You are not responsible for subsidising rent for this other flatmate, especially when the agreed rental price was jacked up without discussing it with you. If anything, your brother and the owner’s son should pay more rent as they have the benefits of the master suite and a furnished basement. If they feel bad that their other mate doesn’t have the funds, they can support him! Good thing that you don’t have a lease – move out and let them cover the rent themselves. Stuff them – they are screwing you over.
NTA: if it’s not that much than let them split it until the other guy takes over, don’t let them take advantage of you. Have you seen the lease agreement in whole? Depending on where you live the $4K / month seems high, do you know the actual total rent? Also, the comment “when this new guy starts to make more money” is pretty vague – who is monitoring / cofirming that and it should have a deadline! Additionally, are you also paying for utilities and if so, make sure the 4th guy pays equal share even though not paying equal rent yet!
NTA
The 200$ is one thing, but you not having a signed document stating the facts of your tenancy is a bigger issue imo. You can be kicked out, and your rent can be raised whenever to whatever. What if there’s water damage, whose responsibility is it? What are your responsibilities and rights? What are your landlady’s responsibilities? You need to get everything in writing, or you need to get out of there. And since your brother is clearly willing to throw you to the wolves, I wouldn’t concern myself with how your actions will affect him.
A reminder: You don’t work without a contract. You don’t pay anything of value without a written invoice/receipt. You NEVER loan considerable amount of money without a signed payment plan. And you most definitely don’t move into a place that you don’t own without a signed lease.
NTA They shouldn’t have changed the rent after you agreed, that’s shady. But are you paying under market where you live for what you’re getting? If so, I would just bite the bullet and pay it but if you’re overpaying or paying equal then just go ahead and start looking for a different place and then ditch them if you find something better. Although not having a lease is a perk, so keep that in mind. I’d also be prepared that you’ll have to keep paying $1200. I think there’s a good chance that the new roommate won’t agree to his rent going up and this will be an issue. You should decide now what you’re willing to deal with.
No lease just move out
NTA. Since the owner’s son said the rent is $1,200, not much you can do about it but choose to stay or move out. But I’d be confronting your brother and tell him, at the very least he should split the difference with you each paying $1,100 until the other roommate starts to pay $1,000.
I would just pay $1000. That’s what you agreed to. Let them go through the eviction process if that’s what they want to do.
No way Jose! NTA. You should only pay more if your room is noticeably larger, but that should have been communicated regardless. Seems that’s not the case since your rent would theoretically decrease in a few months. They need to amend the lease to $1,000, or you should move out and not sign.
Do you have anything in writing when discussing paying only $1,000?
If for whatever reason you decide to accept this price for now, you absolutely need to have written into the lease the exact details/day your rent will change. Do not leave this open ended in good faith, as you’ll most likely just be screwed over even more.
Deal with it or move out.
If you stay, get renter’s insurance because they sound like taking responsibility for issues is not in their wheelhouse.
Also if you move out, do not hesitate to take anything you brought with you like furnishings, kitchen tools and appliances. They need to share the replacement expense amongst themselves.
NTA just pay $1,000 you agreed to. I don’t understand why you would even consider paying $1,200 as the lack of rental agreement goes both ways. I’d be tempted to tell them you e realised that they bullied you into subsidising and that you will reduce rent to $800 until you get the overpayment cleared. It sounds like landlord has told son that she wants $4,000 and he’s using you to subsidise his rent to make target, your brother is helping him do that.
You have a screenshot in writing from your brother of rent number and you accepted it. If “son / friend” says your brother didn’t have authority to offer tell them to sort it out between them. This is where you stay calm and repeat some version of “you budgeted and an accepted offer conveyed by your brother so sort it out between themselves” if it was $1,200 you would never have moved in.
You could also contact the proper landlord mother and sort out your part of the lease but to be honest I think you’d be better off spending that time looking for better options. Your brother and his friend have shown they are willing to screw you over so have no guilt they now have to look for someone to cover the rent on another room.
Look for local legal advice sub for your rights and you are absolutely NTA for refusing to be taken advantage of to subsidise others.
Just move out. What a shitty way to be treated.
No lease? Time to move on
Wow, they’re really trying to take it in on that one property eh?
Move out😀
I would give them 1000 and say that was the deal period and look around for another place.
NTA. Do not sign a lease and move out ASAP. This is only going to get worse.
If they try to kick you out i think they legally need to give you 3 months notice.
The person in the master bedroom and the basement apt should pay more. Try to leave sweetie. Your brother is a jerk. Just say oh I can afford 1000.
Get it in writing.