Home may be where the heart is, but it’s also where boundaries matter the most.

When the contractors an HOA hired didn’t show, one homeowner refused to let them reschedule unless he was home.

Was he being difficult, or just standing his ground?

Read on for the full story.

AITA for not letting an unknown contractor into my home while I’m not there

I live in a 2-story condo complex that is managed by an HOA.

One lower unit reported some water damage through their outer wall and it was determined to be coming from the upstairs balcony.

This had implications for the rest of the building too.

They inspected and found some rotten framing behind the stucco.

The association would like to inspect all of the upstairs units now, of which mine is one.

They sent an email yesterday (Tuesday) saying they’d like a contractor to come inspect and to allow access for the contractor even if we’re not home.

But this homeowner wasn’t comfortable with this at all.

I’m not comfortable with someone I’ve never met having access to my home while I’m not there, so I said I’d like the contractor to contact me directly to set up an appointment.

So they agreed on a time for the contractors to perform the inspection.

The HOA manager told me that they’d be there this morning (Wednesday) and would like to be able to inspect the balcony.

I said I could be there at 9:30 to meet them.

The manager said “perfect.”

I took time off from work to be out there and was home at 9:15 after taking my son to school.

But the contractors didn’t show up as planned.

I waited until 11:30 and never saw a contractor even working on one of the other units nearby.

I left and sent an email to the HOA manager that I’d waited 2 hours and no one came by, so please have the contractor contact me directly to set up a definite time to inspect.

The HOA made it clear this was all a big inconvenience for them.

The manager sent me a reply that said:

“You could make this easier, Seth. If you would allow us access, then you wouldn’t have to wait until Joe gets to your unit.”

So now the homeowner wonders if they’re overreacting.

AITA for not wanting a strange person in my home without me there and for leaving after waiting for 2 hours after our agreed-upon time?

Sounds like this homeowner was put in a difficult position.

What did Reddit have to say?

This commenter thinks he’s totally right to feel protective of his space.

The contractors also have an obligation to be prompt and show up when they said they would.

On the other hand, this user thinks he’s just making things harder for everyone.

But when you live in a condo, you expect a certain amount of ownership over who comes in and out.

If owning a condo doesn’t grant you power over who comes in and out the door, then what does it get you?

The HOA will have to start learning to play by his rules, too.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.