July 21, 2025 at 11:55 am

Their Mom Wants to Rent Out Their Space While They’re Away, But They Aren’t Too Comfy With What Those Kids Might Find

by Ben Auxier

kids playing on a drum set

Shutterstock/Reddit

Everyone wants to feel like they have their own space.

How much space, and how comfortable you are sharing it, varies from person to person.

But what about when you’re not even IN your space?

You might end up in an argument like this one:

AITA for telling my mom I do not want strangers in my space

I’m currently out of the country living abroad meaning my basement apartment connected to the house isn’t being used right now.

My mom is having people over and asked if her friend’s kids could use my apartment until they went home, said no as I was not comfortable with having these kids I don’t know in my apartment, she called me paranoid and saying there were only kids so it’s fine.

It just feels very out of their control, you see:

My reasoning for not being okay with it is because I have stuff there I do not want kids to see or touch.

My collectables, a few spicy romance books and so on.

If I was home and could remove the things I do not want to be there it’d be different but as I am in another country right now I do not feel comfortable with that.

Am I the [jerk] or am I justified in my decision?

People responded in the comments:

2025 06 27 17 00 27 Their Mom Wants to Rent Out Their Space While Theyre Away, But They Arent Too Comfy With What Those Kids Might Find

Most people agreed they were in the right.

2025 06 27 17 00 48 Their Mom Wants to Rent Out Their Space While Theyre Away, But They Arent Too Comfy With What Those Kids Might Find

Like, is it your space or not?

2025 06 27 17 01 12 Their Mom Wants to Rent Out Their Space While Theyre Away, But They Arent Too Comfy With What Those Kids Might Find

Though occasionally the argument was made that…no, it’s not your space.

2025 06 27 17 01 27 Their Mom Wants to Rent Out Their Space While Theyre Away, But They Arent Too Comfy With What Those Kids Might Find

Seems like it’s probably time to leave the nest if ya can manage it.

Sharing isn’t always caring, after all.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.