It can be tricky when you have more people staying in your home than you have keys. Someone might get locked out.

A university student thought she was making a simple, reasonable request: asking her boyfriend to lock the door after she left for the gym and drop off her keys later.

But when he forgot entirely, what started as a minor mix-up turned into a full-blown argument about blame, boundaries, and basic responsibility.

Read on for the story.

AITA for expecting my boyfriend to lock the door (and get the keys after forgetting)?

My boyfriend and I are university students living in separate shared flats. We frequently alternate where we sleep.

I have an independent key for his flat, but my apartment only has two keys, meaning I can’t give him one.

I usually leave for the gym at 6:40 AM. My shift-working flatmate is already gone, so I am responsible for locking up.

My boyfriend, a night owl, was asleep when I got up. I forgot I couldn’t lock the door with him inside. I woke him, asked him to lock the door after me, and return the keys later at university – something we’ve done before. I placed the keys right by his phone.

It didn’t work out the way she had hoped.

Later, when I asked for the keys, he was completely unaware, having forgotten our exchange while half-asleep. This resulted in two problems:

1. The apartment door was didn’t have the deadbolt in. (which I view as unsafe).

2. I was locked out.

She tried not to make a big deal about it.

My flatmate was only briefly home in the afternoon before leaving again for the night, forcing me to either wait until late for his return or interrupt my study day to rush home for the key exchange.

I was annoyed by the inconvenience and the partially locked door, but I didn’t give him a hard time; people forget things.

I texted my boyfriend, asking him to collect the keys from the flat and bring them to me at the university library. I felt this was a fair request since he was the one who had forgotten to lock up.

He reluctantly agreed.

Her boyfriend was the one who was upset.

When he returned the keys at the library, he was angry. He accused me of being at fault for getting locked out and said I shouldn’t expect him to listen while half-asleep.

Taken aback, I simply thanked him, and he left.

He later texted an apology for his grumpiness but insisted he felt unfairly treated.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

The next day, he brought it up again.

I explained my gratitude for him bringing the keys and my reasoning for asking him to do the trip.

He stood firm that it was my fault, insisting I should have just left the door unlocked next time.

Feeling his reaction was unfair and an unnecessary deflection of blame, I ended the argument and left.

AITA for expecting him to lock the door and then asking him to collect and bring me the keys afterwards?

Most Reddit readers sided with her, saying locking a door and returning keys are basic courtesies, not unreasonable demands. A few, however, noted that relying on someone half-asleep might not be the best security strategy.

This person says he can’t be trusted, and therefore he’s an AH.

This person says everyone stinks, but the boyfriend more so.

And this person agrees…this could’ve been done better.

Talk about sleeping on accountability!

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.