We’ve all heard it at some point or another: “while you live under my roof, you follow my rules.”

It’s an easy and flippant way for a parent to rule the roost, and while it can be said in jest, it can also be used to oppress kids into blind obedience.

And while the mom in this story knows she doesn’t want her adult son’s girlfriend to live with him, she can’t really articulate why.

But the trouble is, she pays the bills.

Read on to find out what happened.

AITA if I tell my 20-year-old son that his 19-year-old girlfriend can’t move in with him?

I am the mother of a 20-year-old son, who is in technical school and will graduate in a year.

He has a 19-year-old girlfriend, who is in college.

My son lives in a garage apartment I built for him on a rental property I own.

But this situation is soon to change.

He knows that once he graduates and gets a job he will need to find another place to live, because my plan is to sell the rental property.

His girlfriend has a dorm room without a roommate, but spends most nights with my son in his apartment.

Now he wants his girlfriend to move in with him.

Let’s see how his parents reacted to this.

I do not think it’s a good idea to cohabit at such a young age, but I cannot think of any solid reasons to tell him no.

He was respectful and asked permission from both me and his dad and stepmother.

He doesn’t pay rent, and we pay all his utilities and give him money for food while he is still in school.

AITA?

The truth is, her son is an adult – as is his girlfriend.

If they are already spending most of their time at his apartment, it makes sense for them to live together, if they are in a committed relationship.

However, given the apartment is owned by his mom, and he doesn’t pay rent or utilities, it is her rules that stand – meaning if they want to live together, they should probably look for somewhere else.

Let’s see what folks on Reddit had to say about this.

This person thought that as it was her apartment that she was providing rent-free, it was her choice who lived there.

While others encouraged her to explain her concerns clearly to him.

However, this Redditor thought that her lack of reasoning suggested she simply wanted her own way.

The lack of compromise here does seem unfair – surely the girlfriend could live there but contribute to rent or utilities, since she’s already there most of the time anyway.

Sure this mom wants her son to respect the apartment that she’s providing him, but her outright refusal without a concrete reason suggests a disrespect toward her son as an independent adult in a relationship.

And that really isn’t fair.

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