Imagine renting an apartment with a friend, but you eventually buy your own home and let your friend move in with you as a roommate. What would you charge your friend for rent? Would you charge the same as she was paying at the apartment, more since the house is bigger or less since you’re a friend and want to help her out?

In this story, one woman is in this situation, and she planned to charge her friend the same rent she was paying at the apartment. The problem is that the friend is claiming she can’t afford to pay that much for rent.

Keep reading for all the details.

WIBTA if I didn’t lower my friend’s rent when I become their landlord?

My roommate and good friend has been living with me for a while. We have rented, and have probably some of the cheapest rent in the city while still living in a moderately safe area.

This month I finally reached a savings amount/credit score to get a mortgage, and live in a nicer area nearby.

Friend was very supportive of me getting a house. I told them that the rent would be the same (but they get double the space, no more apartments, their own bathroom, off street parking).

They seemed fine with it all and still supportive.

But for OP, it will be much more expensive.

I will still be taking an extra 50% increase in my monthly payments to cover insurance, property taxes, and another 25% increase for a couple months to pay off appliances to actually have in the house. I don’t expect friend and roommate to help me with any of that.

Once it is all said and done, and the house is closed on and appliances bought, I will have no liquid assets remaining in any accounts.

It will take some time to recoup any liquid assets while I pay off my debts.

The friend had a sob story.

Today, right after I called our current landlord to tell them I’m under a contract and should close on a house next month, my roommate comes into my room and tells me they could not any longer pay the same rent.

Went into a long explanation about how the pandemic is hurting, and even though they still have a job, they are making less this year, and gas to travel to work (even though the new house is 10 minutes less of a drive from where they have been working most of this time) and they just don’t think they could keep paying the same.

If I wasn’t buying this house, friend would be stuck with the same rent for another 4 months.

It’s one thing to need help for a little while due to the pandemic, its another to demand a permanently lower cost for rent, while getting more amenities in return.

OP doesn’t want to lower the rent.

I’m in a place where I could cover the whole mortgage payment and still keep my head above water, but not by much. And heaven forbid if I find something wrong with the house right after moving in.

I feel like I’m being taken advantage of as a friend.

WIBTA if I said I can’t lower their rent at all?

She should explain this to her friend. It’s going to be more expensive for her, and the friend has more space and amenities for the same rent she’s been paying. The friend does seem to be trying to take advantage of their friendship.

Let’s see what Reddit suggests.

One person would threaten to look for a different roommate.

This person sees a red flag.

Another person agrees that the friend is trying to take advantage of the situation.

It might be better to rent the room to someone else.

It can be hard to be your friend’s landlord.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.