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A bad roommate is one thing. A bad roommate who apparently has you wondering who else has keys to your apartment is an entirely different problem.

OP and her roommate already don’t get along, and with the roommate preparing to move out early, OP has been doing her best to simply avoid conflict until she’s gone. But after repeatedly finding their front door unlocked—and previously dealing with strangers trying to open it—OP understandably takes home security pretty seriously.

Then one morning, she discovered a woman she’d never seen before walking out of her roommate’s bedroom with her roommate’s key. That was apparently the final straw. OP told her roommate she wasn’t comfortable with strangers having unrestricted access to their home and announced she’d be using the door chain from now on, meaning her roommate will have to text to be let inside.

Roommate Left Random Person In Apartment

Yet another issue with my current roommate moving out early. We do not get along well that is why she is leaving. But have just been ignoring her until she leaves.

This morning I woke up to our front door yet again left unlocked. I assumed my roommate left for work and forgot to lock the front door.

The door being locked is important to me because there have been times where random people have tried to open our front apartment door in the middle of the night/even in the day (roommate is never home when this happens).

Fair.

I thought my roommate had left, and then I hear her bedroom door open. Someone comes out and heads out the front door. I hear them having trouble locking the lock, so I go to check it out. Maybe it’s my roommate???

I open the door and it’s someone I do not know, who has my roommate’s key. She is frazzled from me opening the door.

At this moment I am angry because I now realize that my roommate is letting someone stay here without informing me.

Not cool, Roommate.

The girl said she was told to lock the door, but is having trouble. I sigh really loudly, and just help as I know its not her fault, but my roommate’s. I give her the key, she awkwardly stands there, and I just shut the door on her and lock it.

A couple of hours later, I text my roommate telling her that I had to help whoever she left in the apartment lock/get her stuck key out.

Then I told her I am not ok with someone who does not pay rent to have free access to our apartment whenever, and that she should not be giving her keys to anyone or leaving the door unlocked.

No thank you.

Then I told her I will be leaving the front door’s chain on for my safety, she can text me if she needs to be let it.

I just honestly don’t know who is entering in and out of the apartment anymore or who even has access.

I have just been trying my best to ignore everything, but today I fee like my hand was forced. Any advice?

Commenters largely understood why OP was freaked out, but some questioned whether chaining her roommate out of her own apartment was the right solution.

Readers agreed that giving someone else a key without telling a roommate was a major problem, particularly given OP’s existing concerns about strangers attempting to enter the apartment. Even if the guest herself did nothing wrong, OP had no idea who she was, how long she’d been staying there or whether anyone else had been given access.

Many felt OP was completely justified in confronting her roommate and establishing a firm boundary about handing out keys. Some also suggested involving the landlord or property management, especially if the lease has rules about guests, duplicate keys or unauthorized occupants.

The chain, however, was where things got trickier. Commenters pointed out that OP’s roommate still lives there and presumably has a legal right to access her own home. Intentionally leaving her unable to enter without OP’s help could escalate the situation—and potentially create a bigger problem than it solves.

With the roommate already on her way out, the general advice was to document what’s happening, involve management if necessary and avoid turning the final stretch into an escalating lockout battle.

This person makes a good point.

This person has a few questions.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a couple who is sick and tired of their neighbor’s kids dumping trash on their patio.

And this person is just sorry for this unfortunate situation.

Wanting to know who has keys to your home is reasonable; starting your own apartment bouncer service might be where things get complicated.