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It feels great to help out a friend in need, but in this story, the friend in question started treating kindness like a permanent discount.

One renter took in a friend who was stuck in a bad living situation, and make no mistake, the arrangement came with a lot of perks: a private entrance, wifi, utilities, and every streaming service in the house for a flat monthly rate.

So when the renter had to stop working for health reasons, the budget got tight in a hurry.

So as the roomie continued to skate by with paying a smaller share, the renter began to question whether their arrangement was really fair.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for asking my roommate to start paying rent?

So things started by me letting a friend move in with me.

I initially told them that they could just come stay with me because they were living in a bad place and were having some issues, so I was like, okay, just come here and help out on bills.

But what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement turned out to be a little more permanent.

Fast forward to now. I’m not working anymore (for health reasons), so the only people working are my partner and the roommate.

They have been splitting bills 60/40, with the roommate paying the 40. Which is doable, but at this point in time, we are struggling for money.

Still, the roomie refuses to help.

Meanwhile, the roomie is just stacking theirs.

I wasn’t planning on charging more than $350 a month for the room plus utilities like water, electric, plus high speed wifi, and they have access to my streaming services.

As well as their own private entrance with the room.

AITA for asking my roommate to start paying rent?

Living with a friend always gets complicated.

What did Reddit think?

If the roomie is living there for an extended period, then charging rent should be a no-brainer.

Fairness can hurt feelings, but that’s part of life.

This argument does provide a valuable lesson for next time.

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If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about neighborhood kids who built a master forest fort, only to find it looted by the bigger kids on the block.

This just isn’t a sustainable solution at all.

The roommate here has mastered the art of being grateful in theory and frugal in practice.

Gratitude is nice, but it doesn’t cover the electric bill, and it definitely doesn’t help a partner who’s now working for two.

The renter set up a bargain so good that most people would have kept quiet and counted their blessings, yet this roommate kept the savings growing while the household shrank.

Nobody is asking for a fortune, but a fair share from the person with the healthiest bank account in the apartment would be nice.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.