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Renting from family sounds like a perk, but it can actually be a huge disadvantage.

One woman lived in the guest house on her parents’ property, paying rent to her father and covering her own electric bill. He treated her like any other tenant, which meant no special favors, even as repairs piled up.

Her floors were cracked and peeling, her refrigerator leaked constantly, and her kitchen sink was falling apart.

Then her dad bought an RV, parked it right next to her house, and rented it to a new tenant. He plugged it into her outdoor outlet, so she was the one paying to power it.

When she asked him to chip in on the bill, he brushed it off and simply said, “We will see.”

Keep reading for the full story.

AITAH for not wanting to pay my neighbors light bill

I live in the guest house on my parents’ property. I pay rent to my dad and pay my own electric bill.

One would think having her parents as landlords would afford her special treatment, but in fact, she receives the opposite.

My parents treat me as a tenant and don’t do me any special favors.

In fact, my home is due for several repairs that keep getting pushed off, such as severely cracked and peeling floors, a refrigerator that constantly leaks, and a kitchen sink that is falling apart.

Soon the property gets even more crowded.

Well, now my dad has bought an RV and stationed it directly next to my house, plugging it into my outdoor outlet.

He has a new tenant living in there now and paying rent to him.

Now she’s worried about the financial implications of having another tenant there.

When I brought up the light bill to my dad/landlord and if they could contribute to the bill since the RV is plugged into my home, it was brushed off as no big deal and “the RV doesn’t take much energy anyways.”

I also got told “we will see” if they decide to contribute to paying the bill.

AITAH for thinking they should pay a portion of the bill?

Sounds like her family really hasn’t thought this whole arrangement through.

What did Reddit have to say?

Maybe this whole situation has run its course.

A real landlord is actually held to some standards.

Renting from family can actually end up putting someone at a huge disadvantage.

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If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman who escalates her issue to the state when a third family is added to a shared neighborhood well.

This situation could be manageable if she’s willing to put in some work to defend herself.

At the end of the day, if it’s not her power, why should the bill be her responsibility?

It doesn’t matter how little an RV draws. A small amount of electricity is still electricity, and it’s on her meter. If it were truly nothing, he wouldn’t mind covering it.

Add in the pile of unfixed repairs, and the message is clear. She’s expected to keep the place running while someone else profits.

Family or not, this landlord-tenant relationship is souring fast.

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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.