Two housemates have fallen out after one discovered the other is the property owner.

Taking to Reddit, the landlord wrote: ‘About a year ago my last remaining grandparent passed away and my father inherited all assets, including a house.

‘About six months ago I started considering renting out the finished basement apartment.

‘It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a small kitchenette (sink, fridge, microwave, but no oven).

‘A friend of mine said his brother was moving to my city and needed a place.

‘I offered to let him rent my basement for way less than market rate ($650) [£510.50] which would include utilities. He readily accepted and signed a year long lease.

‘Well a few days ago he asked if he could start paying the landlord directly instead of giving me rent money each month.’

Here’s where it goes wrong – the landlord was under the impression the tenant knew he was the landlord, as it was written in the contract and had assumed the tenant’s brother would have told him.

‘I was confused and I told him we don’t have a landlord and that I’m the owner,’ the post continues.

‘He got very upset and screamed at me for “lying for over six months” and “taking advantage of him” by making him pay so much in rent.

‘For the record, an apartment similar to the one in my house would be well over twice what he’s paying me, closer to three times for something as nice.

‘He asked how much of my mortgage he’s covering and I said “Why does that matter? You’re getting a nice, quiet place to live, access to a full kitchen and laundry room, and you’re paying an amount that you can afford. My personal finances aren’t really a factor here.”

‘He stormed out of the room and slammed the basement door. He’s still not speaking to me.

‘I asked a few other friends and some family members, and most said I’m wrong for having him cover my mortgage payments. Only a few say I’m in the right. So AITA for having my roommate cover $650 of my $775/month mortgage?’

In the comments, everyone sided with the landlord.

One person wrote: ‘OMG are they freaking serious?! What is they think people do when they rent? They cover the landlord’s mortgage payment!’

Another agreed, saying: ‘The question isn’t the mortgage. It’s fair market rate for what he’s getting. I get the shock he’s feeling, but he’s not entitled to free housing just because you’re friends.’

Someone posted: ‘God I hate defending a landlord. Makes me feel dirty.’ To which someone replied: ‘Why? It’s not like OP [original poster] owns multiple houses and charges as much as possible while doing as little as possible for maintenance.

‘OP isn’t hording space. OP only owns one property, he lives in it, takes care of it, and is sharing it, charging way less than he could. That is the type of property owner we want more of!’

Maybe the tenant should try to find comparable accommodation and leave.

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