Hi Chapos throwaway for obvious reasons.
I’ve managed to buy an apartment, two bedrooms. I live in it, but I rent the other room out. Is it unethical for me to hide that I’m the owner?
I don’t really lie-lie, like if I’m asked straight up I’ll answer, but I’ll avoid it if possible.
It’s mostly because it creates an odd power dynamic and I’d rather have a flatmate than a tenant if that makes sense.
Reason I bought is I don’t want to deal with landlords, obviously.
Do I get the wall?
You’re talking about lying to your tenants that you’re the landlord?
“Oh better pay your rent because the real estate company is chasing me” what a fucking thing to suggest
You telling the truth or lying about being the landlord doesn’t create the odd power dynamic - the power dynamic comes from them having to give you money in order to have shelter. You can’t avoid it.
First sign of landlord brain - I should lie to my tenants so I feel better about the power relationship
I like what Hexboare said:
First sign of landlord brain - I should lie to my tenants so I feel better about the power relationship
Like others pointed out the power dynamic is there regardless. By obscuring the full details you are using the dynamic to your advantage, preventing the other tenant from making fully informed decisions about the situation.
I want to be able to ask my flatmate to not put dishes in the sink without it being a landlord/tenant dynamic.
It’s not the money/shelter trade that bugs me. It’s the lick-my-ass/or-be-homeless setup that I don’t like.
Also just to be clear I don’t outright lie, but I don’t tell unless I’m explicitly asked.
If you don’t like the “lick-my-ass/or-be-homeless setup”, try not being a landlord.
I’m such a smol bean landlord, pwease forgive me hexbear, I just have to exploit another human being for my own financial gain but it gives me a sad uwu
I think it’s worse because the landlord is going to be unwittingly surveilling the tenant whenever they’re there. Like he can just boot them if they do something he doesn’t enjoy, whereas there’s a lot more leeway (rightly and wrongly) with a roommate that you can’t just kick out.
Then you should communicate that with the people there, because surely the relationship is going to be pretty fucked if they find out you’re the owner?
I don’t know the cohort of people renting the room but I would think I’d find out pretty quickly and I think it would be hard to not disclose without lying. However I do a title search before renting so maybe I’m not the best example.
