Q: LL lets family members stay in the spare room of my apt. to which door does not lock, but has separate entrance. Legal?
The room is in the basement and has a bathroom, but no kitchen/laundry, etc. The door locks from the other side; I can't lock it from my side. I am very uncomfortable and have expressed this several times, but they keep doing it anyway. When no one is staying there I have access to the room, but they told me it was for storage and did not mention having people stay there. LL lives in another state so isn't present to host, regulate, or mediate.
A: Much depends upon what your lease says - is this spare room part of what you rent? Or is it excluded and available for your landlord's use? If it is part of what you rent, your landlord has no right to use it for any purpose; if it is under the landlord's domain, you have no right to control what it is used for. Either way, you certainly do not need to allow your landlord's guests to use any part of your premises. It does sound as if installing a dead-bolt might be a good idea. It would provide you peace of mind and assure they respect the your tenancy.
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