Q: Is my landlord allowed to tell me when I can and can't leave my place of rent? And can he have cams on outside of house?
I rent a bedroom in his 2 br house. He lives in the basement. He's constantly coming upstairs to make himself food or to let his friends crash on the couch in my livingroom. Now he's trying to tell me when im allowed to leave and when I can't. Hes been difficult with me all suddenly and I noticed he tends to give me a hard time when my bf is around as if he doesn't like him. Like he's jealous or has a crush on me. Idk my bf noticed it too and so im not thinking its just a coincidence. Please help!
A:
It depends a bit upon exactly what you rent. IF you do indeed just rent a bedroom and have rights to use the rest of the common areas (kitchen, living room, etc.), then he has as much right as you to have friends stay on the couch (you can have your friends stay as well - and see how he feels about that!) As for controlling when you come and go, normally he does not have any such right. Conceivably, he could create written house rules that apply to both you and him if there are objectively justifiable reasons for them (quiet hours, for example, but not normally when you can actually come and go) but otherwise, no, he has no right to interfere with your autonomy. Do realize, however, that if you have been there less than a year and are on a month to month tenancy, he can terminate your tenancy without cause with 30 days written notice and it will be very difficult for you to prove it was for an impermissible reason. Still, you may be better moving elsewhere anyway. Good luck.
Greg Abbott
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