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“When I was 18, my dad gifted me a house with two stories. I am extremely thankful, we are not upper class but my dad bought this house for a cheap price a long time ago (it was his grandmothers cousin’s house).
I know that this was an extreme privilege and I am forever grateful for this.
The layout of this building is like an apartment, but it is a house. So basically, each story has its own separate entry, its own kitchen and bathroom. I live upstairs while I rent out the downstairs.
My boyfriend 25m moved in with me about three months ago and we have been together for six months. I have not asked him for money, neither for utilities or to pay me any rent.
The only thing he contributes to is groceries, that we split 50/50. I have not brought up that I own the building as it is not something I tell many people, if people ask me I of course tell them that I own it, but if they just assume I am a renter then they can believe that.
The topic of a landlord, the renter downstairs or the owner of the building has not been something we have talked about.
This last Tuesday the renter came up to tell me that her freezer has stopped working.
I answered the door and my boyfriend heard us talking I suppose. I went downstairs to take a look and we came to the conclusion that she would buy a new one, send me the receipt and I would give her the money. She was very grateful for this solution.
When I went upstairs my boyfriend asked if it could be fixed, I told him no, but she was going to buy a new one and I would pay for it.
He looked at me like I was crazy and asked me why the hell I would pay for her freezer, I told him that because I am her landlord and the freezer was there when she started renting, I would stand for the cost. He just asked me if I was serious, to which I said I was.
He begun screaming at me, asking him why the hell I would hold this information from him and that I was an evil person. I said I was sorry for not telling him but I did not think that it would matter.
He said he could not believe he was together with someone who is a landlord, that all of us just use people for money and that the only thing “we people” care about is money and would rather have people be homeless then offering affordable rent. (The downstairs is 1 kitchen, 1 bath and 4 other rooms, I charge 500 dollars in rent).
I understand many people have had trouble with landlords, but I try my best to be a good one. He demanded that I give him 50% of the money I make from rent or else I was just as bad as he thought.
Was I really the asshole for not telling him? He has not talked to me since Tuesday and I have tried telling him that I am truly sorry but he doesn’t answer me at all.”