Would I be TA for evicting a single mom because she secretly moved in a her child?
A Redditor shared their experience of renting out a room in their child-free home, only to discover their tenant secretly moved in with her child. Now grappling with constant disruptions, unpaid rent.
And a non-child-friendly environment, they’re unsure if asking the single mom to leave would make them the bad guy. Read the story below to see the full context.
‘ Would I be TA for evicting a single mom because she secretly moved in a her child?’
I am child free and got tubal ligation at 22 because I knew I did not ever want kids. I built my first house and decided to rent out the spare room. My listing clearly stated “no children” due to my large, temperamental dogs, my nightlife job, and my generally not child-friendly lifestyle.
I met a wonderful girl my age who seemed like a great fit, and she moved in. About two months in, she showed up with a 3-4 year-old child, saying she was babysitting. Weeks later, she admitted he’s actually her son, and her family could no longer watch him. He’s lived with us ever since.
I want to be clear: he’s a sweet kid, and I don’t blame him for anything. But I don’t like kids. I work from home and I don’t like having to work in my room because of constant screaming and running around.
I don’t like the ink-stained handprints on my furniture, cheetos in my band new couch, dirty child potty permanently on the guest bathroom seat, or him scream crying if I don’t want to play with him or ask him to leave my room.
I feel like an awful person when he’s coughing all over and my impulsive thoughts want me to ask him to get off my furniture. I’m also always worried about my dogs reacting poorly as they are very large and temperamental and it could be dangerous.
On occasion we have tried to help, watching him so she can rest, but I get irritated after an hour of him screaming at me and have to leave my other roommate in charge. I feel terrible because I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be a single mom, but I don’t want to live with children, neither does my bf or other roommate.
She is also very not happy with the situation and general mess that comes along with children. We used to invite people over and throw events, but she made remarks about how it’s not safe for her child so we stopped.
Last time she made a remark about how an argument my bf and I had was harmful for her kid to hear, I wanted to ask her to pack up right then. She’s wonderful, so sweet, and she’s right that my house isn’t child friendly. It’s cute, modern, with nothing but sharp edges. It wasn’t designed for children and neither is my lifestyle.
She’s become consistently late on rent — over 20 days past due at times. I’m terrified of asking her to leave because when she does pay rent it really is helpful and also I’m afraid of retaliation, especially since she knows my other roommate partakes in something illegal in our state.
I’m looking for advice from parents and childfree people. I’m constantly irritated by the situation and I feel trapped in my own house. There is no lease.
These are the responses from Reddit users:
Sensual_Siren24 − NTA imo. Your listing said *’no children’* and she said *’no problem’* but the problem turned out to be 3 years old with Cheeto fingers and a potty seat. You’re not running a daycare, and it’s okay to take back your peace and your couch before you completely lose your mind. Kind but firm is the way to go!
VLMove − NTA. You’re evicting due to destruction or disruption of other roommates ‘quiet enjoyment.’ I’m not sure of the legality of evicting because of the kid. Check your local laws and word the eviction carefully.
Sensitive-Ad-5406 − You’re naive and easily fooled. She’s not sweet and innocent, she’s a scheming and m**ipulative freeloader. Wake up! YTA to yourself for not having kicked her out already
poochiejefferson − Does your other roommate smoke weed or use drugs? If that’s the issue, you’re fine. No one is gonna raid someone over someone saying they use drugs after they get evicted.
If your other roommate sells drugs or something highly illegal, your roommate you are trying to evict could definitely retaliate. It sounds like both roommates would have to go in that situation.
But no not an a**hole. She lied about having a kid, then lied she was babysitting, then stuck you with a kid you said wasn’t allowed. That’s a sign of poor character and she is probably dishonest in other ways too.
Maxakaxa − So You live like a guest in your own home? Someone else is making the rules? I would get her out before she would have any legal rights to not be evicted.
Illustrious-Unit-636 − NTA the longer she stays the more difficult it will be to evict, the court will consider a mother and child almost impossible to evict because the child has needs etc. you need to evict right away, before she gets the right to stay forever essentially
Beneficial_Test_5917 − NTA. She knew the rules, she defiantly broke them (she didn’t tell you because she knew she was doing wrong). Do not feel sorry for her, she has made every bed she has slept in. Give her a box of condoms as you shut the door on her.
LetsGetsThisPartyOn − NTA. Get her out.. She lied.. Have parties!
CarcosaDweller − Would you be the AH for evicting? No. Are you the AH for letting this go so long? Yes. The time to do something was when she brought the kid home, or when she admitted she wasn’t just babysitting, or when it became an expectation that the household would change to accommodate her child, or when…
By this point the situation is fully your fault. You have accepted it by not doing anything about it. Which would be one thing if you were only making yourself miserable, but you have another tenant,
one who made an agreement with you that I am certain didn’t involve providing childcare in what is supposed to be a child free home. You’re not just a roommate, you’re a landlord. Do your job.
kissespink − NTA. Your house rules were clearer than a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” sign, and she decided to test the system anyway. Being a single mom is hard,
but sneaking a kid into a child-free house with temperamental dogs is a recipe for disaster. This isn’t about hating kids — it’s about respecting boundaries, rent payments, and sharp-edge safety hazards.
Do you think the Redditor would be justified in asking their tenant to leave, given the challenges and lack of agreement on the situation? How would you handle living with someone who goes against your lifestyle preferences? Share your thoughts below!