Sometimes people have strange request of others.
Especially when it comes to travel.
And the stranger the request, eight times out of ten, it’s usually family.
Everybody deserves a vacation but getting all of your ducks in a row properly, is part of the checklist.
Case in point…
Redditor Equivalent_You_6114 wanted to discuss their story for some feedback. So naturally they came to visit the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit.
They asked:
“AITA For not agreeing to housesit for my sister?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“Okay this is a wild one that makes absolutely no sense to me.”
“But my sister absolutely hates my guts right now for something I just can’t understand how I did wrong.”
“She is leaving for vacation for one week, next week.”
“She asked me to stay at her place including nights because she is worried about break-ins and if there is a flood etc.”
“As well as watering the plants.”
“Okay, fine. She lives close by, so I’ll stay there.”
“I sent her a text agreeing to house sit.”
“Then she sends me a text and tells me, ‘Okay, Instead of charging you market rent, I’ll charge you a bit less.'”
“Uh, no. I have my own home. Why TF would I pay?”
“So I responded with ‘?'”
“And she responded by explaining that her comparable rental house (She is a landlord) gets X a month in rent so she divided the rent by 4 for the one week and knocked $75 off.”
“Yea… no.”
“So I told her she is free to hire a housesitter, or I can do it free.”
“But I’m not going to pay to stay at her place if I already have a place of my own.”
“She’s now upset with me because she ‘has a mortgage to pay’ and is ‘losing out if [OP] doesn’t pay for the 2 weeks to live there.”
“I told her that is not really my issue.”
“And I refuse to house sit AND pay to do sit. I’ll stay at my place.”
“Now my partner is on my side, and so are most of the family members.”
“But my sister’s friends have sent me messages on FB and Insta absolutely shredding me and saying things like ‘Did you think you get to stay somewhere for free? Nothing is free.'”
“And admonishing me as a ‘leech.'”
“She is part of a private landlord group on FB and has sent me screenshots of people commenting on her post about me.”
“So many calling me entitled and saying things such as ‘Where in the world do you expect to live somewhere free?'”
“And that I should be grateful she is charging below market rate.”
“I am so saddened that she would air our dirty laundry online.”
“My sister tells me she is crushed that I refuse to help her as she only trusts me to watch her place, so no airbnbs and strangers etc.”
“She showed me the Facebook post.”
“She’s not lying to people about the issue and twisting facts.”
“She’s LITERALLY telling them the full story.”
“That she asked me for a favor, and I’m not asking her for a place to live.”
“And yet most of the comments are them mocking me for thinking I can stay there for free.”
“That house sitting is not a job and that I should be helping my sister out and if I stay there, I should be paying some rent.”
“I am absolutely floored, and I don’t know anymore.”
“Am I actually the bad person here?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA?:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors declared our OP was NOT the A**hole.
It’s a tricky situation.
Let’s hear some thoughts…
“I’m sorry, but your sister has a screw loose.”
“You were doing her a favor and she is acting as if you are on a holidays in her house.”
“Go enjoy your home. NTA.” ~ veemar1977
“That entire landlord group has a whole bucket of screws just falling out left and right.”
“I know OP says their sister told the whole story to them, so I can only imagine that none of them actually read it.”
“OP is definitely NTA.”
“House sitting is a service.”
“You pay others for services, you don’t get paid for them providing it to you.”
“Does she expect the doctor to pay her for being their patient?”
“Or waiters to tip her? I don’t get her logic at all.” ~ HalcyonEve
“I pet sit for my sister.”
“I live about 2 houses down from hers but when I pet sit, I sleep there cause I don’t want the dog to be by herself at night.”
“She pays me which apparently is a novel concept to some.”
“NTA, not even close.” ~ Fine-Adhesiveness985
“To hell with all that.”
“If your sister can’t afford to go on vacation and pay her mortgage, why doesn’t she just say so?”
“NTA.” ~ shopgirl2
“This. OP, say, ‘That’s wonderful!'”
“‘You have so many people in your group willing to pack up their lives for two weeks, take care of your house, and pay you for the privilege.'”
“‘Comment on your post and ask who can watch your house for you.'”
“‘It works out perfectly!'”
‘”You have a bunch of people volunteering for the position, for free, whose opinions you trust, and I don’t have to do something I don’t want to do.'”
“‘I hope you have a great vacation!'”
“Then, absolutely refuse. Do not do it. Not even if she begs you.”
“OR post on a group for housesitters, explain the situation, and screenshot all the posts shredding her. Fun, fun!” ~ crystallz2000
“NTA Ask your sister’s friends for references of people who PAY to house sit for someone else in the town where they already reside.”
“Like, why would anyone do that?” ~ SnapesGrayUnderpants
“People pay for house sitters, house sitters don’t pay you to stay at your house and be inconvenienced. “
“What a warped sense of reality.”
“Just because she chooses to go elsewhere for vacation doesn’t automatically mean someone else going to your house is a vacation for them.”
“Haha! Truly Bizarre thought process.” ~ Chance-Ad-9952
“NTA YOU don’t need the favor she does.”
“By the way she’s going about this, she is implying that without staying in her home you’d be homeless.”
“THAT is not true. You already have a place to sleep and do whatever.”
“When someone house sits for YOU, YOU pay them.”
“If someone sublets while you’re not occupying said domicile, then THEY pay you.”
“Your sister is a nut! And so is her FB group.”
“I want to see her explain to the house sitting service that THEY have to pay HER!!! LMFAO!” ~ moodyfish7777
“NTA. She asked you to house sit.”
“Why would you be renting the place for the week?”
“You’re not living there.”
“She’s being weird and couldn’t afford to go on vacation if it means she wouldn’t have money for her mortgage.”
“She could’ve put it up on AirBnB for the week if she wanted cash.” ~ Sandmint
“Oh no, sister knows exactly what she’s doing and she’s hoping with enough wailing and gnashing of teeth that OP will just give in.”
“And an echo chamber telling her that she’s totally owed this, ‘For serial, you guys!'”
“If she was genuinely trying not to pressure OP this would have all been mentioned up front.”
“She was counting on with so little time to back out you’d have to just accept her terms.”
“NTA OP, and tell anyone who supports your sister’s nonsense that while no one gets to live anywhere for free.”
“No one should be working for free either, let alone pay for the privilege.” ~ UnqualifiedIT
“NTA. Your sister is insane.”
“And the only way people are agreeing with her is if she gave them the wrong details.”
“Like saying that you are currently homeless/couch surfing and NEED a place to stay.”
“Honestly, I’d respond to every friend of hers who messaged you and explain that you have your own house.”
“Make her friends go back to her with their own WTFs and let them point out how insane her thinking is.” ~ EatAPotatoOrSeven
“NTA!!! She asked YOU to housesit, not to come in and pay rent for 2 weeks while she pisses off on luxury holiday.”
“That’s like charging a babysitter or a nanny for coming and being a parent to your kids.”
“Doesn’t work like that.”
“And her airing it out online in that group, is just straight up ignorant and rude.”
“If anything, it could potentially damage your reputation on getting a new house for rent.”
“You’re the bigger person in this situation because you don’t want to be scammed.”
“Not to mention how you said you’re already paying for your own place, like who TF does she think she is?!”
“You are absolutely NOT the a**hole in this situation.”
“And for your entitled sister, well I hope her food goes rotten in the fridge and the freezer was left open so it all defrosts and gets ruined.” ~ thatandyfella
OP came back with an update…
“Okay so, at the costs of some insults messaged at me online, and being ridiculed by some of the landlord subs here.”
“I feel better knowing that I am in the right and my sis can go eff herself for trying to guilt trip me into this.”
“Thanks everyone.”
“I feel better about cutting her off until she acts more reasonable.”
Well OP, Reddit sounds ready to rumble with your sister for you.
Thanks for the update.
You have to stick up for yourself.
Hopefully she’ll come around.