When a person invites someone over, it's a sign of trust. Letting someone to come into their home means they are allowing them to see a part of their personal life, and this should be treated with respect. Unfortunately, that does not always happen.
People on Reddit share the most annoying thing one of their house guests has ever done. Content has been edited for clarity.
What Was He Thinking?
“I invited a former college classmate to come and stay at my house when I found out he was homeless. I knew he had issues with drinking, but was not aware that he had come to include other addictions. It was late in the evening when I picked him up and brought him home. I showed him his room, the bathroom, told him to help himself to anything in the fridge.
Less than two hours later, I woke up to the smoke alarm going off. I guess he had decided to smoke some benadryl that was in the medicine cabinet. I’m not really sure what went on, but he scorched my coffee table and a small patch of laminate flooring. Plus, he burned/melted a spot in my area rug big enough I had to replace it. He also broke my favourite glass, and for some reason that still baffles me, smashed the remote for my TV into several pieces. Needless to say, I had to show him the door. The next day I told him he needed to go to the addictions clinic at the hospital and tell them he needed help because he was a danger to himself and others.”
Go Home Then
“I am 28 years old at the time of this story. A friend of mine who does light-bullying thing as his main personality trait would regularly come over to have a break from his wife and kids (his homemaker-wife does the bare minimum, and he essentially both makes the income and keeps up with every chore, his need to get away is legitimate). I give him a lot of freedom, such as being able to change the thermostat and eating whatever food he wants without needing permission; this kind of welcome was, I thought, met with respect in return (but I was clearly mistaken).
One day he is using the television to play music while he looks at memes on his phone, the next song comes on and he mildly doesn’t like it but my wife says out loud ‘Oh I love this song!’
He changes the song anyway and says, ‘No one cares what you like.’
It’s not the roughest thing he’s ever said, but in a situation like this, it’s always a joke, just a mean absurdity. It would follow that he change the song back and laugh, because clearly he didn’t mean that. It’s just the light-bullying to show affection. But he didn’t turn it back. I was in the other room preparing food for everyone and was waiting for my wife’s song to play for almost 20 seconds or so before leaning past the wall to look at him:
Him: ‘What?’
Me: ‘You know what, change the song back.’
Him: ‘Nah I don’t like that song.’
Me: ‘Oh word?’
Him: ‘Yeah I’m just not in the mood for it.’
Me: ‘Oh, cool, well then. Go home.’
Him: ‘Huh?’
Me: ‘Yeah get outta here with that nonsense. Go home.’
(And he did, I haven’t spoken to him since.)
I thought it was so out of character for him; he was always trying to lecture me on how I was immature for how I handled my relationship, he has big issues with people getting too comfortable too quickly in his home, legitimately everything that happened is against everything he’s ever talked about in his home and about his family.
But the more I thought about it? I let him feel like my house was his man cave. He started taking advantage of my kindness and saw it as me giving him a second house to control. My wife is very nice and sweet, but I knew he somewhat resented her because instead of hanging out with him almost seven days a week like before, I spent more time with her now. Even though he had access to my home to hang out four to five times a week, he blamed her for why I don’t go out and chill anymore (it was actually my new job’s fault, not hers). I think he was slowly trying to manipulate me into resenting her with him, but I was unaware of that because it absolutely wasn’t working. I think he saw that night as me choosing her over our friendship, and I absolutely would choose her over him any day, but it was definitely more about being rude to the group as if he thought he was the leader or more important member.”
She Asked Him Multiple Times
“Back when I lived with my mom as a teen, we had a little area in our home that was essentially a bit of a shrine to honour our family members who had passed away (we had a lot of them). It was just a little table with their pictures and mementos and candles, and we liked to light the candles sometimes, and think about them and share happy memories. It was the one really obvious thing in the house that bordered on religious/sacred/special, and looking at it made it clear that it was not just an ordinary table. I had a boyfriend who would always, without fail, throw his trash onto the shrine. I told him multiple times not to do it, but he always did. I would watch him finish his drink, look around the room and see a perfectly normal coffee table with coasters on it, and then cross the room and put the can onto the shrine. I think he was doing it on purpose, but god knows why, just to be rebellious? It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was really annoying because I told him not to, and he wouldn’t stop. It was a bit disrespectful. You wouldn’t just eat snacks at a funeral and then throw the wrapper onto the coffin, would you? Stop throwing your trash onto the memories of my relatives!
I also remember once, my mum and I had a friend who was going through a tough time and very lonely, so my mum offered for her to stay at her house over Christmas, as that’s when she felt the most vulnerable. She agreed, and we were looking forward to it, as we never had many guests at Christmas. She basically ruined the whole thing by being ungrateful and rude. We had a guest bedroom, but she insisted on kicking mum out of her own bed, as it was bigger, so mom slept in the spare room. This meant that whenever mum needed anything out of her bedroom, like clothes and whatnot, she had to ask the guest, and she’d make a fuss about it. She spent a lot of time in the bedroom being antisocial, but at the same time, would insinuate that we were ignoring her, even though we always asked if she wanted to join in on things. She also treated mOm a bit like a maid, asking for food/drink all the time and then complaining that she didn’t like it. We’d invited her to try and brighten her Christmas, as she was lonely, but she just ignored us and treated us like trash simultaneously, and it really dragged everything down. On the day she left, she didn’t even say thanks for anything. Needless to say, she didn’t get another invite.”
Wrong On So Many Levels
“My husband once invited an old high school friend of his over for dinner. They’d recently reconnected, so he was excited to spend an evening having a fire and catching up. His friend arrived with his girlfriend and three kids (which was fine. We expected the whole family). The kids barely set foot in my house and start raiding my kitchen like locusts. Hanging on my fridge door, opening and slamming cabinets, screaming that they’re hungry.
We were planning on cooking out, so I didn’t have dinner immediately ready. But the way the kids were acting my husband offered to buy some pizza. They start jumping up and down screaming ‘Meat lovers! Meat lovers!’
Meanwhile, the girlfriend keeps trying to smoke in my house. I keep politely telling her the house is non-smoking and she keeps trying to circumvent that rule. The buddy is telling us how well behaved his kids are. He goes on about how strangers are so impressed with their manners, he’s thinking of starting a school to teach other unfortunate kids etiquette. (My eyes would be rolling hard at this point if they weren’t also fighting tears.)
The pizza arrives, three large meat lovers, and it was feeding time at the zoo. The whole family just plowed into it face first, touching everything, eating over the box, it was a sight to behold. After about four pieces, the nine year old disappeared into the guest bathroom, that’s a good 25’ from the kitchen. That kid was in there for a while. I asked her dad if she was ok, and he said he’d check on her. The youngest goes with him because he’s holding his belly and saying he has to go too. The girlfriend says everyone always has to go to the bathroom immediately after they eat, shrugs, and tries again to light up.
My husband and I start to smell something horrible. Three people have now entered our bathroom and none have returned. We hear gleeful singing, and smell something that leads us to believe Satan has manifested in our home behind that closed door. The singing must signify that this conjuring was on purpose. Now the youngest goes to the bathroom. The girlfriend, not wanting to be without her family, follows. They’re all in there now. I hear a weird buzzing sound and a lot of loud talking, singing, and screaming. The smell intensifies.
My husband is getting angry now. He knocks on the door and tells his friend he needs to start flushing or spray or something. The friend calls back, saying they’re trying but the toilet is clogged. He blames the nine-year-old. My husband is dubious that a nine year old can produce a double pounder, but that doesn’t really matter right now. The more pressing problem is getting that smell vanquished. And now there’s a second smell. Smoke.
I looked at my husband. It was just a look, but in that moment he saw and understood his future fully. He turned and wailed on the bathroom door demanding that everyone exit the room immediately. The door opened. There was poop all over the floor. The toilet had clogged and overflowed, but they all just kept pooping. The youngest couldn’t wait his turn, and pooped in my bathtub (Husband’s friend assured him it would go down the drain. They did this all the time at their house). Girlfriend was perched on the sink, smoking, and ashing into the basin. The basin was inexplicably filled with clumps of hair. All over the sink, the floor, the trash can. For some reason my husband’s old buddy saw an electric razor and became impulsively inspired to shave his freaking head. I guess it killed time while he waited his turn to poop.
My husband, shirt collar held over his nose, just pointed and said, ‘Leave.’
His buddy tried to blame our plumbing. I was speechless. Even Satan couldn’t hang and escaped back to purgatory (I assume. We didn’t see him when we opened the door).
My husband apologized profusely, and cleaned and plunged and apologized some more. I guess the moral of the story is, when reconnecting with old pals from high school after many years, adjust your expectations.”
He Was Gonna Get What He Wanted
“So we just moved into our new house. Things were all over the place, haven’t unpacked, boxes half open for essentials, etc. A friend of a friend lives around the corner, Matt. He’s always been annoying, but his partner is very lovely and I think her and my partner will get along. We invite some close friends over to show them around, and decide to invite Matt over. However, he tells me he’s going to make oatmeal!
‘That’s ok Matt we have some snacks, no need!’ I tell him,
‘No! it’s delicious, and it’s nutritious!’ he argues.
‘Umm Matt I don’t think anyone’s going to eat it, save it for another time,’ I beg him.
‘I’ll eat it! It’s so good for you. You should all eat it. I’m bringing oatmeal,’ Matt declared.
‘Matt, please don’t. My dishes aren’t unpacked yet it’ll be a big hassle for me to serve this,’ I say in a last ditch attempt.
So a little later on, Matt shows up with a grocery bag full of things. There’s no pot of oatmeal so I think I’m safe… I show everyone around the house and we end up in the kitchen. Matt looks at the stove and says it’s perfect, and starts digging through my boxes labeled kitchen.
‘Umm what are you doing Matt?’ I question.
‘Well you told me not to bring oatmeal so instead I brought everything to MAKE oatmeal, I’m digging out the pots to make it and dishes to serve it!’ he happily states.
At this point my friends are getting really weirded out, make comments that no one will eat it and some of them leave because they’re increasingly uncomfortable around him now. Even my partner who has bad anxiety on a good day decides she’s going to leave if he stays.
‘Matt, do not make oatmeal in my house! I don’t even have my dish soap out. I can’t clean all these dishes and I don’t want to have to clean them!’ I order.
‘Don’t worry I’ll take them home and clean them,’ Matt reassures.
Finally my significant other demands:
‘Do NOT make oatmeal here! No one wants it except for you! Go home, make some, and come back after that!’ she screams.
‘Guys it’s not a big deal! You should be more accommodating,’ Matt says, in shock.
Finally Matt’s partner shows up, and is curious why people are leaving and why my partner is super anxious. She realizes Matt’s not in the room and rolls her eyes, and puts it all together.
”Matt, what are you doing?’ she questions.
‘Hey babe! I’m making oatmeal! Did you want some? Can you get the sugar out of my bag?’ Matt happily retorts.
‘Matt, they told you they don’t want you to bring or make oatmeal! No one’s going to eat it, I know you’ll only have two bites and say you’ll eat the rest later. Stop what you’re doing and when the people who own the house tell you not to do something… don’t do it!’ she begs.
Matt huffed and puffed, trying to convince her it would be ok. She wasn’t having any of it. My partner thanks her profusely. Despite opening all the ingredients, he bags them back up and sets it on my counter. Again, I think it’s the end of this.
Maybe an hour goes by tempers have calmed and we’re playing some games, a couple drinks, it’s chill. Right until Matt walks into the kitchen.
‘Oh no! My ingredients!’ he yells.
Knowing this can’t be good, I get up and run into the kitchen. I find oats, sugar, maple syrup, canned pumpkin, and whatever other items he had scattered across my floor.
Now Matt cleans this up in the most frustrating way possible. One piece of paper towel at a time, he mushes it into the mess. I go dig out the mop and broom and start cleaning it up properly. Meanwhile Matt’s partner looks at my partner and says:
‘I’ll get him out of here… I’m sorry about all this!’
While cleaning, Matt decides to mention I should buy him replacement ingredients since he didn’t get to make the oatmeal he was craving because I didn’t let him make it, now they’re ruined.
His partner pulls him out of there, apologizes on his behalf and the rest of my friends look at each other like What just happened, who is this guy?
The next day, my significant other looks at me and very clearly states that Matt is never allowed back in our house for any reason. We both agreed that would be for the best.”
If Only They Could Pick Their Family
“My mother’s side of the family can be very inconsiderate. When my sister was getting married some years ago, they stayed with us for the weekend. I knew I had to surrender my room to accommodate them so I cleaned it, washed my sheets and towels, etc for them.
One day that weekend I came home and went into my room (they were only sleeping in the room, otherwise I was still very much using it during the day). I found all of their very wet, musty, smelly towels bundled into a heap on my bed. I cleaned it up and came back an hour later to find that my cousin stripped the duvet off of the bed and placed it on the floor and put her toddler son to sleep on it on the floor.
My aunt used my makeup without asking. While I was present, they (aunts and cousins) all rifled through my closet and vanity and used/wore whatever they pleased.
The night of one of the events, while I was doing my hair, I put the blow dryer down temporarily and my cousin gave it to her son because he was asking to play with it. He refused to give it back to me and my cousin told me I need to let him play with it. They constantly asked me to do things for them and help them get dressed, which made me late and I missed the photographer. So, I have no pics with my sister that night. I was devastated, because she and all my other siblings got some wonderful shots I missed out on.
They insulted every outfit I wore and if they liked it, it was only because one of them had one ‘just like that but nicer.’
Throughout the weekend, I saw one of them pick my water bottle and drink from it, I walked into my room to find my cousins’ husband shirtless and very greasy, passed out on my bed (he hadn’t spent the night so he didn’t need to be on the bed – but even still, at least shower before you get on someone’s bed). And the icing on the cake – my other sister also had to give up her room. One day she found a strange stain on her sheet. Turns out, my cousin changed her son’s diaper on her bed without spreading a changing pad and his poop got on her bed.”
This Friendship Is Over
“When I was a teenager, my friends mum kicked her out and she hadn’t anywhere else to go. So, my mum kindly let her stay with us until she got sorted, which was no small deal; we were pretty poor and struggled just feeding three of us (my mum, my brother and I) let alone anyone else. We didn’t have a spare room, so she had to stay in my bed which was fine, she was my friend. She lasted three days with us. In that time, she stank up my bedroom (she didn’t wash even prior to staying with us, she always smelled bad), ate nearly a weeks worth of food and kept leaving the front door open (claimed she couldn’t get it to shut properly. It’s a regular door? How?).
Anyway, the icing on the cake was when my mum came back from the shop in floods of tears because the last $20 from her purse had ‘gone missing.’ That $20 had to feed four people for two weeks. She was beside herself. My friend was acting sheepish and arranged to stay somewhere else within the hour of this happening and half an hour after that, she was gone. My mum later found the $20 note crumpled in a ball in her coat pocket. At least my ‘friend’ had the decency to give it back.
She tried to keep in touch, but I ghosted her after this. I couldn’t trust her anymore and it was a really awful thing to do to someone who was trying to help. My mum forgave her and urged me to give her another chance, but forget that.”
Brother Of The Year
“My husband’s sister arrived from over 100 miles away, uninvited, with their two loud children, ages six and eight.
We called her when they were on their way and she replied saying ‘I left you a text message,’ saying they were coming.
Had announced the day before on social media that they were ‘thinking of planning a road trip’ with all of the vagueness of a teenager. I had my suspicions and asked my spouse if he thought we’d be ambushed with a visit, and he said to chillax and not worry. Sure enough she texted him earlier to invite herself. He doesn’t check his texts regularly. Instead of contacting me, the other person in the house that controls the finances and pays the bills, she decided to tell the teenage child that is always happy go lucky when it comes to family, who assumed that we already knew.
Expected dinner, breakfast, and lunch and children’s entertainment (I’m a fairly good cook, and when we have guests/family, I usually pull out all the hospitality stops). The children brought glitter crafts and nail polish they had recently received as gifts. Oh, and, surprise! ‘discovered’ their ‘sort of ex’ boyfriend was flying into the local airport (10 minute drive from us) from a trip with a midnight arrival! Invited this stranger to our house without asking us. No, he may not come in. Spent over an hour going in and out of the house back and forth to his car outside at the curb, with the kids all excited that ‘he was here!’
The kids were also waking up the neighbors in the middle of the night with their giggles and screams. Next morning, she took a shower and abandoned the kids to be entertained by us. The shower was 45 minutes long, and grooming took another two hours. Then decided to leave kids with us in order to ‘check out’ a job facility near our house that is owned by the parent company of their workplace to see ‘if they have any job opportunities, because I like this town and it would be nice to live here.’
I didn’t make dinner, breakfast, or lunch. We had leftovers for dinner, cereal for breakfast, and take out for lunch. I did not make an effort to entertain. I made sure she knew she wasn’t welcome from me. My husband, being the loving and kind brother he is welcomed her, but expressed his disappointment in her decisions and told her not to do it again.
I was not pleased. You see, this all occurred after my husband and I just got off a multi night work shift that was emotionally and physically draining. We stay on night shift most of the time, unless we have time to prepare for a day switch.
Less than a month later, announced that she was leaving her job to work at another company (staying far away).”
He Said One, Not Two
“A friend got evicted two months before he was supposed to be going to basic training. I invited him to stay, since it was only two months. Since he wasn’t working at the time, he agreed to help around the house for his rent. Before he came to stay I set two ground rules. He was allowed to stay rent free – his girlfriend was not, as she rents a place in the city and we didn’t get along, I could handle a night or two per week at most (she was needy as heck and made him do everything – right down to ‘can you strain these noodles for me? I’m scared to burn my hands’). The second rule – no coke in my house – do what you want when you’re out, don’t bring that stuff home.
So.. The girlfriend starts staying over. Suddenly, she has multiple jackets hung up by my door and several pairs of shoes. One day I came home from work, ready to flop on my couch and watch TV. No one was home, but she was there… Watching soap operas in her underwear and refusing to give me the remote until her stories were done.
Accidents happen, a few months later (remember this was only supposed to be two months?) she got pregnant and said to me, ‘I don’t even understand how this happened! I am always on top cause gravity!’
She had also just been through radiation therapy for cervical cancer (the least risky kind possible, she never felt ill), and her doctor told her she would die if she tried to keep the baby and urged her to abort asap. I asked my friend to take her to her own place afterwards to recover, I had already been wanting her gone since she arrived. Straight from the hospital, back up to my ‘spare’ room. She laid in bed demanding things for two weeks. Eventually I snapped, and made my own demand that she go home. They told me I was the meanest person and she cried.
I finally lost it and threw him out soon after. He had been out doing coke with his friends, stumbled in about 6 am and went to bed. I was woken up at seven by one of his coked up friends that had broken into my house and was at the end of my bed yelling about a car that had been stolen…? Had to replace my front door. My ‘friend’ did not get a key.”
They Were Too Subtle
“An online friend whom I had previously met before informed me he was visiting my country. I didn’t think, at the time, I could say that we can’t meet up even though, shall I say, I wasn’t his biggest fan.
He rented a hotel room close by and came to visit my tiny apartment one day. Back then my boyfriend and I had a single couch and bed. My friend and I sat on said couch and exchanged stories, watched videos, played games, whatever. It was getting late. I told him, a number of times, my boyfriend and I had to sleep soon so he should go. He kept insisting he had to share one more story or video or that we should play one more round of games.
My boyfriend was silently fuming in the background. Late at night, I eventually put my foot down and said, as I had until then, that we both had work the next day so he had to leave. After he did my boyfriend said we should never ever invite him over again.
I was so furious this whole incident and decided to put some distance between us. But it didn’t work, since he basically waited for me to show up at the entrance to my apartment building after work.”