Real-life MMD: If I'm paying rent, why should I tidy my room?

piecemeal

Wherever you rent, the landlord will expect you to keep it hygienic and reasonably tidy. If stuff is all over the place, how do you know if there is a festering pizza or mouldy banana under it? I wouldn't allow any area of my house to be dirty, rent paid for it or not. I would expect any 24 year old to have learned that much responsibility by age 16 at the latest.

happyinflorida

Move out of course - you aren't happy there - your dad's interfering and nosey.

Darren_lane_2

YES!!!
It's your room in name only-it's his house.
If you want to live in squalor then get a pit in a shared student house or something.
It's old but still holds true-"my house, my rules"

Tazngaz

Go & rent the small room then!

cookiemonster92

I know exactly where you're coming from! I've just graduated and moved back in with my mum and now I remember why I was so desperate to move out three years ago! I now pay rent (unlike when I previously lived at home) but my mum still treats me like I'm in high school, including dictating when I do my ironing, coming into my room without knocking and setting a curfew!! I know she is my mum so it's different, but if my uni landlord did that we'd have been outraged! I think you should try and set reasonable ground rules and if all else fails, save save save to move out ASAP which is my battle plan.

leithman1

Tidy your room like a good lodger.

Wings_of_Ambition

I rented a room in a family home, and after a few months, the landlord tried to dictate loads of rules, including stuff like where I eat my meals, how often I'm to vacuum the room, and what times of day I can have the light on. I politely told him where to shove his rules and promptly moved out. As far as I'm concerned, if I'm paying rent, that room is mine and I'll live in it how I like, as long as it doesn't affect others (I've lived with smelly housemates before!). Communal areas need a bit of respect, but once that bedroom door is closed, it's nobody else's business.

omendata

Being tidy is the sign of an organised and logical mind and is most associated with successful people in life and business.

Your father is right - my father was the same and i followed most of his rules - Being so tidy i developed an organisational ocd which has helped me so much in business / work and in my personal life.

I dont spend hours looking for things as i know where everything is so not only do you optimise your time but you dont loose stuff and just think of all those wasted hours looking for things add it all up and over a lifetime it can mount up to days and weeks lost.

Untidiness is a sign of laziness and if you follow that route it will probably follow you into to your working life.

I have also found that women love a guy who is neat and tidy - nothing women hate more than a slob!

You might disagree - I did but i look back at all the arguments with my dad and I have to admit in almost 99% of occasions he was always right and I have become a better person because of his advice, rules and regulations!

Man up and do what yer dad says after all its his house and he has paid for you all these years - you will find you get more respect from your father and believe me you will thank him in later life!

DGS1959

Get a life you spoilt sod, move out and get a room and live like a pig and no one would mind.

cuba2008

I can see both sides of the argument here as my daughter, her husband and baby recently spent four months with us. Their room was as tidy as she could keep it, given the lack of space. However, she was paying rent, as well as buying food and, whilst I was at work, helping with the laundry and housework. I wonder if that is what is at the root of the conflict in this case. The OP's father is putting his foot down over the state of the OP's room because, not only is his/her bedroom a mess but he/she isn't helping out anywhere else in the house. Just because you are paying "rent" for your room doesn't mean you don't have a responsibility towards helping keep the rest of the house tidy or loading the washing machine once in a while. If the only room in the house being used by the OP was the bedroom I would say that the father is treeating his 24 year old like a 14 year old. However, I very much doubt the OP doesn't use the living room, bathroom or kitchen and therefore have some sympathy with the parents. Alternatively, perhaps they are simply sick of having an adult living in their home and have decided that the extra "rent" isn't worth the hassle. Either ground rules have to be set and adhered to on both sides or the OP should consider renting that room "for not much more".