I Rented My Basement to My Friend’s Brother for Cheap – He Called Me a Scammer When He Learned I Owned the House
I thought renting my basement to someone I knew would be easy. Instead, it turned into slammed doors, screaming matches, and me wondering why I ever thought generosity was a good idea.
When my grandmother passed, my dad sold me her house at a steep discount. It wasn’t fancy, but it had a converted two-bedroom basement apartment. Six months later, my best friend’s brother, Tyler, needed a place. I offered it for $650—less than half the market rate. At first, things were fine. Then he found out I owned the house.
“You tricked me! You’re making me pay your mortgage!” he yelled. I reminded him the lease literally listed me as the owner, and that his rent barely covered a fraction of my costs. He didn’t care—he called me greedy and stormed off.
Within weeks, the basement was trashed, communication stopped, and Tyler accused me of violating his rights. Finally, he packed up, muttering about “my empire.” I just shook my head. Renting to friends-of-friends? Never again.
