Room Rental Legal Questions (rentals, month-to-month, townhouse)

[Fredrick22]

I am renting a room in a townhouse that has a private bath attached to the room. I also have kitchen and washer/dryer privileges. The oral room agreement is month to month which is paid the first of every month and I put down a one half month security deposit. I am starting my second month.
The owner who lives in the home seems nice but I noticed she has slurred speech later in the day and I see a lot of empty wine and gin bottles in the trash. She does not sleep well and is up most of the night.
Lately she has been eating my food. She does not ask me first and opens new packages of food. When I ask her about it, she does not think its an issue and sometimes replaces the food.
My first question is, when you rent a room is your food personal property and is this theft?
Secondly, any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.

[dravogadro]

If you are only month-to-month, I'd try to find a different place if you can't work things out. Or buy a small dorm fridge to put in your room.

I doubt that this rental situation is legal (most room rentals aren't) so you can file some complaints but you will end up evicting yourself when they find out she doesn't have a rental license.

[GBCommenter]

If I had to ponder an educated guess, I would say a strict legal interpretation is that, yes - it is theft. I wouldn't think being granted access to the kitchen and your leaving an item you purchased gives the owner of the kitchen free range to items in that kitchen that she knows she didn't purchase.

That said, this doesn't seem like a good situation for you to be in.

On the food issue, how far are you really going to go to prove it's your food and how far are you going to go to "defend it"? Will you go to the extent of calling the police and showing a receipt from the grocery store? If you win that battle, you'll pretty likely lose the war and get kicked out of your place (especially with only a verbal agreement). Alternately, do you want to live somewhere where you'll continually have to ask what is the next food to go missing?

Furthermore, it seems to me you are headed to further problems given what appears to be an alcohol problem. Should that turn to a money problem, what else will go missing? What other lapses of judgment will arise, and will you get pulled into that web?

I realize probably easier said than done, but I would be taking steps to remove myself from that situation ASAP.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by Fredrick22

I am renting a room in a townhouse that has a private bath attached to the room. I also have kitchen and washer/dryer privileges. The oral room agreement is month to month which is paid the first of every month and I put down a one half month security deposit. I am starting my second month.
The owner who lives in the home seems nice but I noticed she has slurred speech later in the day and I see a lot of empty wine and gin bottles in the trash. She does not sleep well and is up most of the night.
Lately she has been eating my food. She does not ask me first and opens new packages of food. When I ask her about it, she does not think its an issue and sometimes replaces the food.
My first question is, when you rent a room is your food personal property and is this theft?
Secondly, any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.

YES, your food is YOUR PROPERTY and she IS STEALING IT.

I'd make plans to leave if I was you. Next time make it clear to the new person that you do not want your food touched. If you start making a big deal about it now with your current person, she might spit or poison your stuff. It's just best to leave and/or keep your food in your room.

[Fredrick22]

Yes, I realize I must find another place.
I just paid $650 at the beginning of the month and she has a one half month security deposit so how do I get out without loosing like $900?
Thanks.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by Fredrick22

Yes, I realize I must find another place.
I just paid $650 at the beginning of the month and she has a one half month security deposit so how do I get out without loosing like $900?
Thanks.

Since it's only a verbal agreement, you could probably get away with living there for the rest of the month and either losing the deposit or stay two months and only pay a half month for the last one. Other than that, I don't see how you're going to get out of this without a bit of a fight.