An 18-year-old woman, who had been given a two-story building by her father designed like an apartment, decided to turn it into a source of income by renting out the lower floor. She lived upstairs and charged her tenant $500 for the space, which was considerably fair given the location—an hour from the city and 15 minutes from the nearest store. A comparable modern apartment would typically rent for $600 to $700.
She invited her boyfriend of three months to move in with her due to his unstable living situation and reluctance to live with his parents again. She allowed him to stay as long as he needed without asking for rent or utilities, though they split the grocery bills equally.
For three months, her boyfriend was unaware that she owned the building. She hadn’t felt it necessary to mention her ownership status unless specifically asked about it.
One day, her tenant came to report that the freezer had broken down. Overhearing the conversation, her boyfriend later asked about it, and she explained that she was the landlord and would be covering the cost of a new freezer for the tenant.
This revelation surprised her boyfriend, leading him to an angry outburst. He felt deceived and berated her for not sharing that she was a landlord, a role he associated with greed. He then demanded she give him half of her rental income, accusing her of being as greedy as he perceived landlords to be.
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