Husband gets in trouble with entitled, disapproving in-laws after he turned "their" guest room into a home office: 'They didn't take it well!'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 8, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

No one ever said that when you marry someone, you need to be able to house your in-laws every time they visit. That's not part of the loving but contractual agreement that is marriage. First of all, this assumption is built on the notion that the couple in question has the space to have guests staying with them on a regular basis. Let's be real: You likely need to have a guest room at the very least, considering that most in-laws would not be happy crashing on a couch. This, of course, is understandable, as they are no longer in their 20s. Still, whatever happened to these crazy things called hotels?

Another frustrating part of dealing with visiting in-laws is the assumption that you need to uproot your life for them. Sure, you want to be able to plan events that are easy for all involved, but all families need space, and feeling like you're living on top of one another is not necessarily good for the relationship moving forward. You have to be able to draw the line somewhere, even if you do have room to let them stay with you!

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  • This author is a fully-remote employee and recently converted their guest room into a home office, which proved to be a productive and fruitful decision for both his work and home life. However, this also meant that his entitled in-laws could no longer stay in that room when they came to visit. Breaking the news to them ended up being far more difficult than it should have been!

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    My wife and I live in a 2-bedroom apartment. No kids, just the two of us. For the past couple years, the second bedroom was basically our unofficial guest room mainly for her parents, - who visit maybe once or twice a year.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    I work from home full-time and had been working from the corner of our living room for way too long. A few weeks ago, I finally set up a proper home office in the spare room. Got a decent chair, desk, monitor -
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    used some saved-up money to make it actually functional. Honestly, it's made a huge difference in how I work.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    (二) 04:09:00
    via Michael Soledad

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    Her parents are planning a visit this month and assumed they'd be staying with us like they usually do. My wife let them know that since the room is now my office, it's not set up for overnight guests anymore - but
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    we'd be happy to pay for a hotel or Airbnb nearby. I'll still be working during their visit, so having them in the same space just wouldn't work logistically.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    They didn't take it well. Her mom made a snide comment like "didn't realize we needed a reservation now," and her dad asked why I thought a desk was more important than family. Now there's tension, and my wife is feeling weird about the whole thing.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    I genuinely didn't mean to upset anyone. I thought offering to cover a nearby place was a fair compromise they're still - welcome to hang out with us all
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    day, I just need a quiet space to work. But now I'm wondering if I handled it wrong or came off cold. AITA for not making the office a temporary guest room again?
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    Suncroft56 · 17h ago • I think it was a fair and very generous compromise. NTA. It's your space 24/7, 365 days a year. You should not have to work in a corner of
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    have to work in a corner of the living room to keep a room ready for occasional guests who only visit sporadically. They're being ridiculous.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    Marvin1955 • 17h ago It's your home, and now your office. You work to support your family. Leaving a room vacant to be used once or twice a year (!) while
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    you work in a corner of the loungeroom is ridiculous. Your in-laws need to get over themselves, and I think your wife needs to give them a stern talking to. Perhaps
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    they could fund a 3 bedroom apartment for you to make life easier for themselves?
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    You are not the AH here, particularly since you offered to fund their accommodation.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    OkPerformance2... 17h ago A hotel is a temporary guest room.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    GroovyYaYa 17h ago I'd point out that the desk is what keeps your family housed and fed... your family of two.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    Revolutionary Diet... 17h ago . NTA They are acting entitled to your home and need to stop.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    Specialist_Point1... 17h ago A desk is more important than family that visits one to two times a year because that desk is where you do your work that pays for the rent and bills of the apartment your in-laws want to stay in.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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    "That desk is important because that's how I get my work done so that your daughter and I aren't homeless. Why is your vacation more important than your daughters and son in laws livelihood?" NTA
    via AgentOfTheDerp

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aita AITAH entitled people karma entitled people work from home remote work house mother work mother in law
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