Remote employee transforms spare bedroom into home office, in-laws who visit once a year outraged they’ve lost their guest suite: '[We] live in a 2-bedroom apartment'

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Isabella Penn
May 10, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

Working from home sounds like a dream, right? No commute, no dress code, and the freedom to work in your pajamas. And for the first few months, it is pretty great. But give it a few years, and you start to realize that the lack of a dedicated workspace can feel like you're always on the clock. I've been a remote employee for five years now, and let me tell you, working from the kitchen table got old fast. For three years, I took work calls next to a stack of dishes and I felt like I was living at work instead of working from home.

When I finally turned my spare room into an office, complete with an actual desk, a comfy chair, and a door I could close at the end of the day, it was truly life changing. So I completely get where this guy is coming from. 

After working in the corner of his living room, he finally upgraded his second bedroom into a real home office. But not everyone was thrilled about the transformation, especially his in-laws, who suddenly had nowhere to stay during their once, maybe twice a year visit.

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  • "AITA for not letting my in-laws stay with us after I turned the spare room into my office?"

    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

    Really, what makes more sense here? Getting actual use out of a room that YOU pay for, or letting it sit untouched in case a guest shows up? 

  • 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
    via AgentOfTheDerp
  • chair, desk, monitor - used some saved-up money to make it actually functional. Honestly, it's made a huge difference in how I work. Her parents are planning a visit this month and
    via AgentOfTheDerp
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  • 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 we'd be happy to pay for a hotel or Airbnb nearby.
    via AgentOfTheDerp
  • I'll still be working during their visit, so having them in the same space just wouldn't work logistically. They didn't take it well. Her mom made a snide comment like "didn't
    via AgentOfTheDerp
  • 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
  • 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 day, I just need a quiet space to work. But
    via AgentOfTheDerp
  • 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
  • Suncroft56 I think it was a fair and very generous compromise. NTA.
    via Suncroft56
  • It's your space 24/7, 365 days a year. You should not have to work in a corner of the living room to keep a room ready for occasional guests who only visit sporadically.
    via Suncroft56
  • They're being ridiculous.
    via Suncroft56
  • Marvin 1955 It's your home, and now your office. You work to support your family. Leaving
    via Marvin1955
  • a room vacant to be used once or twice a year (!) while you work in a corner of the loungeroom is ridiculous. Your in- laws need to get over themselves, and I think your wife
    via Marvin1955
  • needs to give them a stern talking to. Perhaps they could fund a 3 bedroom apartment for you to make life easier for themselves?
    via Marvin1955
  • You are not the AH here, particularly since you offered to fund their accommodation.
    via Marvin1955
  • Groovy YaYa I'd point out that the desk is what keeps your family housed and fed... your family of two.
    via GroovyYaYa
  • OkPerformance2221 A hotel is a temporary guest room.
    via OkPerformance2221
  • VivianaRay Got you. Boundaries don't mean disrespect. You're not the AH at all, man. You didn't kick
    via VivianaRay_
  • them out, you offered to pay for a whole place. nearby—that's more than fair. They visit once or twice a year, but you work from home every day. Your job and
    via VivianaRay_
  • sanity matter too. I had to do the same with my space and yeah, folks were weird about it at first, but they got over it. You did nothing wrong.
    via VivianaRay_
  • Specialist_Point1980 A desk is more important than family that visits one to two times a year because that desk is where you do
    via Specialist_Point1980
  • your work that pays for the rent and bills of the apartment your in-laws want to stay in. "That desk is important because that's how I get my
    via Specialist_Point1980
  • 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 Specialist_Point1980

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work from home guests remote employee drama work visit parenting Office couples in laws mother in law family entitled people apartment
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