Brother-in-law camps out in bathroom for hours while staying at his sister-in-law's 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house: 'I told him I really had to go. It took him an hour to get out.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Jun 23, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

When you live in a house with four people to one bathroom, you have to be hyper-aware of not hogging the space during incredibly inopportune times. You can't blow-dry your hair for twenty minutes during high-traffic times, like weekday mornings. Other people's showers and trips to the toilet are more important than standing in front of the mirror and doing your makeup. Anything that does not wholly necessitate a bathroom setting should be done elsewhere, if and when someone in the house really needs to use the bathroom. There's nothing wrong with reading a newspaper on the pot if you've got five bathrooms, you're the only person home, or nobody else needs to use the bathroom. However, it's essential to use common sense and be mindful of exactly how much time you spend in the bathroom. Someone might need to go, but doesn't feel emboldened to ask the bathroom hog to hurry it up. 

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  • 01

    AITA for telling my BIL he needs to book a hotel when he and my sister were staying at my house?

    My sister and her husband live across the country and decided they wanted to come visit. I live in a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom and I set up a bed in my home office because they wanted to stay at my house. They had been here for 4 days.
    via u/singletoilets

  • The sister-in-law in this story begged her brother-in-law to let her use her restroom when she really needed it, but he continued to putter around in there doing God knows what. Hogging the bathroom in your own home is bad enough, but to do it while you're a guest is unacceptable.

  • 02
    The bathroom has been a big problem. He spends hours in there. After the first day, I talked to my sister about it. She says he has a condition where he needs the bathroom a lot. So I let it rest. On day 3, it was even worse. There was a time where I had to excuse myself to go to the store so I could use the bathroom twice because he wouldn't leave.
    via u/singletoilets
  • 03
    ase Cousin pauc
    via Tem Rysh

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

  • 04
    The last day i woke up at 4am and had to use the bathroom very badly. I knocked on the door and he said he'd be out in a minute. I told him I really had to go. It took him an hour to get out. The nearby store wasn't open at that time and I had to do something I am not happy I had to do because I couldn't wait.
    via u/singletoilets
  • 05
    The next morning I told him he needs to get a hotel. I can't be blocked from using the bathroom in my own home because he takes it hostage. I get he has a condition, but so do I. And I make sure I have my own bathroom when I travel so I don't get in the way of other people needing the bathroom.
    via u/singletoilets
  • 06
    My sister and her BIL were very upset and called me ableist. I told them what I had to do last night because he was in the bathroom for so long and they said I could've held it. I told them they need to leave and find a hotel or stay with other family, he just can't stay here anymore.
    via u/singletoilets
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10520731904
    via Vojtech Bruzek

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

  • 08
    AITA for telling my sister and BIL they need to get a hotel when the plan was for them to stay with me for a week?
    via u/singletoilets
  • 09
    Cheezburger Image 10520708352
    via Gabe Pierce

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

  • 10
    BlondDee1970 NTA. If someone needs to take up that much time in the bathroom they 100% should be getting their own accommodations so they have a private bathroom. Forcing you to go to the store is insane. If BIL really needs that much bathroom time (and not just scrolling) the sister never should have asked to stay knowing it's a one bath house.
    via u/BlondDee1970
  • 11
    singletoilets OP I have IBS and sometimes need the bathroom a lot and that's why I always get a hotel or only stay at someone's house if there is more than one bathroom. But unless it's impossible, I get a hotel.
    via u/singletoilets
  • 12
    Gaberahamj The fact that you have IBS makes you even less of an ah_le. They can get a hotel.
    via u/Gaberahamj
  • 13
    shelwood46 Exactly, I have family with various colon and urinary problems and they *always* make sure they have their own bathroom. Did they even tell you what he supposedly has? Because in my experience, medical conditions can make you use the bathroom often, but seldom for super extended times multiple days in a row.
    via u/shelwood46
  • 14
    LookAway Please510 Sounds like he's permanently constipated, or uses the throne to scroll social media.
    via u/LookAwayPlease510
  • 15
    prosperosniece Fairly certain BIL is on his phone in the bathroom. Fairly certain he's NOT scrolling social media.
    via u/prosperosniece
  • 16
    Dirigo72 A Crohn's flare can absolutely last several days, even weeks.
    via u/Dirigo72
  • 17
    AdDramatic3058 Yes it can. And as a Crohns sufferer, myself, I find it r de that they didn't get themselves a hotel or air b&b for themselves, so they wouldn't hog the only bathroom OP has. Just knowing that someone may also be needing the bathroom, while I'm occuping one, gives me SO much anxiety!
    via u/AdDramatic3058
  • 18
    Plant-serialkiller_2 Agreed. To expand on this, during a flair you can have to go multiple times a day. During one bad flair I was going 12+ times a day. (I was hospitalized by end of day 2 and in kidney failure due to extreme dehydration.)
    via u/Plant-serialkiller_2
  • 19
    But...even during a flair I can usually 'tag out' and let someone else have a turn before 'tagging back in'. Maybe not immediately but certainly in less than an hour...and definitely if I was at someone else's house and they needed to use their own toilet.
    via u/Plant-serialkiller_2
  • 20
    Personally, I don't go anywhere without multiple bathrooms. I don't even visit people's homes that only have one bathroom because of this scenario. I know that may seem severe but when you live worried about the next 'bathroom emergency' you tend to be prepared wherever you go. If you talk to most people that have IBD and many with IBS they wouldn't want to stay somewhere with only one bathroom. This makes me question if he
    via u/Plant-serialkiller_2
  • 21
    truly has a condition or not. If he DOES have a condition he would have pursued other options, especially seeing that other family lived in the area that could have hosted them. Surely someone in their family has more than one bathroom. If not, then I would have expected him to want to stay in a hotel. Bottom line, NTA. OP should not have to take a number and wait to have a number two. Especially in her own home.
    via u/Plant-serialkiller_2
  • 22
    BreakingForce Bro made it across the country without constant bathroom access somehow. I admit I'm assuming it's the US and other countries tend to be smaller so this wouldn't be so much of an issue, but still. Monopolizing the only bathroom in your hosts home is (hah) form.
    via u/BreakingForce
  • 23
    JustALizzyLife If you're in the bathroom for literal hours without being able to leave, you need a better doctor. Not only is that not healthy, but sitting on the toilet that long can be dangerous. Speaking as someone with chronic diseases who needs the bathroom often. There's needing the room often and then there's camping. He's camping. Bet he brings his phone in with him. I'm curious as to if he has an actual diagnosis or if this is just how he escapes responsibilities.
    via u/JustALizzyLife
  • 24
    Electrical_Sample533 I would be willing to bet his condition is he's an ahle. Every person I've ever met that needed a bathroom frequently wanted their own bathroom so they never fear someone being in there.
    via u/Electrical_Sample533

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