BIL threatens to rig his home with 10 hidden nanny cameras after his entitled live-in sister-in-law dismantled his new porch cam: ‘Is she at least paying rent? No’

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Feb 6, 2026 4:00 PM EST

No rent payment? No say in how this house is run.

Parents often use old sayings to rationalize their authority over rebellious teenagers in the house. My house, my rules, right? It's simple to digest, doesn't yield any room for argument, and firmly sets a parent's jurisdiction over the household. They're paying the electrical bill at the end of every month; bill-paying adults should be able to complain about lights being left on in the other room, the thermostat's overly hot temperature, and a wide-open fridge door. 

When you're the one paying the bills in the house, it should be clear that you have the final say in how things are run. Don't like it? Move out. This is often an empty threat when it comes to parenting, but when it comes to a live-in relative with no concept of autonomy, things at the family dinner table start to get a little more complicated and a lot more passive-aggressive.

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  • Man installing security cameras outside of his home.
    via nilimage

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • We all ride the waves of the highs and lows in life, so it's nice when you have a family member to fall back on in times of trouble. Heck, there were times I wished I had a family member's couch to crash on or a person to make me dinner after a hard day of work. But those are privileges that many people think just come with the territory of being “family.” It's certainly not a given that someone else will take you under their wing, nor should anyone expect a family member to bend over backwards for their sake. It's in moments like these that our familial relationships are tested in ways we never expected, making us realize exactly how entitled or how clueless our family can really be. 

    This couple willingly invited their sister-in-law to stay with them (briefly) while she got back on her feet. Three years and zero dollars in rent later, she's started acting like she runs the house. With that attitude in mind, the couple's marriage was strained and the SIL didn't seem to care that she had become both a financial burden and a relationship nerve, but the final straw made a man snap when he saw that the SIL was tampering with his new security camera. 

    He had bought a simple Ring camera for the porch, to watch for packages and to keep an eye on the house while they were away. But when he lost a hard-wired connection, he knew something was up. It was being meddled with, and he knew exactly who was responsible: His entitled sister-in-law. 

    As if it were her house, she recklessly unplugged the camera, unilaterally deciding that she was over it. So the brother-in-law did all he could to turn her away, hurling empty threats of even MORE surveillance in an attempt to remind her whose house it is. I think this time he might have gotten her to hear him, just like the parents of yore, wielding one-liners that placated an unruly and immature live-in teen.

  • "Sister in law antics"

    So we had a vacation planned and I felt like all my bases were covered back home when I received a notification that my camera was offline. It's hard wired, and the wireless was still working, so I knew it had been unplugged. We arrived home and, sure enough, it had been unplugged and turned around.
    via Degofreak
  • Man looking at his phone while at his desk wondering why it's not working.
    via aliaksandrabarysentra

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My wife's sister has been unfortunately living in my house for the last three years. I recently upgraded my home security with Ring. The kit came with an extra camera so I plugged it in facing my back door. SIL saw it and lost her damned mind. Accused me of spying on her.
    via Degofreak
  • I told her to not disable my security camera and she snapped back that she doesn't like being spied on. I told her that it's not watching her, it's monitoring my back door for security. Then she actually said she would do it again. So, I
    via Degofreak
  • casually dropped that if it did happen I would buy 10 hidden cameras and place them where she couldn't find them. Empty threat, because my wife would throw a fit, but SIL doesn't know that. I can hear her in her room checking the closet and door frames...Imao.
    via Degofreak
  • Entitled woman crossing her arms and looking out the window.
    via Valerii Hancharuk

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Cocoa Almonds Rock You have a wife problem. She needs to get her sister under control and out of your house. --
    via Cocoa Almonds Rock
  • OP Degofreak You're right
    via Degofreak
  • ProfessionalBread176 Your SIL needs to leave yesterday. I have a BIL like her. And my sister (his wife) refuses to enforce boundaries with him. Further, get an armored enclosure for the camera so she can't mess with it. A glass (thick glass) box
    via ProfessionalBread176
  • Slow-Cherry9128 You need to speak with your wife and tell her you've had enough, that you don't want to continue living with SIL in your home, that you're done with her telling you what you can and cannot do in your own home. Tell your wife you don't want to continue living this way and if SIL continues to stay, you're going to leave, and once you file for divorce, you're going to have to sell the house and it's up to wife and her sister to figure out where they'll be moving to. I cannot believe
    via Slow-Cherry9128
  • OP Degofreak We just fought because I did exactly what you said. Currently sitting in my car at the local library because I have the damned flu and don't want to get anyone sick, but I had to leave.
    via Degofreak
  • davehal2001 If you're in the US contact an attorney and start eviction proceedings. If your wife objects tell her this is non-negotiable. I'm guessing SIL lives with you because no one else will tolerate her. You've been putting up with this way too long and I think you know it.
    via davehal2001
  • Most-Artichoke6184 Three years? Three weeks is too long.
    via Most-Artichoke6184
  • Puzzleheaded-Call351 I'd be wondering what she's doing that she's worried about you finding out. Is she bringing in someone she shouldn't be?
    via Puzzleheaded-Call351
  • OP Degofreak No, she is a mess and doesn't have any friends.
    via Degofreak
  • goddessofspite Why is she still there. Be clear with the wife if she stays you won't.
    via goddessofspite
  • OP Degofreak We recently did just that. She now has a firm deadline, and I have permission to change the locks if she renegs.I just have to last until April.
    via Degofreak
  • Nacho000000 Is she at least paying rent?
    via Nacho000000
  • OP Degofreak Ha ha..no.
    via Degofreak

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security sister in law cameras home entitled people
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