My brother recently moved into my apartment after being evicted from where he lived. He brought his cat and I’ve reminded him that my lease restricts me from owning any pets from the very day he moved in (though he knew of the no pet policy way beforehand). My landlord has always been adamant on this rule and I didn’t mind since one of my children has severe allergies to most pets anyway. My brother has been aware of this lease rule for years prior to moving in because we’re very close and hang out everyday. He witnessed me reiterating (a few months before he moved in) that I can’t have pets since one of my children (who doesn’t have allergies) begged me to get a pet but I said we can’t while we’re living here. He’s now been living with me for 3 months and whenever I mention him rehoming his cat, he refuses to talk to me. I can’t afford to get evicted from where I live because my rent is a reasonable price at the moment. I’m stressed out, one of my children has to hide in their room when they’re home with the door closed because they’re severely allergic, and yet he shuts down every time I speak to him and ends up giving me an attitude for days. Recently, he said he would “just take his cat with him to work everyday” which is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, his job is not remotely permissible for a pet to be there. The cat is meowing loudly throughout the day and especially at night when she’s going through heat (she is not spayed). My landlord lives in the apartment NEXT DOOR to me since it’s a duplex home.
While I hate the idea of him being mad at me, I can’t risk being evicted and having to move elsewhere. Other apartments in my city are expensive right now and I’ve been renting from my landlord for nearly a decade. If my brother decides to move out because of this, I understand, since pets are definitely considered family. I don’t want our relationship to suffer because of this. He is simply not seeing the situation he’s putting me in. It feels like he’s willing to jeopardize my housing stability and doesn’t care that one of my children are severely allergic because what matters more is that he wants to keep his pet.
EDIT: My child with severe allergies is a working adult in their mid twenties\* however, them being an adult doesn’t minimize that they can’t comfortably live at home now.
EDIT#2: Thank you everyone for your feedback. I agree that I have an obligation to my children to ensure they’re all comfortable at home and not have our housing stability be put at risk or I too am wrong in this situation if I don’t fix this now.
Would I be the asshole if I tell my brother he has to rehome his pet if he plans on living in my apartment?
NTA. Your brother is taking advantage of your push over nature. You need to be 10x more strong
NTA
Tell him, cat needs to be gone by the end of the week.
He can go as well we’ll if he doesn’t want to be separated from it.
And also tell him, this Internet cat lady says he is an AH for not getting her spayed. An indoor cat in heat is in so much unnecessary stress – poor girl.
Y T A to your kids for making them live in a home that literally makes them ill. **What the actual fuck!!!**
NTA to your brother, kick his as out yesterday or serve him with eviction papers.
This is very cut and dry, NTAH. Bro needs to move his cat and himself out ASAP
YTA for compromising your child’s health and risking the roof over all y’alls heads for your entitled brother.
Why on earth did you even let him in the door with his cat?? Once you’ve finished reading these responses what you should do is go tell him, not ask him, TELL him that the cat leaves. Today. Right now actually. Not in an hour. Not in a few minutes. Now. What he does with the cat is his business. If he leaves with that cat then that’s his business too.
YWNBTA but you need to be firmer. Put your foot down through the floor if you have to. Leave no ambiguity. No few days to sort it. No ifs, buts or maybes. It’s Nike time.
YTA for even letting him move in with his cat knowing it will cause issues for your child. Getting rid of the cat should have been a condition of moving in.
Why did you allow him to bring the cat into your home in the first place knowing of your child’s allergy and the lease requirements?
Why would you even let him move in with the cat?!? That wasn’t the smarted decision. It’s you can move in but you need to get rid of the cat first if not then no you cannot move it. Simple
YTA to your kids btw
NTA but I have to question why you even allowed the cat in the first place. Your brother can’t even look after it properly.
NTA
Stop trying to talk to him. Just tell him he has X amount of time to find a new place to live that is pet friendly. You’ve tried being nice and it doesn’t work.
You tah for letting him have the cat in the house at all ever. I don’t understand why you’re letting this continue. He isn’t going to help you when you get evicted.
Shouldn’t have let your brother move in if he had the cat with him.
You fked up.
YTA, and your brother is too