Before court
Start with a clear house conversation.
Frequent guests change how a shared home feels, even when the guest is kind. Talk about frequency, notice, shared-space use, and overnight stays instead of arguing over whether a visitor technically “lives there.”
A workable guest policy protects privacy without banning someone’s social life. This is fictional sample content, not a lease interpretation.
- Set a heads-up rule for overnight guests and gatherings.
- Agree on a weekly overnight limit that fits the household.
- Revisit chores or utilities if a guest is effectively present most days.
Case on the docket
The Plus-One Residency Hearing
Fictional sample case
- One side
- A fictional roommate says their roommate’s partner sleeps over four nights most weeks and uses the kitchen like a third tenant.
- Other side
- The other fictional roommate says it cannot be a residency because no drawer has been claimed.
Gavel-style verdict
The court finds that a toothbrush, a charger, and four weeknights make a guest policy very relevant.
Fictional consequence: The household sets an overnight limit and a notice rule before the guest earns chore-chart citizenship.