70-Year-Old Roommate Gambles Away Rent Money, Hides Eviction

A 70-year-old woman gambled away her international roommate’s rent money for months, then hid the eviction notice until they had just 5 days to vacate. The roommate only found out when the sheriff’s department showed up with final papers.

The Backstory

Our poster found their elderly roommate through Craigslist out of desperation. As an international student paying off debt from moving to the country, this was the only affordable option they could find.

The arrangement seemed perfect for almost a year. The 70-year-old woman’s name was on the lease, and our poster simply paid her their share of rent and utilities each month. Everything ran smoothly with minimal drama.

The roommate had always been hands-off and respectful. Our poster had no reason to suspect anything was wrong with their living situation.

The Incident

Last month, the elderly roommate gambling rent money became an issue for the first time. She confessed to our poster but claimed her son had given her a loan to cover it. Crisis averted, or so it seemed.

Then the sheriff’s department knocked on the door with a notice to vacate in 5 days. Our poster was completely blindsided by this development.

The truth came spilling out in the worst possible way. The roommate had gambled away the son’s loan money too. She’d also been gambling away rent money the month before that first confession. Even this month’s rent payment had already been lost to gambling.

The landlord had served them a 30-day eviction notice that the roommate never mentioned. There was a court hearing that she also kept secret. When nobody showed up to defend their case, the judge ruled in favor of the landlord.

The elderly roommate had a backup plan all along – moving in with a friend. Our poster had no safety net, no car, and only $280 to their name. They’d been planning to move out at month’s end anyway, having found a place requiring $1,000 to move in.

What Reddit Said

Most people immediately called out the timeline inconsistencies. They pointed out that evictions take months to process, not weeks, meaning the roommate gambling rent had been going on much longer than admitted.

Some commenters focused on practical solutions. They suggested posting in local city subreddits to find emergency housing or temporary help from community members.

A few people expressed outrage that police called this a civil matter. They felt that taking someone’s rent money and not paying rent should constitute theft, not just a contract dispute.

Many commenters emphasized how vulnerable international students are in these situations. They noted the power imbalance when someone controls your housing and you have no local support network.

The Verdict

This was a clear case of financial abuse and deception. The elderly roommate took advantage of an international student’s vulnerable position and left them essentially homeless with no warning.

The situation highlights how easily people can exploit those without local connections or legal knowledge. It’s a reminder that even seemingly harmless living arrangements can turn dangerous when money and addiction are involved.

Stories like this show why it’s crucial to understand your rights as a tenant, even in informal arrangements. For more tales of housing disasters and relationship drama, check out our collection of AITA stories where people navigate complex living situations and family drama.

From r/TrueOffMyChest (1,093 upvotes)