Homeowner allegedly rents diabetic friend a room. Then decides to kick him out for getting a service dog: ‘Do not want to live with a dog, I don’t like them’

A 26-year-old who inherited a five-bedroom house two years ago has been renting spare rooms, though that arrangement now appears to be falling apart. In a Reddit post by u/Nearby_Flan7905
in r/AmItheAsshole, he reportedly told a college friend who rents from him that the friend’s service dog cannot live in the house. The friend allegedly needs the dog to help manage his diabetes.

The homeowner said he keeps three of the rooms for his bedroom, an office, and a gaming space. He apparently rents the other two to help manage the property. The friend, who uses a continuous glucose monitor, holds one of them. Things reportedly went smoothly until the friend said he was getting a service dog.

The homeowner said he told his friend the service dog could not come into the house, though he offered to let him break the lease and move elsewhere. He explained his stance, writing, “I do not want to live with a dog, I don’t like them.” The friend is reportedly angry and looking into ways to force him to accept the animal.

He’s willing to let his friend break the lease rather than live with a dog

The friend has reportedly called the homeowner an a**hole for pushing him out over his disability. However, the homeowner reportedly maintains that his comfort in his own house comes first, as he shares the common areas with his tenants. He also appears to believe that renting out rooms does not cost him the right to decide which animals live there.

Reaction to the post appears divided, much like a recent friend group’s honesty debate. One commenter argued that the Fair Housing Act likely does not apply, as the homeowner lives in the house he rents out. According to that commenter, the law only applies to owners of five or more units, so he may not have to accommodate the service dog.

Federal law exempts owners of buildings with four or fewer units, an exception commonly called the Mrs. Murphy exemption. A federal appeals court has also ruled that the act does not cover choosing roommates in a shared home. However, state and local laws may set stricter rules, so the outcome in this alleged scenario could depend on where the house is.

Another commenter wrote that anyone insisting he must accept a service dog is wrong, as he owns the house and rents rooms inside it rather than acting as a typical landlord. A third commenter added that renting out a room in a shared home does not make him wrong for refusing an animal. The friend appears to see it differently, as he reportedly believes his disability means the service dog belongs in the house.