Roommates buy a new TV and lock her out of every app. Then she reveals what she did to her kitchen appliances: ‘Petty? Absolutely!’

Living with roommates is supposed to be a breeze, but things can get awkward fast when household boundaries start to crumble. As reported by Daily Dot, a Reddit user known as u/no-pearl1660 recently found herself in a heated standoff with her sister and cousin over a new TV, and her response has sparked a massive conversation online. After being locked out of the apps on a television she didn’t help purchase, she decided to take back control of her kitchen appliances by moving them into her own room.

The drama started when the roommates decided to upgrade their living room setup. They asked the Redditor to chip in for a bigger TV, but she declined because she didn’t use the TV enough to justify the cost and didn’t have the extra cash to spare. Her roommates went ahead with the purchase anyway, and for a month, she didn’t bother touching the device. When she eventually tried to join them for a movie night, she noticed a PIN was required to access the streaming services.

She asked about the PIN, but her roommates ignored her. When she tried to use the TV later with her boyfriend, it became clear she was intentionally locked out of every app. There had been no prior discussion about usage rules, which made the sudden exclusion feel pointed.

The tension in the house goes well beyond just entertainment

The Redditor is the one responsible for covering the gas and electric bills, yet her roommates have been stalling on their share of the payments. To make matters worse, she mentioned that their landlord reported the rent payment was short. Dealing with financial stress on top of petty living room squabbles is a recipe for disaster, and it’s clear the living situation has become strained.

AITA for taking away my air-fryer and microwave after roommates won’t let me use their new TV?
by u/No-Pear1660 in AmItheAsshole

In retaliation for the TV lockout, she decided to put her air fryer and other kitchen appliances under lock and key in her room. She took to Reddit to ask if she was being too cruel, and the response was overwhelmingly supportive of her decision. At the time of writing, the post had racked up 5,800 upvotes and hundreds of comments from people who felt she was simply matching the energy her roommates brought to the table.

One commenter wrote, “NTA. Petty? Absolutely! But if they want to play the ‘you didn’t pay for it so you can’t use it’ game, they should probably start by paying their damn share of the utilities.” Others pointed out that this wasn’t really petty at all, but rather a logical reaction to being treated poorly by people who aren’t pulling their weight with the household bills.

Another user noted, “I don’t even consider this petty. op is treating them the same way they are treating her. Also, the late on rent and utilities tells me they suck anyway. It sucks having to be the more responsible one in a living situation, just feels like being used.”