Woman Told She ‘Heartless’ After Refusing to Lend New Roommate Money for Her First Rent Payment

A woman has shared her growing frustration with a new roommate whose behavior quickly raised red flags.

In a post on Reddit, the 27-year-old explained that she and her existing roommate recently welcomed a third person into their shared apartment — and from the very first conversation, things felt off. She said the new roommate immediately began “trauma-dumping,” recounting her entire life story and detailing numerous past hardships.

The woman wrote that the roommate also described a turbulent romantic relationship, explaining that she had been with her boyfriend for only a few months, nearly married him, and broke up with him three separate times. During that period, she claimed she gave him all of her money.

“They were still together when she moved in, but they broke up three days ago,” the woman wrote.

The situation escalated when the roommate revealed she was completely out of money until her next paycheck, which wouldn’t arrive for another four weeks — and that she had no food.

According to the post, the roommate then asked to borrow money because the landlord requires rent to be paid on the first of the month and had refused her request to delay payment.

“I said I can’t lend her money and told her to try talking to the owner again,” the woman explained.

She added that some of her friends criticized her decision, accusing her of being cold or unkind.

“My friend told me that I should help her out and that I’m heartless, but I think it’s not a good idea to just give money to random people,” she wrote. “I always like to help people, but money is where I draw the line. I only lend money to people I trust — really close friends and family.”

While she said she sympathizes with the roommate’s struggles, she also admitted she strongly doubts the money would ever be repaid.

In an update, the woman added more context about how the new roommate joined the lease. She explained that her former roommate arranged the replacement without consulting her or the other tenant and only informed them a week before moving out.

“I guess she just wanted someone to replace her and picked the first option,” she wrote.

She also clarified the lease terms, noting that tenants are required to give 90 days’ notice before moving out or continue paying rent until a replacement is found. New roommates must pay a security deposit before moving in, but rent is not due upfront.

The new roommate moved in mid-November, meaning her first rent payment was due just days later, on December 1.

After the post gained attention, many commenters weighed in — and most supported the woman’s decision not to lend money.

“Get her out… sounds like a scammer,” one user wrote.

“Find a new roommate who can pay her bills,” another added.

A third commenter warned, “Nope. Don’t do it. If you help this once, don’t be surprised if she asks every month.”