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Is it normal to be paranoid about this?

I moved in to a new house that has an existing main tenant last month. She is very kind, agreeable and we get along. I am a subtenant in the house. Few days ago, I asked if she had any upcoming plans for vacation and she said no.

All of a sudden at yesterday noon, her close friend came to pick her up and she said she needed to "go south to sort something out" and "would be back in a couple of days - I don't know". Last night, I saw that person and asked if he had any ideas what happened, he said she told him the same and she needed to "sort something out in xxxxx because something [from the past] hasn't been resolved".

Luckily, I mentioned the possibility of losing keys during the convo that day and she remembered it - she gave me a backup key before she left the house.

However, I am paranoid about the worst case scenario of her disappearing and leaving me alone with legal problems. Is it normal to be paranoid about this? Her WhatsApp's "last seen" was 7 hours ago, but I wouldn't want to check on her until later.

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Reply 1
21 hours since her last seen - the last seen has still not been updated.
No not really a normal thing to worry about with no extra context.

Push comes to shove it's not really your business where she goes in the short term.
Reply 3
Original post by StriderHort
No not really a normal thing to worry about with no extra context.

Push comes to shove it's not really your business where she goes in the short term.

I know, but she didn't give me any other numbers that could be called in case anything goes wrong in the house, so it adds to my paranoia.
Reply 4
Did drop a message at noon and she was online a moment ago but haven't read it.
Reply 5
Not sure if it's simply paranoia or separation anxiety.
Reply 6
She read yesterday afternoon and said she was fine. Hope she would come back soon.
Original post by Anonymous #1
I know, but she didn't give me any other numbers that could be called in case anything goes wrong in the house, so it adds to my paranoia.

Yeah she doesn't need to give you multiple numbers, you already have 1. You're living in their home, not babysitting their kid or planning a trip together.

Am I right in thinking you don't actually have any reason to presently contact them?
I don’t really follow why it’s necessary to catastrophise just because someone left the house for a couple of days.
Reply 9
Original post by StriderHort
Yeah she doesn't need to give you multiple numbers, you already have 1. You're living in their home, not babysitting their kid or planning a trip together.

Am I right in thinking you don't actually have any reason to presently contact them?

Because I don't know the head landlord. If there is a pipe burst or short circuit, or an accident happening to me in the house, who is going to come and address it immediately?
Original post by Admit-One
I don’t really follow why it’s necessary to catastrophise just because someone left the house for a couple of days.

Because I am the only other person in the house and haven't been given enough information on how to handle those sort of things.
Original post by Anonymous #1
Because I am the only other person in the house and haven't been given enough information on how to handle those sort of things.
If it’s an emergency with you, you call the relevant emergency services.

If it’s something wrong with the utilities you turn them off at the mains, (fusebox, gas feed or stopcock), and then decide whether you need to call a relevant tradesperson.
Original post by Admit-One
If it’s an emergency with you, you call the relevant emergency services.

If it’s something wrong with the utilities you turn them off at the mains, (fusebox, gas feed or stopcock), and then decide whether you need to call a relevant tradesperson.

I don't know where it is...I am simply very scared
Original post by Anonymous
I don't know where it is...I am simply very scared


They are simple things to google. “How to find stopcock”, “what does a stopcock look like” etc.

You can’t rely on your housemate to do everything. What happens when they pop out for the evening or go visit family/friends? It shouldn’t be stressful for you to be left alone in the house.
Original post by Anonymous #1
Because I don't know the head landlord. If there is a pipe burst or short circuit, or an accident happening to me in the house, who is going to come and address it immediately?

None of these things would really be the other tenents responsibility tbh.

You asked if this sort of paranoia is normal and it's basically not, you seem to be MASSIVELY over thinking this stuff. Like when Admit-One talks about fuse boxes and taps and you say you don't know where they are... the simple solution is to go and look for yourself. You can't really expect the other person to be instantly reachable 24/7
It’s really common not to be shown where these things are, especially when renting. But they’re often in common places like under the stairs or kitchen sink.

The likelihood of needing them outside of having some work done is very, very low.
Original post by StriderHort
None of these things would really be the other tenents responsibility tbh.

You asked if this sort of paranoia is normal and it's basically not, you seem to be MASSIVELY over thinking this stuff. Like when Admit-One talks about fuse boxes and taps and you say you don't know where they are... the simple solution is to go and look for yourself. You can't really expect the other person to be instantly reachable 24/7

I have every reason to get worried because I am the only other person in the house.
Original post by Anonymous
Not sure if it's simply paranoia or separation anxiety.


How do you have separation anxiety from someone you purportedly met a month ago?

Also as a tenant you should be aware of who to contact if you need to report a maintenance issue etc. That's your responsibility - you can't just palm it off onto another tenant. You should know who the letting agent/property manager/landlord is for reporting those things, and as noted otherwise for genuine emergencies you would contact the emergency services in the first instance, not them.

You need to be responsible for your own life, it is not your flatmates' responsibility to take care of everything.

Also as noted this is a really disproportionate response to a very minor and every day occurrence. You may want to discuss with your GP why you responded in this manner rather than a more measured way.
Original post by artful_lounger
How do you have separation anxiety from someone you purportedly met a month ago?

Also as a tenant you should be aware of who to contact if you need to report a maintenance issue etc. That's your responsibility - you can't just palm it off onto another tenant. You should know who the letting agent/property manager/landlord is for reporting those things, and as noted otherwise for genuine emergencies you would contact the emergency services in the first instance, not them.

You need to be responsible for your own life, it is not your flatmates' responsibility to take care of everything.

Also as noted this is a really disproportionate response to a very minor and every day occurrence. You may want to discuss with your GP why you responded in this manner rather than a more measured way.
PRSOM
Original post by Anonymous #1
I have every reason to get worried because I am the only other person in the house.

It just doesn't seem like a reasonable amount of worry for a matter of days. Like I said you, don't actually HAVE any present issues to bring up with them.

Prob 100s of millions of people live alone with no other person to expect to ask stuff or respond to accidents. Its not unusual.

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