Our new housemate asked if he could paint his room before he moved in. He seemed worried about it not being painted in time for his move, and didn't want to do the painting himself. Our landlord said that he could paint the room (though it didn't really need it), and paid $100 for the paint. The cost of having the room painted professionally by two painters who worked to meet our housemate's schedule demands came to $500!!

Within a month we discovered that this new housemate has Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and an irrational fear of germs, chemical contamination, etc. He had the room painted, we learned later, to make it "clean". He wouldn't do it himself because he was afraid of paint fumes, etc. He even asked us (after the paint was dry) if we'd put the furnace on (in summer) for a few hours to make "the smell go away". We can't live with him and his long list of phobias and irrational behavior, and have asked him to leave.

Now he wants us to reimburse him for the paint job. Painting was his decision. We do not benefit from this room being painted. We had no verbal or written agreement about it, and his name is not on our lease. He claims he spent the money because he expected to be here for a year. We expected this too, then learned of his mental health issues. Do we have a legal obligation here? We live in Massachusetts.

You have no obligation to reimburse him one penny. I'd dig my heels in on this and maybe he'd get ticked and leave, you'll be better off.

So offer him his money back and just before you get it out, sneeze really hard on your hands and then hand the money to him. He will refuse payment.