Dear Prudence,
My parents are moving away from the town where I live and work in a couple of months. They’re leaving me a house with three bedrooms: one upstairs, two downstairs. We have decided that I’ll stay on the top floor while we rent the bottom two bedrooms out to help with the upkeep and so I don’t have to stay in a big house by myself. I have talked about this with some of my co-workers, a few of whom have expressed interest. Apparently, my mother let it slip to my boss, whom she knew well, that we’re renting the rooms. My boss mentioned that my direct supervisor is also looking for a room (our house is close to where I work) and that it might be a “good idea” for her to live there. Prudie, I can think of so many reasons that being a landlord to my supervisor is a bad idea. My good relationship with my supervisor is based on the careful separation of my personal and professional lives; this is not going to happen if we live together. As some of my co-workers and now my boss knows about my living situation, it’s inevitable that my supervisor is going to find out, and knowing her, there’s a 90 percent chance she’ll ask to move in with me. How can I politely decline without sacrificing my career prospects or our good working relationship?
—Open House ... but Not for You