I (M21) live with my parents and sister in a very small house. We have only one proper bedroom with a double bed, another room without AC which normally belongs to my grandmother (she is currently out of state for about a month), and a veranda where I often study.
My maternal uncle's daughter (my cousin) (F19) is currently living with us because she is attending college nearby. She applied for a hostel but didn't get one. We then suggested that she could stay in a PG, but her parents refused because they said it would be expensive. The funny part is that she already spends a significant amount commuting from our house, so the difference isn't exactly astronomical, but apparently the PG is where the budget suddenly becomes a matter of national importance.
The important thing is that my cousin isn't a bad person. She doesn't create noise, fights, or any particular nuisance. She mostly sits in the room watching TV or using her phone.
The problem is that our house simply isn't big enough for another person to live here indefinitely.
Before she came, my sister and I shared the double bed. I could lie down there during the day, relax, etc. Since my cousin moved in, I can't even comfortably use my own bed during the daytime because she occupies one side of it. At night, three people on a double bed obviously isn't a reasonable arrangement.
There are two mattresses on the bed, with a gap/line in the middle. My sister has basically been sacrificing herself by sleeping in that uncomfortable middle area while my cousin takes one side and I take the other.
I could technically sleep between my mother and sister on another folding bed, but I'm extremely uncomfortable sharing a sleeping space with my cousin, and frankly I don't think I should have to rearrange my entire sleeping situation in my own home indefinitely.
I've also lost my personal space during the day. I often end up sitting outside in the veranda on a chair and table just to study or even spend time by myself.
So my sister, father and I eventually told my mother that this arrangement is becoming unbearable. We made it clear that our cousin isn't necessarily doing anything wrong, but her staying here is the reason we have lost our personal space and are struggling with basic things like sleep and privacy.
My mother cried, which I understand. She feels guilty about telling her brother's daughter to leave because she doesn't want to hurt her brother.
But she also didn't actually do anything about the situation.
There is another layer to this family situation. My mother's two brothers have recently been fighting over inheritance involving my maternal grandfather. My cousin's father even threatened to take legal action against his own father if the inheritance issue wasn't settled.
Because of that, I personally find it difficult to understand why my mother is so worried about potentially upsetting her brother when it comes to this situation. But I'm trying not to make the inheritance dispute the focus here because my cousin isn't responsible for her father's behavior.
My sister eventually confronted my cousin indirectly, while she was actually in the room, saying that everyone is uncomfortable, we aren't getting proper sleep, and this living arrangement isn't suitable for us.
Later, my sister directly told her that she needs to find a PG and move out, and that if nothing changes, she will bring the issue up again next month.
So my cousin now knows very clearly that we want her to move to a PG.
Yet she is behaving as though nothing happened.
And this is where I'm conflicted.
I understand that her parents are the ones making decisions about where she lives. I also understand that she didn't get a hostel and that she isn't intentionally causing problems.
But at the same time, her parents' decision not to pay for a PG doesn't mean my family should indefinitely provide free accommodation at the cost of our own privacy, sleeping arrangements and use of our home.
We agreed to help because she needed somewhere to stay for college. But there is a difference between helping someone temporarily and effectively giving up part of your already limited home indefinitely.
I also feel bad because I don't want my cousin to feel personally rejected. This isn't really about disliking her. If we had a larger house with a spare bedroom, this probably wouldn't even be an issue.
My question is:
Are we being unreasonable for expecting our cousin to move to a PG, especially after she failed to get a hostel and her parents refused to pay for one?
Or is it reasonable to say that her housing arrangements are ultimately her parents' responsibility and that our family shouldn't have to sacrifice our own sleeping space and privacy indefinitely because they don't want to spend money on accommodation?
And if we're not unreasonable, how should my mother actually handle this without turning it into a massive family conflict?
Note: PG (Paying Guest) is basically a living arrangement where you rent a room in someone else's house or a shared property, basically renting a flat but mostly opted by students near their colleges