@Lupin took my mantra: “No good deed goes unpunished”. After letting several people stay with me “until they got back on their feet”, it became necessary to rethink my behavior.
Yes, it was a pain in the butt when people overstayed their welcome, but it also brought me joy to know that I was able to help when somebody needed it. With a little thought about where they were coming from, in almost every case I could see that they were not happy about their situation that landed them in a bedroom of my house. It always takes longer that you first think it will (just like any home improvement project).
It may help to revisit your reasons for helping:
*Were you looking for a reward of some kind, like rent money?
*Were you wanting to lend a hand, but only so long as it didn’t inconvenience you?
*Were you doing it out of a feeling of obligation (family ties)?
I’ve found that if I put any limits on what I was willing to give, I lost the reward of feeling good about helping. Once I lifted those limits, I was rewarded with the knowledge that I gave someone new hope.
I’ve been lucky that nobody has trashed the place during their stay. If that were to happen, they’d be out. If you find yourself in an undesirable position, and you are unwilling to make the sacrifice to change the situation (like tossing your nephew out on his ass), then change your attitude about it.
Also, if you do something like this again (trust me, you will), go into it knowing that you will be inconvenienced more than you planned for longer than you planned, and you will get nothing for your trouble. Your generosity will be rewarded eventually, and it will come as a surprise.