History Main / TheThingThatWouldNotLeave

* Music/{{Madness}}'s "The Bed and Breakfast Man" is about the band's original drummer John Hasler and his shameless sofa-surfing habits.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' has two that show up in Act III; Mizora and Yenna. Mizora is warlock companion/PlayerCharacter Wyll's patron who essentially torments him for fun and decides to hang around the camp for a front-row seat to the party's struggle against the BigBad. [[KarmaHoudini She can't be harmed or convinced to leave.]] Yenna is a TagalongKid orphan who hangs around the party since she has nowhere else to go, [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential and simply comes back every single time she's told to piss off by an evil player]]. [[spoiler:She ends up being the victim of a KillAndReplace or kidnapping by the BigBadDuumvirate's [[PsychoKnifeNut Orin the Red]].]]

** In the episode "The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes", the Hatrocks ([[FeudingFamilies the family that had been feuding with Fred's, Hatfields and McCoys-style]], over a [[DisproportionateRetribution stupid insult Fred's ancestor told them]]) visit the Flintstones to declare their feud over, but bad choice of words from Fred cause them to stay to the point of overstaying their welcome and turning the Flinstone house into a redneck pigsty, with it seeming like they may stay forever. In an attempt to scare them off, Fred invites the Gruesomes (another family he had a brief feud with, an {{Expy}} of ComicStrip/TheAddamsFamily) over to drive them off, but it doesn't work -- [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth the Hatrocks are so rough-and-tumble they intimidate the Gruesomes]]. What finally scares off the Hatrocks is the discovery they have an AbsurdPhobia for "Bug" music (an {{Expy}} of ''The Beetles'').

* In one episode of ''Series/GreenAcres'', when a Hungarian man appeared on the Douglas's doorstep, he's revealed to have saved the life of Lisa's uncle and as such, they are obligated to house him to repay the debt, much to Oliver's disbelief. While the man does help out around the farm by fixing a few things, some of his antics irritate Oliver, such as constantly asking to be paid and taking several liberties without Oliver's consent. Ultimately, Oliver draws the line when the Hungarian reveals he's inviting his family to come live with them and plans to build a house on the Douglases' property, leading him to finally throw the guy out. Unfortunately, just before he leaves, the man puts a Hungarian curse on Olivier that causes everything he had fixed to break again.

** In the episode "This Is Your Lifesaver", Fred is stuck with a man whose life he saved because the man claims an inversion of IOweYouMyLife.
** In the episode "The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes", the Hatrocks (the family [[FeudingFamilies family that had been feuding with Fred's, Hatfields and McCoys-style]], over a [[DisproportionateRetribution stupid insult Fred's ancestor told them]]) visit the Flintstones to declare their feud over, but bad choice of words from cause them to stay with them to the point of overstaying their welcome and turning the Flinstone house into a redneck pigsty, with it seeming like they may stay forever. In an attempt to scare them off, Fred invites the Gruesomes (another family he had a brief feud with, an {{Expy}} of ComicStrip/TheAddamsFamily) over to drive them off, but it doesn't work -- [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth the Hatrocks are so rough-and-tumble they intimidate the Gruesomes]]. What finally scares off the Hatrocks is the discovery they have an AbsurdPhobia for music of ''The Beatles'' (well, an {{Expy}} of them).

** The play and movie were [[TruthInTelevision inspired by real life]]. It began when Algonquin Round Table member, theater critic, and all-around JerkAss Alexander Woollcott showed up unannounced and uninvited at playwright Moss Hart's country home in Pennsylvania. He completely reorganized the home, becoming so insufferable after only two days that Hart and his writing partner George S. Kaufman wondered what would have happened if Woollcott had broken his leg and [[RealLifeWritesThePlot wasn't able to leave]]...

-->'''Eddie:''' We took a road trip to Las Vegas, man.\\

* Website/NobodyHere: "[[https://nobodyhere.com/justme/mister.here Mister]]" is about a stranger following Jogchem into his house and making himself at home. While confused as to who he is and why he's doing this, Jogchem doesn't particularly seem to mind. This trope gets [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in "[[https://nobodyhere.com/justme/tidy.here Tidy]]", where Jogchem is too much of an ExtremeDoormat to kick him out.

-->''What got into this man, to step in here, sleep in my chair and stick all my stuff together? I don't have to take this! I'll... I'll grab him! And then shake him! Verbally, that is... I'll tell him a thing or two... And ask him when he's going to leave.\\
As soon as he wakes up...''

-->''I don't have to take this! I'll... I'll grab him! And then shake him! Verbally, that is... I'll tell him a thing or two... And ask him when he's going to leave.\\

* Website/NobodyHere: "[[https://nobodyhere.com/justme/mister.here Mister]]" is about a stranger following Jogchem into his house and making himself at home. While confused as to who he is and why he's doing this, Jogchem doesn't particularly seem to mind.

''For the webcomic of the same name, go [[Webcomic/TheThingThatWouldNotLeave here.]]''

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''WebComic/EnsignSueMustDie'', the new ensign, Mary Sue, is so annoying that the entire senior crew of the ''Enterprise'' try to get rid of her. Making her fight a room full of Klingons? She kills every one of them. Transporting her off the ship? Scotty tried that twice and she inexplicably came back every time. Dumping her off on the mirror universe ''Enterprise''? They want ''nothing'' to do with her, and in fact were planning on dropping ''their'' Sue off with the regular ''Enterprise''. Even a phaser set to 'Pocket Death Star' fails to do anything, as [[Film/ThePrincessBride she spent the last three years building an immunity to phaser blasts]]. They eventually do find the one method that works: [[spoiler:giving her a RedShirt and sending her on an away mission]].

* [[Webcomic/{{Megatokyo}} Piro and Largo]] stay in the apartment of Piro's friend Tsubasa when they are stuck in Japan at first. While they genuinely mean to not impose, they are distracted by Tsubasa's vast video game collection and wind up staying until Tsubasa leaves for America and they are evicted from the apartment, along with RobotGirl Ping.
** They leave after [[spoiler:Tsubasa moves out first.]]

* The basic plot of Batman and the Bat-Titans has a JerkAss version of Batman mooching off of the Comicbook/TeenTitans.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Ricky Spanish," Stan and Francine sent letters to their adoptive African son Tungee (whom they believed didn't exist because they thought Africa didn't exist either) to encourage him to come live with them, which does happen much to their shock. His perkiness becomes too much for them to bear that they ditch him in a "Costgo" but soon regret that decision and go get him back... just for him to remind them how annoying he was that they both jump out of the running car and watch, horrified, as he disappears in the distance... and ''then'' they go back to missing him.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': In "Adventures in Catsitting", Hop-Pop expresses worry about being a "free-loader" to the Boonchuys. He recalls having to put up with "Cousin Stanley", a (probably phony) distant relative who mooched off the Plantars for months on end until they got fed up and threw him out a second-story window into the swamp.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers'' titled "The Bing That Wouldn't Leave" involves Norbert and Daggett rescuing a gecko named Bing who won't leave them alone. They try all sorts of schemes to get rid of him, and eventually try passing him along to one of their other friends, but they find out Bing's reputation for clinginess proceeds him.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' episode "Invasion of the Katrinians", Robert Freeman's relatives from New Orleans come by to stay at his house after Hurricane Katrina left them homeless, and soon they really overstay their welcome. Huey and Riley get forced to cook for and clean after them while Robert is burdened with expensive bills covering their food, water, and power.

* One time in ''WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}}'', Chowder invited Gazpacho to stay at the catering company after he has a fight with his mother. You can guess how it turns out.

** In "Operation: S.P.A.N.K.", Count Spankulot decides to join the side of good and temporarily becomes a member of the Kids Next Door. Sector V hates him and wants him out, so they trick him into spanking an innocent so he goes to jail again.
** In "Operation: H.O.T.S.T.U.F.F.", Kani stays at Sector V's treehouse when his own house is rendered unlivable by the thermostat being too high. Gradually, he begins to act like an annoying teenager while Numbuh 4 takes the role of a parental figure trying to urge him to get outside and stop drinking so much soda.

** In the Season 2 episode "Rambling Ed", the Eds take up residence at Rolf's shed before they endlessly exploit Rolf by eating him out of house and home, sleeping in his bed, and making him wash the dishes they made dirty, being too stupid (and shallow) to notice they're torturing Rolf.
** The end of "Momma's Little Ed" has Edd become this to Eddy, as [[LaserGuidedKarma his ultimate punishment for pranking Edd with fake sticky notes from Edd's parents.]]
** Ed is this to Eddy at the start of "One + One = Ed" joining Eddy in bed and refusing to let him sleep by asking incredibly silly questions.

** "Here's Mud in Your Ed" has Jimmy becomes this towards Rolf after the latter helps Jimmy get back at Eddy for scamming him. Jimmy would end up spending the rest of the day with Rolf, even repapering his bedroom while Rolf's trying to sleep, much to his consternation.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
** The B plot of "Dog Gone" involves Lois hiring Consuela, a Hispanic housemaid, after she gets tired of cleaning up Peter's messes. She quickly slides into this territory, staying overnight just because it's raining and refusing to leave after they fire her and even outright pay her to go away. It takes being knocked out with chloroform and dumped next door at Joe's just to finally get rid of her.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'':

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'', [[StageMom Miss Turtle]] will not leave the house or leave Mickey alone until [[BrattyHalfPint Baby Shellby]] performs on stage.

* Keef on ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim,'' though it was more that he just kept ''coming back'' so much he was calling Zim's house "home" by the end of the episode. [[spoiler:[[NightmareFuel Then Zim ripped his eyeballs out]] and made him think a squirrel was Zim.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', Jimmy creates a robot to pass off as a little brother. This comes to bite him in the ass when said robot turns out to be a GenkiBoy who doesn't give Jimmy a moment's rest until Jimmy creates a robot family for him to go live in the moon.

* The ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' special ''He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown'' has Snoopy sent across town for obedience training. Since he has to make the trip on foot, Charlie Brown asks Peppermint Patty to put him up "just for one night". You can guess what happens next. Peppermint Patty finally gets Snoopy to leave by forcing him to "pull his own weight" by doing chores around the house.

** In "The Otto Show" Otto moves in with the Simpsons after he loses his job. Later subverted when Homer kicks him out and calls him a "drain-clogging, last-cookie-eating, collect-call-getting-sponge". Ironically, his [[ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne anger at being called a sponge]] is what motivates Otto to retake his driving test so he can get his job and his apartment back.
** "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes" features Homer's half-brother Herb coming to stay with the Simpsons after Homer unintentionally destroyed Herb's car company. {{Justified}} in that Herb was destitute and had been living as a hobo until then. Subverted in that Herb also moves out when he regains his fortune and gets the Simpsons gifts for supporting him.
** The plot of taking a houseguest has been recycled several times: The Simpsons have taken in such Springfield regulars as Krusty ("Krusty Gets Kancelled" and "The Last Temptation of Krust"), Sideshow Bob ("The Great Louse Detective"), Apu ("Homer and Apu," and the season nine episode "Lisa's Sax" had Apu randomly appearing in the Simpson house during a parody of the ''All in the Family'' opening theme), Chester J. Lampwick ("The Day the Violence Died") and Gil (who stayed a whole year, according to "Kill Gil, vols. I & II"). When Kent Brockman came in "You Kent Always Say What You Want", this was subject of a LampshadeHanging when Homer asks him for an 8"x10" for "the wall of casual acquaintances who came to stay for a while". The most recent example is Lurleen Lumpkin (the country singer whom Homer tried to promote in "Colonel Homer", despite that Lurleen was seducing him) in "Papa Don't Leech."
** "I Am Furious (Yellow)" has [[AdamWesting a caricatured]] Creator/StanLee staying in the Android's Dungeon and driving Comic Book Guy crazy.

'''Comic Book Guy:''' Stan Lee never left. And I'm starting to think [[CloudCuckoolander that his mind is no longer in mint condition]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' episode "Smurfing For Ghosts", Peewit calls for the Smurfs' help because of Quarrel Castle's resident ghost Uncle Fenwick trying to get his relatives to leave.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs2021'' episode "The Guest That Wouldn't Leave", the Smurfs try to kick Wild out of Papa Smurf's house after his ankle has been healed, only Wild wouldn't leave without Papa Smurf's bed.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SittingDucks'', a crow named Raoul gets his foot smashed in Bill’s window. Raoul then takes advantage of his “broken” foot, using Bill to buy inflatable palm trees, jukeboxes, and carts full of food. Bill then comes to realize that Raoul’s foot isn’t broken at all, and then Bill and Aldo team up to scare him straight, causing both Bill and Raoul’s feet to get broken in the process.

* Creator/TylerPerry, of all people, becomes this in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode, ''Funnybot'', being the only comedian that actually shows up for Jimmy's comedy awards show. Then he starts squatting at the school in full Madea garb and routine, and nobody can get him to leave because Token is the only person who thinks he's funny and won't stop giving him money. Worth noting that even Token seems to be aware of the annoyance, he just can't help it.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'':

*** [=SpongeBob=] in "Home Sweet Pineapple" tried moving in to Squidward's house after nematodes ate up his pineapple. After obliging to let him stay because he was half asleep, Squidward wakes up and immediately kicks him out.
** In "Can You Spare A Dime?", an episode from Season 3 takes this to absurd levels with Squidward as the unwanted guest. He exploits [=SpongeBob=]'s natural friendliness and eagerness to help. This eventually proves too much for [=SpongeBob=], and, soon begins aggressively giving Squidward ''blindingly obvious'' hints to get a job and stop sulking over losing his last one, but Squidward won't budge. It shows that even ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes SpongeBob has his limits]]''.
** In "Ghost Host", the Flying Dutchman stays at [=SpongeBob=]'s house while his ship is being repaired. It took 3 months for his ship to be fixed up, but he stayed for 6 months. This is because, during his stay, he would at first scare [=SpongeBob=] at every opportunity, but when he gets into a funk after thinking he's no longer scary, he becomes a lazy slob who invites his ghost friends to party and wreck [=SpongeBob's=] house, forcing the latter to motivate and try to get the Dutchman's spark back.
** In "Jellyfish Jam", the jellyfish (plural, not just the first one) become this to [=SpongeBob=] after the one he decided to keep as a pet invited the others to party at his house while he was asleep.
* The ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' episode "Royal Pain" sees King River crash at the Diaz residence after an argument with his wife. Star is happy with the arrangement at first but soon grows weary of her father's constant all-night ragers and lack of respect for Earth culture and decorum (which she realizes reflects her own craziness at times). River eventually realizes he's making a mess of things and goes home to his wife after patching things up with Star.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'', Richie hangs out at the Hawkins household so often that Sharon says he ought to pay them rent. Virgil and his father don't seem to care too much, though.
** Though it is later revealed Richie never invites Virgil over because his father is a racist.
* Discussed in the ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Mxyzpixilated" when Lois admits to Clark that she dreads visits from her sister, because "she moves right on in, and stays and stays..."
* Casey Jones is a mild version of this in one episode of the 2003 ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''. He doesn't stay that long, comparatively, but he does a fair amount of damage to the furnishings before he goes. The Turtles (especially Mikey) even make several "Thing That Would Not Leave" jokes.
* ''WesternAnimation/The13GhostsOfScoobyDoo'': In "Scooby in Kwackyland", [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Vincent Van Ghoul]] has been staying with the crew for a week while his home is being re-cobwebbed, and has spent most of that time laying in bed and making unreasonable demands. Daphne actually refers to him by the trope name shortly before the gang's latest adventure begins.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' episode "Charlie", the Bears are stuck with a clumsy, chatter-box Sasquatch named Charlie after Grizzly signs them up for an [=AirBNB=]-like service called "Caveshare". It turns out Charlie is on the run from paparazzi and Bigfoot-hunters, who swarm outside the Bears' cave until the Bears trick them into going away.

* In ''Fanfic/CustodyBattle'', a My Hero Academia fanfiction, All for One shows up at Izuku and the First's apartment and refuses to leave.
* Used in the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5688056/1/On_a_Clear_Day On a Clear Day]]''. Draco works for a charity organisation. When the organisation plans a gala to raise money for the children who lost their parents in the war against Voldemort, Draco's boss demands that he makes sure that the Great Harry Potter is in attendance. The problem is that since the war, Harry has turned agoraphobic and refuses to leave Grimmauld Place, which prompts Draco to intentionally invoke this trope. It's not that he never leaves, but he goes there every day, sits around for hours, and tries to annoy Harry into agreeing to come to the gala. [[spoiler:He succeeds.]]
* In the fancomic ''Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor'', the [[Film/PansLabyrinth Pale Man]] apparently followed Ofelia to the apartment building. He installed himself in Jareth's and Erik's kitchen, for several hundred pages. They managed to get rid of him once "with the help" of the ''friendly'' {{GirlScouts|AreEvil}}, but he came back and had a brownie sash. It took the combined efforts of [[Literature/{{Discworld}} Susan Sto Helit]], ''two'' Deaths and [[Comicbook/TheSandman1989 Dream]] to finally remove him for good... which could be ultimately worse since he found a friend (the Corinthian) thanks to this.
* In the ''Manga/DeathNote'' CrackFic ''Fanfic/AllYouNeedIsLove'' [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5949144/1/All_You_Need_is_Love]] Naomi Misora [[SympathyForTheDevil feels so sorry]] for her [[StalkingIsLove stalker]], [[BigBad Light Yagami/Kira]], [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty because he's being sexually harassed in the workplace]] that [[WhatWereYouThinking she invites him to stay at her place for a couple days...]] In the end Naomi ends up kidnapping Raye (her clueless fiancé) and fleeing the country to get away from Light. Meanwhile Light, who has to date not yet left her apartment, sends her a note informing her that the fridge is empty and now L and Matsuda (the stalker's stalkers) had followed him there and are in the process of "redecorating." The story then has a TimeSkip - it's five years later and Light still hasn't left.
* In ''[[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjZIG6U3bRmGNBpTDRoR_lE8oNYdgCwBU The Jack Horner Universe Saga]]'',[[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse Steven]] is this to [[WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish Jack]], who keeps pestering him to be a better person. After Jack's attempts to keep him away with [[Series/BetterCallSaul a lawyer]] fail, he resigns himself to tolerating and horrifying the young Gem in turn.
* In ''Fanfic/LokiAgentOfDoomgard'' Loki's way of getting an audience with God Emperor Doom (and a job) was annoying the Thors with not leaving until they ran out of all other options. Naturally ''after'' getting said job the chances of Loki ever leaving went down to approximately zero.
* In ''Fanfic/PleaseStopEatingTheHellButterflies'', Gin sneaks into Seireitei regularly despite having defected with Aizen. He stays there so often that Yamamoto gives up and restates him as Captain when he finds out that Gin's still doing all the 3rd division's paperwork and offered to do Zaraki's.
-->''No, we will not be re-appointing Ichimaru Gin as taicho of your division, just because he never seems to leave. Stop calling him "taicho". It's confusing people. -Even if he sneaks in at night and does all the paperwork. -On second thought, welcome back, Ichimaru-taicho.''
* Subverted in ''[[Fanfic/UltimateSpiderWoman Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With The Light]]''. Protagonist Mary Jane Watson is invited by her Aunt Anna to live with her and Mary Jane's cousin Kristy while she attends university, but Mary Jane refuses in part because she's afraid she'd be mooching off them. Mary Jane insists on staying in her own apartment, only to [[HeroicBSOD suffer a nervous breakdown]] and lose her apartment after being a TripleShifter catches up with her. Finally, Mary Jane moves in with Anna and Kristy, although she insists on doing a lot of the housework and helping out financially to earn her keep.
** Another subversion occurs with Mary Jane's mother Maddie Lieber-Watson. When Maddie and Mary Jane were kicked out of the family home by Maddie's husband [[DomesticAbuse Phillip Watson]], Anna offers Maddie a place to stay. This is more {{Justified}} than many cases since Maddie is initially a ''seriously'' BrokenBird and is in no shape to take care of herself.
* In ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'', Fluttershy actually ''threatens'' to become this and being all [[RunningGag shy]] around Twilight's home to coerce her into giving up the second gala ticket.

* In ''Blog/AskFlufflePuff'', the titular character and [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Queen Chrysalis]] basically invite themselves to live at Twilight's tree with no indication of wanting to leave... until they go on vacation and return to find it destroyed. After it's rebuilt as Twilight's new castle, she boots both of them out, to Chrysalis' fury... until all of a sudden she and Fluffle suddenly start living in the house the latter had all along. And then Marksaline starts applying this trope to ''them'', alternatively scaring Chrysalis and generally making her very uncomfortable.
* In Fanfic/{{Anyone}}, [[LukeIAmYourFather All for One]] is this, much to Izuku's irritation.

Everyone wants to be polite, especially to a guest in your home, and [[SacredHospitality hospitality is a sacred vitrtue]]. Unfortunately, your courtesy is not always reciprocated, and, to your horror, you can find yourself trapped with '''The Thing That Would Not Leave'''--the guest who stays seemingly forever.

* ''Webcomic/TrippingOverYou'': The Schwartzes' BlackSheep cousin Alfons shows up for a visit in Chapter 5, admits he doesn't know how long he'll be staying and hasn't been shown to have left in the subsequent twelve chapters. {{Downplayed|Trope}} in that, despite Eli's misgivings about hosting him, Alfons is a congenial StarvingArtist who doesn't impose and who helps mitigate Eli's EmptyNest pangs after Liam moves out.

* ''ARG/TheNoedoleckinArchives'': Nickelodeon treats Kirk as one, as they have tried several times to get rid of him, but none so far have succeeded.

* [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Northern Italy]] from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' is this to Germany initially, hanging around, irritating him, and generally being useless. Despite Germany's attempts to throw him out, then ''give'' him away, he [[TheCatCameBack always returns]]. Eventually the two become close friends, however ([[HoYay if not more]]).
* Yakuza gangster Nitta from ''Manga/{{Hinamatsuri}}'' finds himself forced to take care of a young telekinetic girl who just arrived at his house one day.

* In ''FanFic/CustodyBattle'', a My Hero Academia fanfiction, All for One shows up at Izuku and the First's apartment and refuses to leave.

* OlderThanFeudalism: In ''Literature/TheOdyssey'', during Odysseus' 20-year absence, many young men, [[NeverFoundTheBody assuming that he must have died]], take up residence in his mansion [[YouHaveWaitedLongEnough to court his wife Penelope]]. [[IWillWaitForYou Penelope believes that Odysseus is still alive]] and will not take a new husband. The suitors stick around and live off Odysseus' wealth for years, even when it becomes plain that Penelope does not want them around and has no interest in remarrying. When Odysseus finally comes back, he kills them all for violating the laws of hospitality as guests.

[[folder:Religion]]
* ''Literature/TheBible'': "Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house — too much of you, and he will hate you." ([[Literature/BookOfProverbs Proverbs 25:17]])
[[/folder]]

* ''Series/GirlFriends'' has Lynn, who crashed on Joan's couch and wouldn't leave for 8 years. She later also stayed with Toni, before getting a place in Maya's mom's garage.

* ''Anime/PokemonJourneysTheSeries'': A Morpeko follows the Team Rocket trio from Galar all the way back to Kanto, and ends up routinely devouring their food, much to their chagrin and annoyance. Eventually, though, [[CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem James ends up growing fond of and catches it]].

* ''Manga/UzakiChanWantsToHangOut'': Hana makes a point of being present at Shinichi's apartment as much as she possibly can, so that his resistance against her gradually diminishes. One of her more subtle methods to encroach him is by gradually bringing her own stuff into his apartment, which he chides her for. That is, until she offers to cook for him, leaving him no foothold to reclaim his lost space.

Many a DomCom has used the set-up of a house guest that simply will not leave. The put upon homeowners must find a way to remove this intruder without being rude, but no matter how many times they yawn, look at the clock, or mention an early appointment for the next day, their guest remains an immovable fixture.

The most common way of getting caught in this trap is to take in a friend or relative who's [[LoserProtagonist down on their luck]]. Supposedly the situation will be temporary until they get back on their feet. Invariably the friend will either be [[CloudCuckoolander a complete eccentric]] or have absolutely [[ItsAllAboutMe no regard for the people]] whose home they're squatting in. After having their lives turned completely upside down by someone who appears to have no clue as to the harm they're doing, the inevitable confrontation occurs.

Everyone wants to be polite, especially to a guest in your home, and [[SacredHospitality hospitality is a sacred vitrtue]]. Unfortunately, your courtesy is not always reciprocated, and, to your horror, you can find yourself trapped with '''The Thing That Would Not Leave'''--the guest who says forever.

Everyone wants to be polite, especially to a guest in your home. Unfortunately, courtesy is not always reciprocated, and, to your horror, you can find yourself trapped with '''The Thing That Would Not Leave'''.