History Main / ClosetSublet

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', Lincoln's bedroom is actually a converted walk-in linen closet. While he sometimes complains about the size, Lincoln's at least happy to have his own room, while his [[MassiveNumberedSiblings ten]] sisters all have to double up. It also appears to be a fairly large closet--or at least subject to YourSizeMayVary--since all of the siblings have fit inside at times.

* In the book ''Literature/TheSugarQueen'', there's a girl living in another girl's closet.

* Literature/HarryPotter lived in the cupboard under the staircase in the Dursleys' home prior to getting a bunch of Hogwarts letters specifically addressed to it in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone The Philosopher's Stone]]''. He didn't like it much, as his cousin Dudley loved to bang down the staircase just to annoy him, and it was often full of spiders. As punishment, the Dursleys would sometimes lock him inside it. Further cementing Harry's status as TheUnFavorite, the Dursleys ''do'' have not one but two spare bedrooms, but [[SpoiledBrat Dudley uses and of them to keep all of his stuff, and the other is used as a guest room.]]

* Literature/HarryPotter lived in the cupboard under the staircase in the Dursleys' home prior to getting a bunch of Hogwarts letters specifically addressed to it in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone The Philosopher's Stone]]''. He didn't like it much, as his cousin Dudley loved to bang down the staircase just to annoy him, and it was often full of spiders. As punishment, the Dursleys would sometimes lock him inside it. Further cementing Harry's status as the UnFavorite, the Dursleys ''do'' have not one but two spare bedrooms, but [[SpoiledBrat Dudley uses and of them to keep all of his stuff, and the other is used as a guest room.]]

-->'''Superboy:''' You closet reminded me of my Cadmus pod. Except for the funny smells...

* Although the floorplan for Misato's apartment [[NotDrawnToScale shifts constantly from episode to episode]], in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Asuka forces this arrangement on Shinji, comandeering his bedroom and forcing him into the smaller spare room across the hall. The supplementary books have floor plans, and according to them, Shinji got dumped into the study/sewing room.

* Literature/HarryPotter lived in the cupboard under the staircase in the Dursleys' home prior to getting a bunch of Hogwarts letters specifically addressed to it in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone The Philosopher's Stone]]''. He didn't like it much, as his cousin Dudley loved to bang down the staircase just to annoy him, and it was often full of spiders. As punishment, the Dursleys would sometimes lock him inside it. Further cementing Harry's status as the UnFavorite, the Dursleys ''do'' not one but two spare bedrooms, but [[SpoiledBrat Dudley uses and of them to keep all of his stuff, and the other is used as a guest room.]]

* Literature/HarryPotter lived in the closet under the staircase in the Dursleys' home prior to getting a bunch of Hogwarts letters specifically addressed to it in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone The Philosopher's Stone]]''. He didn't like it much, as his cousin Dudley loved to bang down the staircase just to annoy him, and it was often full of spiders. As punishment, the Dursleys would sometimes lock him inside it. Further cementing Harry's status as the UnFavorite, the Dursleys ''do'' have a spare bedroom, but [[SpoiledBrat Dudley uses both of them to keep all of his stuff.]]

* Konoe goes into Akuto's closet at least once to "observe" him in ''LightNovel/DemonKingDaimao''.

* In ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'', Mab takes up residence in Dan's closet after her Faery Grove gets blown up. Granted, its more a case of using his closet-door as an entrance into her own, private pocket-dimension, but it evokes much the same effect when she pops into and out of her "home".

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', Lincoln bedroom is actually a converted walk-in linen closet. While he sometimes complains about the size, Lincoln's at least happy to have his own room, while his [[MassiveNumberedSiblings ten]] sisters all have to double up. It also appears to be a fairly large closet--or at least subject to YourSizeMayVary--since all of the siblings have fit inside at times.

* TruthInTelevision: There was a case in Japan where a homeless woman secretly lived in a man's closet. The man noticed only when he realised that the amount of food he bought and ate didn't match up, and set cameras around the house.

* Hong Kong's 'coffin apartments' are tiny apartments about the size of a single bed are housing 200,000 people. These are made by subdividing apartments with partitions.

In addition, following from TropeCodifier ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'', it's a way to allow the MagicalGirlfriend to [[InnocentCohabitation live with]] TheProtagonist without the two having to share a room.

* This the plot of ''Manga/{{Rizelmine}}'', where the main character's UnwantedSpouse takes up residence in his walk-in closet.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', Lincoln bedroom is actually a converted walk-in linen closet. While he sometimes complains about the size, Lincoln's at least happy to have his own room, while his [[MassiveNumberedSiblings ten]] sisters all have to double up. It also appears to be a fairly large closet--or at least subject to SizeMayVary--since all of the siblings have fit inside at times.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Fry moved in with [[RobotBuddy Bender]], but it turns out that robots live in closet-sized apartment, which they only use to "sleep" standing up. They eventually find a great new apartment with lots of amenities, which Bender doesn't like until he finds a "homey" closet to use as a bedroom. The episode ends with them having to move back to Bender's old place, with Fry resigned to the tiny space. It's then revealed that Bender's apartment has a closet of its own (the door to which is indistinguishable from the wall), which is the size of a human apartment and has multiple rooms.

* A variation from ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''; during the family's trip to Tokyo, they have an uncomfortable stay crammed into what they believe is a stereotypical tiny Japanese hotel room. It isn't until they're checking out that they discover that it was merely the foyer, and that the back "wall" was really a sliding door. Behind is a full-sized suite with several rooms.

* ''Anime/RODTheTV'' has very tall Maggie sleep in a closet. She likes small spaces.
* Lum in ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' is the TropeCodifier. (It's based on a pun: in Japanese, "an {{oni}} in the closet" is slang for a [[PrettyFreeloaders freeloader]].)
* Although the floorplan for Misato's apartment [[NotDrawnToScale shifts constantly from episode to episode]], in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Asuka forces this arrangement on Shinji, comandeering his bedroom and forcing him into the smaller spare room across the hall. The supplementary books have floor plans, and according to them, Shinji got dumped into the study/sewing room.
* This the plot of ''Manga/{{Rizelmine}}'', where the main character's UnwantedSpouse takes up residence in his walk-in closet.

* ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'': Kiri Komori will randomly show up in Itoshiki-sensei's closet (or any other dark, enclosed space) when the "plot" requires.
* It's hinted that Maika in ''Manga/{{Magikano}}'' frequently hides in her brother Haruo's closet and watches him sleep, as part of her obsession with him and her ultimate goal of some BrotherSisterIncest.
* [=NieA=] in ''Anime/NieaUnder7''.

* ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'':
** Ryoko is occasionally like this, only she tends to prefer rafters to closets.
** Washuu winds up taking residence in an extradimensional space created using the Masaki broom closet ''under the stairs''.
* Konoe goes into Akuto's closet at least once to "observe" him in ''LightNovel/DemonKingDaimao''.

* ''Film/HeDiedWithAFelafelInHisHand''. The residents sharing an overcrowded Brisbane home are not happy when a Japanese student called Satomi wants to stay also until she produces a large wad of cash. So she's offered a narrow storage closet in the enclosed verandah.
* ''Film/HeadOverHeels2001'': Referenced [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]] when Amanda moves in with a group of fashion models. She compares the room she's subletting to a closet, so they show her that their climate-controlled walk-in shoe closet is actually ''much'' nicer.

* In a non-romantic, male example, Spider from ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' takes up residence in the tiny walk-in closet belonging to his brother, "Fat Charlie" Nancy. Or rather, his immense penthouse with a scenic view of a waterfall in the Amazon jungle takes up residence there. And Spider absolutely refuses to leave. HilarityEnsues. So does a number of other things that are mostly entertaining when they don't happen to ''you''.
* In the book ''TheSugarQueen'', there's a girl living in another girl's closet.
* In ''Literature/TheWestingGame'', Turtle insists that her bedroom was designed to be only a closet. Her mother disagrees, but someone else who comes looking for the two of them asks why they're in a closet.

* In the James Herriot ''Literature/AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall'' series Tristan Farnon lives in the closet of James' room in Skeldale House. It seems that James got his room when he got the job of new assistant to Seigfried Farnon. This has led to amusement when some of Tristan's pranks involve him staying up later than James...

* In ''Series/PigSty'', due to events leading to too many people living in the apartment, Cal was forced to sleep in the living room closet.
* In ''Series/ProsecutorPrincess'' something along these lines happens, with a man sneaking in and eating her food, using her shampoo, etc.
* One recurring sketch on {{Creator/Nickelodeon}}'s ''Series/TurkeyTelevision'' was an ''[[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial E.T.]]'' [[AffectionateParody parody]] starring [[Series/YouCantDoThatOnTelevision Adam Reed]] as a boy with a friendly alien living in his closet.
* ''Series/TheSeanCullenShow'' had Winston the Cellar Dweller, who pays Sean rent.
* In ''Series/TwitchCity'', the female lead can't afford to rent a room, so she rents a walk-in closet and redecorates accordingly. It doesn't look half bad.
* In ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', Cody decides to live in their suite's front closet when he gets fed up with Zack refusing to clean his side of their room. He moves back once Zack decides to clean it up ([[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome and because the fire department told him it was illegal for him to live there]]).
* In ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', Angela moves into Oscar's closet when he offers to take her in after she is evicted from her apartment.
-->'''Oscar:''' When she got kicked out of her apartment, I invited her to move in with me. Ironic that now it's Angela who's living in the closet.
* ''Series/TheBoys2019''. At the start of Season 2 we get a ContrastMontage of Hughie Campbell (now on the run as a federal fugitive) living in the cleaning closet of a gangbanger's basement hideout, versus the luxury apartment Starlight lives in as a celebrity superhero.

* For several seasons of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', an apparently evil monkey lived in Chris's closet. It's later revealed that he's not evil, he's just crashing there until he sorts himself out emotionally from his divorce. ItMakesSenseInContext.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers,'' Louise apparently ''hates'' people going into her personal space, and thus chooses to sleep in a converted walk-in closet rather than share a room with Tina. She once gave her mother the SilentTreatment for a week when she went in there to vacuum.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb,'' Norm, Doofenshmirtz's robot henchman, lives in a janitor's closet with his name on the door at Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', Lincoln bedroom is actually a converted walk-in linen closet. While he sometimes complains about the size, Lincoln's at least happy to have his own room, while his [[MassiveNumberedSiblings ten]] [[OutnumberedSibling sisters]] all have to double up. It also appears to be a fairly large closet--or at least subject to SizeMayVary--since all of the siblings have fit inside at times.

A character who, for one reason or another, is living in another character's wardrobe/closet. For some reason, the "tenant" is usually a child of some sort. Happens a lot in anime, apparently because in Japan some people do indeed spend time in their closets during certain types of weather. That's half the reason why even smaller houses have big closets. Of course, apartments and capsules in Japan don't have closets at all.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Fry wanted to live with [[RobotBuddy Bender]], but Bender lives in a robot apartment -- which is the size of a closet since robots apparently don't use their homes for anything except "sleeping" standing up. They eventually find a great new apartment with lots of amenities, which Bender doesn't like until he steps into a small closet that he describes as "homey" and claims as his bedroom. The plot of the rest of the episode results in them getting kicked out and moving back to Bender's old place, with Fry resigning himself to the tiny space. It's then revealed that Bender's apartment has a closet of its own (the door to which is indistinguishable from the wall until it's opened by pushing a button), which has multiple rooms and is the size of a human apartment.

* A variation from ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''; during the family's trip to Tokyo, they have an uncomfortable stay crammed into what they believe is a stereotypical tiny Japanese hotel room. It isn't until they're checking out that they discover that it was merely the foyer, and that the back "wall" was really a sliding door, behind which is a full-sized hotel suite consisting of several rooms.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', Lincoln Loud's bedroom is actually a converted walk-in linen closet--and while he has sometimes complained about having a smaller bedroom compared to his sisters and their parents, Lincoln's at least happy that he's able to have his own room. It also appears to be a fairly large closet, because in most episodes, it's shown to be able to not only fit Lincoln, all of his stuff and at least one other person (usually his BlackAndNerdy best friend, Clyde [=McBride=]), but it can also fit all eleven of the Loud siblings (and still with room to spare).
* In ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers,'' Louise is happy to sleep in a converted walk-in closet rather than share a room with Tina because for some reason she ''hates'' the idea of anyone else going in her personal space. (She once gave her mom the SilentTreatment for a week simply because she went in to vacuum.)

His aunt and uncle attempt to thwart delivery by finally moving him to the spare bedroom, but it predictably doesn't work.

* Referenced [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]] in the 2001 film ''Film/HeadOverHeels2001'': when Amanda moves in with a group of fashion models, she compares the room she's subletting to a closet, so they show her that their climate-controlled walk-in shoe closet is actually ''much'' nicer.

-->'''Jemaine:''' What do you think?
-->'''Murray:''' It's...it's not a room, it's a cupboard.
-->'''Jemaine:''' It's not a cupboard.
-->'''Bret:''' It's a cleaning cupboard.
-->'''Jemaine:''' It's not a cleaning cupboard.
-->'''Murray:''' ''(looking past him)'' Is that—what's—is that cleaning products?
-->'''Jemaine:''' [[ImplausibleDeniability Yeah, I don't know what they're doing here]].
-->'''Bret:''' Well, it must have, at one stage, been a cleaning cupboard.
-->'''Jemaine:''' It's not a cleaning cupboard, it's an apartment. It's my studio apartment.
-->'''Murray:''' More like a ''compartment.''

* The 2005 American sitcom ''Series/{{Committed}}'' had a 'dying clown' living in the female lead's closet. When asked about this little eccentricity by a potential suitor, she reveals that she is subletting her apartment and a condition of the lease is that the clown gets to live in the closet until he dies. "They're used to small spaces, you know the ''[[ClownCar cars]]''."

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', Lincoln Loud's room is actually a converted walk-in linen closet--and while he has sometimes complained about having a smaller bedroom compared to his sisters and their parents, Lincoln's at least happy that he's able to have his own room. It also appears to be a fairly large closet, because in most episodes, it's shown to be able to not only fit Lincoln, all of his stuff and at least one other person (usually his BlackAndNerdy best friend, Clyde [=McBride=]), but it's also been able to fit all eleven of the Loud-kids (and still with room to spare).