Is your home your castle?

Our house it has a crowd
There's always something happening
And it's usually quite loud
Our mum she's so house-proud
Nothing ever slows her down
And a mess is not allowed

Our house, in the middle of our street
Our house, in the middle of our
Our house, in the middle of our street

~Our House by Madness

You've heard it--you may have even said it ... "As long as you live in my house, you'll live by my rules!!" Or, "I can't wait until I'm old enough to move out and can make my own decisions!"

But how much freedom do we really have in and around our homes? A municipality may have rules governing rental property. A Homeowners Association may tell you that you have to paint your house. Where is the line between what in your house can be regulated and what is your own personal business?

Obviously, you can't engage in criminal activity in your home. You can't murder someone in your house. You can't make counterfeit money in your basement. Your right to privacy does not give you the right to commit a felony. Most of us would not even think of committing a crime in our homes.

But what about small things that are not so obvious?