ball and chain
[noun]
Synonyms: restriction, circumscription, cramp, limitation, stint, stricture

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ˌball and ˈchain noun [singular]

1. something that limits your freedom and stops you from doing what you want to do:
The lower-tech side of the business was seen as a ball and chain.

2. a heavy metal ball on a chain, tied to a prisoner’s legs, to stop the prisoner from escaping

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

a ball and chain
something which limits your freedom.
The house had become a ball and chain - we couldn't sell it and neither could we rent it out.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲