Should his girlfriend pay rent?

My daughter is in a situation where her boyfriend bought a property with the intention of living there as a couple with my daughter - they have been together for 6 years and are very serious.

I didn't want my daughter to do it as she has no equity. Of course she won't listen. But what are her options? He has a big corporate job and she doesn't.

I just hope he doesn't drop her.

Id say half of bills and food. They both gain - he's paying less because his girlfriend is sharing these costs, she's paying less by not having rent to pay. It also means she can put money into savings, which she will need if the relationship breaks down. It's in his best interests that gf does not pay towards his house at all- in any way that could be perceived as a contribution.

He should be wary of freeloading women

1/2 the bills and rent free
it’s not worth risking her having a claim for a few hundred £’s

its a good leg up to build her own future financial independence

When my brother’s girlfriend moved in with him she paid him rent equal to
half the rent she had been paying in her share house. So they were
both better off by £X. I think they also agreed that he would overpay his mortgage by £X and she would save £X. After a couple of years they then bought a house together.

Yes he should..one of DS's friends is in a very similar situation. And yes the friend charges the girlfriend rent.

I wouldn't contribute to a partner's mortgage if I were not on it. Sounds like you want your son to have his cake and eat it.
If the level of distrust between them is so they can't share a mortgage they'd be better off renting.

It genuinely wasn't clear to me, but I'm not going to apologise. Some people offer batshit advice

If you choose to be flippant when somebody is asking a reasonable question, then that's on you.

Have a nice day 🙂

I don’t know if this is legally possible, but if so it would be fair to get a joint mortgage with her share being considerably less than his and with him having the option to buy her out in the event of a relationship breakdown. On the one hand it’s not fair to expect him to provide free housing for her, but it’s also not fair for her to be paying towards and asset that is purely for his benefit. I suppose they could also come to an arrangement where she contributes a share of the bills which will make him better off, but is also left with enough to put in saving every month so that she is also better off. It’s very hard to be completely fair in these situations, but it’s easy to end up with it being massively unfair. Ultimately it’s between your son and his girlfriend though so not for you to get involved in.

Exactly. Imo if the OP's son wants to buy a house on his own but also wants to live with his g/f he should, as others have suggested stay where he is and rent out the house he buys

I was clearly being flippant in the original post. Take the stick out of your arse.

So what are you saying now, that she lodges?

Because that is a world away from your original 'I'd give her a tenancy agreement'

It's a massive blunder to even mention the word tenant on a lodging agreement

Lodgers sharing a property with the owner have very few rights. Its different than being a tenant renting a whole property.

That is the most insane advice ever.

Do not ever use the word tenant unless you want to officially become a landlord..
...which very feew people do.

Tenants have a lot of right, and I guarantee the OPs son is not looking to get into this situation

Not if he's paying half of all the bills/food, contributing to the housework, and saving for a deposit on their next home together.

You come across like you really dislike your son's girlfriend, you may want to reconsider how you behave if you want contact with any future grandchildren.

Of course she has to pay some rent, maybe not the full amount but she cannot expect to live rent free for the foreseeable future.

For those saying that she should be included on the mortgage, my question would be how much of the deposit did she pay. None i presume going off the OPs post.

Also as others have said an agreement needs to be drawn up protecting your son and his property.

This isn't true. You can't claim back rent. She could claim for any maintenance/home improvements if she can prove she paid for it. This wouldn't include general decorating

I was in your sons position. My now ex saved no money to help with deposit, fees, furniture etc. We split everything in half. I am with you in i dont think he should have got to live rent free because I bought the house. If we decided to rent from someone else this would be no different in my eyes. I would make sure all bills are in his name, this has been a massive ball ache for me as my ex did things without me knowing and put stuff in his name. He moved out with the only things that belongs to him... his clothes.

I believe the information of if she pays rent she would have a claim is incorrect, you have no claim if you are renting. The only claim she would have would be if she could prove she helped towards something drastic, ie new kitchen/roof etc not decorating.

Buying a cheaper house is fair enough. Who knows what interest rates will do?

If they are together for let’s say ten years and they split up then she could have a claim towards the house.

My ds is in a very similar situation at the moment. He's bought a two bedroom house with the intention of getting a lodger but now it looks like his girlfriend is moving in (once she finds a job in the area).

I don't think it's fair that she gets completely free housing (and he will be tight for money without a proper lodger) so I think he's going to suggest a very very cheap rent, perhaps half the going rate, so they both gain from her living there.

I don't actually believe she would have a claim on the house and the relationship may not last as they're only 19 so it seems ridiculous to put her on the mortgage.

He shouldn’t buy a house that he can’t afford to pay the mortgage on completely alone. If they split she could claim that the only way he managed that mortgage was because she paid for it with him.
I would also say that you sound very overly involved in your son’s relationship and private agreements between him and his girlfriend.

He would be better to buy something that isn't such a stretch for him and renting it out. Them renting a place with his GF. That way she has no interest in his property and they both have equal rights and liability on the rental property. Although, he does need to make sure he has landlord insurance.

If he wants to proceed he needs a cohabitation agreement. I think it's reasonable for her to pay a share of the bills, food, utilities etc. However, I don't think she should pay for repairs, matainance etc. She shouldn't live for free but it certainly shouldn't be 50:50 because she doesn't have a financial interest in the property. I also think she should be protected I. Eventually over a split so he can't kick her out straight away and needs to give her notice.