How much rent to charge 18 year old?

Unless you truly need the money, I would give her the option of either paying you £200 or putting the same amount into savings every month - if she has any sense she’ll pick the second option. I really don’t like the oft-advised solution of taking rent but secretly putting it into an account for her - there’s something very infantilising about it. Just give her the options and let her make her choice.

We did not charge rent after Uni & returned home. Moved out when they were ready to.

Zero but she pays her phone bill.

Understanding how to budget isn’t solely dependant on paying rent. No one I know pad rent when growing up and all are responsible adults with good jobs and mortgages.

Totally different if you need the money….

Then you're not charging him rent. It's enforced saving. Why not just be upfront about it?

This, absolutely.

In 2 or 3 years time my DS and his girlfriend will have saved up enough to buy their own 3 bedroom home in London. They will be home owners by the time they are 26 -27 which they would not have been able to if not living at home and partly subsidised by parents who can afford that. This works well for us. He has the rest of his life to pay utility bills.

👏👏👏

All of ours got a year rent free after finishing education and then rent after that. And no, I’m not saving it to surprise them with, why should I continue paying for my kids once they have jobs??

DS earns £1600-1800pm and pays us £250. He helps with cleaning, does his own washing and will cook occasionally too. I put it in a savings account for his travel/leaving home fund however he’s unaware of this.

Why are they living with you if they own their own properties?

In your opinion only!!
Quite happy with our way of treating DC living at home, thank you.
They all own their own properties & financially sound.
Each to their own!

You’re not doing them any favours. I don’t think many parents expect a contribution for financial gain. Not everyone is so well off that they can pay all their children’s subscriptions, phone bills etc. and not expect anything towards the household bills. The children shouldn’t feel entitled to free board either, when they can afford it in addition to a good social life, holidays etc. Doing their fair share of chores is expected too.

Maybe they aren’t bothered about him moving out. Why should they be?

I find it strange that many posters change from being all consuming, memory making, DP into money making, ruthless, financial gainers when their DC hit 18 years.
It’s almost like a step back in time when Edwardian families couldn’t wait for their DD to leave home to become a servant.
We have never charged our DC rent or bills. Never wanted to.

I agree. I think most people understand that if you live outside the family home, you have all sorts of additional expenses!

The same with mine. I never charged my own children to live in the family home.
They have still managed to find rentals and pay their own way through adult life, with no budgeting problems.

I wouldn't make a profit out of her but would expect food and phone to be paid and a contribution to gas/electric.

£200 sounds OK, but definitely time for her to pay her own phone contract, it's a good way to start building up a decent credit rating as well.

I would also encourage saving more as its the only time in life when she'll be able to save a decent % of her income before having to run her own house.

Grethagreeen,he was in a relationship, has an adult DD, then married 10 years with a mortgage, just now seems to imagine it's his poor DMs responsibility.

How's it making it harder for them? Or is it ok for an 18 year old to spunk £650 a month on sweet FA

Many people don’t correct and many people do but at 18 when they’re trying to save money and have the luxury of no bills why make it harder for them if as parents we can afford to (and I say if because I realise not everyone can afford it).

If you need the contribution then I think your plan is more than fair. If you don’t need it yourself I’d likely put it away to give back when she moves out but there’s no need to have £800 spare every single month

If you don’t need it charge nothing - BUT that is conditional on her putting 1/3 of her pay into her LISA
she needs to learn budgeting vs frittering but if you can afford it, let her save not pat

dd is nearly 20 and on a full time degree apprenticeship on £30k year. We charge her £200 a month, on the condition she saves £1k month minimum

Many people don't have £650 a month left after bills you know

Exactly this? The faux naivety "ooh why would you expect a working adult to contribute to their living expenses?" gets right on my tits.
I remember my son in his mid twenties querying it when I put his board up to £250. I gave him my entire budget mortgage, council tax, water, gas, even tv license everything. He held his hands up in mock surrender when he realised just what a good deal he was getting.
Anyway op I think £150 plus taking on her phone contract is a good start.

Thats a massive leap if you somehow think children living at home without contributing all end up like your friend’s son. By supporting my son, I am just enabling him to become an independent home owner much sooner than he would if he was living at home learning to pay electric bills. He knows people have to pay bills, he has paid them at university for 4 years and he is not dumb.