How much rent to charge 18 year old?

Do parents not teach their kids budgeting skills when growing up? Do they never discuss family finances with and in front of them? Do their kids not know how much utilities or mortgage and food cost? Are the kids kept in a bubble and kept away from these family discussions but when they turn 18, bam - they’re fully functioning adults. Perhaps there are other ways to teach your children about how to run a house than taking money from the earnings of their first part time job. They could be encouraging them to save their earnings for their future. I’m baffled by the number of people on here suggesting OP takes the kid’s money to save it for them. What exactly is that teaching the child when instead you can teach them how to save it themselves?

Not teaching your growing teen about finances and budgeting is more of a parenting fail than not taking their money (as another poster suggested).

I think you’re confusing never having had to work with never having had to pay for anything. The young adult in question works a part-time job and earns £900 and naturally cannot afford to run a house. She can’t afford a horse either - and being parted with a symbolic sum each month for things she can’t afford will hardly teach her any lessons; it would just keep her further away from being able to afford anything.

I don’t think it’s failed parenting. My sons were privately educated and we paid for them through uni and never stopped their allowance during holidays etc. My youngest did briefly live at home after graduating whilst he waited to move into his own place. He was working, well paid so paid board, which we did give him back once he moved out. My eldest went to work in London straight after graduation. He needed to pay 6 months rent upfront which we gave him, but we insisted that he set up a standing order and paid us back and tbh he was happy to do so as he was raised that once you were working you paid your way and didn’t rely on bank of mum. & dad.

I think the failure is more of society in general. It used to be that young adults would get married, their parents would help with a down payment for their home and wedding, and carry on helping with the grandchildren. Now, when young adults hit adulthood, parents charge them rent and say that will get them going in life. Perhaps they won’t move in with a partner until their forties, while we keep relying on imports for our next generation.

Yes but when they turn 18 our UC and CB is cut, so technically they do cost more. Our children are not adults yet but unless we come into some money or have a magical pay rise it will be a financial struggle to support two adult children. I would probably only charge them their shares of utilities though.

That you can definitely call a parenting fail.

Many families in third world countries sell their children or watch them die because they can't afford to pay for them.

My 18 and 19 year old sons contribute to my home-£50 a week each.
4 of us in the house. Me, their 12 year old brother and the 2 of them.
Both kindly offered and it goes in the house pot.
Gas, electricity.
shopping.
Water.
Internet.
petrol contribution-I’m the only driver-school, work to different places.
meals cooked.
clothes washed, dried and ironed by me.
lunches for work made by me.
They also muck in with the house chores too, strip their beds, wash the bedding and keep a clean room.
pay their phone bills and their gym memberships themselves.
They’re kind, grateful and appreciative.
Ive been a single mum for a very long time, they don’t eat like children, they eat me out of house and home-as they should, it’s their home-but at 6ft 1 and 6ft 3 Adults, plus a12 year old 5ft 5 you can imagine how much my shopping is.
It’s just me and them and the price of stuff isn’t coming down, across the whole lot of expenses.
I paid my way when I lived at home and I never batted an eye handing it over to my mum. I was truly grateful and proud of myself-My 2 sons give me the same look.
If anything should ever happen to me, I can rest easily knowing they will know how to manage money and keep house.
should I ever be graced with daughters in law and grandchildren, they will be looked after and if I’m not and they remain single, they will look after themselves-I’ve taught them everything they know, teaching them about money and contributing in life, was just as important.
They can live at home forever, they know that.
They don’t begrudge me a penny.
All 3of mine are treated equally at Christmas and birthdays.
Tonight is takeaway for tea, one is at work and his is here ready for when he gets in very shortly.
We’re a family and we take care of each other, I’m very proud of them and they appreciate what they have.

Because they’ve never had to pay for anything and been given it all on a plate. They had no idea how much running a house costs.

Many (non-western) cultures never charge their children rent AND manage to pay for university without burdening their kids with life long student loans. I’m talking third world countries here. So no need to mention affordability. Yeah, failed parenting. More like priorities.

My parents would never charge me rent! And to those who think that is a set up for failure, it's not that black and white. I was taught to respect money and contribute to household chores. If I lived with my parents, I would have paid my own phone bill and share expenses for groceries or any food that I might buy.

Ok, so my experience is dated. I was made to leave school at 16 and went into full time employment. Early to mid 1980s. My mother expected to see my payslip and took £80 -£100 per month. They were not poor.

Children should not have to pay to live in houses they didn’t choose to be born into. Nurture your children. Encourage them to save. It’s a good habit.

Why would they be totally shocked? I lived in my mom’s studio in my early twenties and used the money I saved on rent to move to a new country and pay for my tuition upfront. I also paid for a year of rent upfront. None of it shocked me.

As its part time I would not charge but would insist £200 into the isa she pays her own phone toiletries and clothes now and she will have to do some chores

I can see it all ways, my 18yr is not paying rent as she's on a gap year so saving for uni. Her Dad is continuing to pay her maintenance in the form of giving her money to pay me rent. It's really nothing at all. We have had to help he with her car so she can drive to all of her three part time jobs.
Driving lessons were extortionate but opened up gateways for her to work but cars are expensive to run. I feel mainly uni will leave us out of pocket but none of these circumstances are her fault or ours.

33% of take home pay. Stop paying for her mobile bill.

Hard agree. Most functional adults know that at least 30 to 40% of their income will go on housing themselves.

When they can they should aim to save 20 to 30% of that same income.

Your 18 year old is earning a decent part time wage @TakeALookAtTheseSwatches , you aren't doing her any favours by not giving her financial responsibility. Or do you want her living at home at 26 with a 5 year old and another baby on the way while her boyfriend lives with his parents and the only one paying anything is you?

someone i work with charges her daughter £350 a month which i think is masssssssssssssssive.

if my kid was 18 and earning i'd be nice and give them two months free and then after that £125 a month. people i know in their early twenties are paying £700/£800 for a room in a house - in the south east and the north east which seems massive but i guess that's the norm. so paying £100-ish is an absolute bargain.
my daughter drove a hard bargain and reluctantly gave me £60 a month when she was earning although it'd be more than that if/when she lives at home again.

We have gone with 35% of take home wage for our 18 year old. Still a bargain for him compared to the reality of life. He saves some of his money into a LISA account.

DS1 (21) works full time. Pays £400per month and his own phone bill. This is less than the recommended 30%

DS2 (19) on UC. Currently waiting for a health assessment as too ill to work. Pays £200 per month and his own phone bill.

When DS2 left college, which coincided with DS1 turning 21, my UC went down by roughly £400, plus my CB stopped. I can't afford for them to live for free. They are perfectly happy to contribute.

There's no "one size fits all" about how much someone should pay. And, as this thread shows, some people think they should learn responsibility by paying. Others think it's a parenting fail to charge them.

Anything is too much, she's your child not some lodger!!! 😡

Every person is different. Every family is different.

I never had to pay a penny to my parents. They entirely and utterly lavished all they had on me and supporting me through many years of higher education including me migrating away and abroad. My mind boggles at the generosity.

My career, my progression and the pace of it, my home and family is also based on the foundations of complete financial support they built for me.

DH had the opposite. He has really struggled in life and has countless memories of parents being the other way.

we have both jointly committed to supporting our kids exactly as my parents supported me as much as we can.

When our kids lived at home we didn’t charge them anything but insisted they pay 50% of their take home pay into a savings account. This was so that they wouldn’t get used to having so much disposable income they’d never move out 😉

Jesus some kids have it hard. She didn't ask to come into this world and the least you can do is to provide her with an extremely reduced roof over her head until she's 25. Most kids won't be able to afford to buy a property before that and if you want grandchildren, just help her a little bit more. The housing and rental crisis in this country will have a serious effect on childbirth if we're not careful.