Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

do you have your uni students and other off spring at home? are you charging rent?

30 replies

CrowdedHouseinQuarantine · 23/05/2020 09:08

My dc have got furlough from their part time/full time work.
but are living at home, rent free,
should i charge?
would you?

OP posts:

Sophiesdog2020 · 23/05/2020 09:22

We aren’t but can afford not to, and both are saving most of their money for future travel, eventual houses. If they weren't saving, they would be paying! Both help out with cooking, cleaning etc when not working.

Eldest finished final year at uni early, managed to secure probably one of the last retail jobs around in late April! Knows what he wants to do career wise but recruitment likely to be delayed by virus, and similarly his planned travelling later in year.

Younger one has had 2 yrs in retail whilst also going abroad to volunteer/travel. Not sure of career plans, didn’t want to go uni. Had planned to go off abroad for a longer stint this summer, but again, it will be delayed now/or she may sort out career plans in meantime.

I think it comes down to individual circumstances, and includes making sure the young people aren’t taking things for granted. I would charge if they were at home and working professional jobs, or splashing the cash (when not locked down) but neither are like that, so I think they might as well save their money whilst they can.

Original poster

CrowdedHouseinQuarantine · 23/05/2020 09:27

fair point,
since they cannot splash the cash and are enjoying having a positive bank balance

OP posts:

Xenia · 23/05/2020 09:37

It depends on your circumstances. I have paid £3000 for this last term's rent for my twins in their Bristol university (private rental) houses and they are both at home. I think they hope to get back after exams for the last week or 2 if that is allowed. I certainly feel I have paid a lot to have them here to eat me out of house and home..... lovely though they are. I certainly don't charge them rent - in fact they get rent from a house I helped them buy and an allowance from me so they are very lucky but I work full time and earn a reasonable amount so happy with that. Another of my children is coming back for a month in a week (complicated reasons but essentially relating to a rental she is in and when her flat which she owns becomes free when her tenants leave and we think she has had CV19 anyway early on in London and she is pretty careful too although I have joked that this might kill me off...... and I won't be charging her rent nor danger money - it's just a month and I assume she will buy her own food).

Some people have a lot less money than others so I don't think it is easy to generalise. Eg I stop the allowance of one of my sons on 1 July which is our deal - I support them at university not after unless he continues in education - his twin is doing post grad law which he might do too. If not then I stop the allowance but I won't charge him rent and I will buy his food if he is at home.

Original poster

CrowdedHouseinQuarantine · 23/05/2020 09:40

I refuse to buy any alcohol for them, perhaps I should suggest they could buy their own food?

OP posts:

SauvignonBlanche · 23/05/2020 09:43

I’m not charging DD rent but I used to give her £325 a month to top up her minimum maintenance loan, she’s not getting that any more.

Apolloanddaphne · 23/05/2020 09:45

My DD has been furloughed from her bar job so we have stopped taking digs money from her. We can afford to feed her etc and would rather she saved any money she gets as it is doubtful the bar will open up again any time soon.

allfalldown47 · 23/05/2020 09:45

Dd has been home since late March, she's in her first year of uni. It hasn't even occurred to me to charge her any rent.
I'm getting her toiletries etc with the weekly family shop when needed and she's helping round the house, walking the dog etc which is a huge help as dh & I are both wfh.
I want her to save any money she has, I feel so gutted for her having the best years of her life on hold like this. When things are back to 'normal' she can then go off and have some fun!

C0RA · 23/05/2020 09:50

No I don’t charge her, but we don’t need the money. She buys her own toiletries, sweets and alcohol ( she drinks different things to us, otherwise she could share ours ).

However normally she would have a summer job and that has been cancelled. She’s applied for others but not much chance of getting anything as her course doesn't finish until July. So little chance of earning this summer.

But if she had plenty money and we were hard up then yes, I’d expect a contribution from her.

CallmeAngelina · 23/05/2020 09:55

Of course not. This is their home.

pumpkinpie01 · 23/05/2020 09:56

My dd18 has had her first year at uni cut short. She got her student loan through few weeks ago and has put some away to pay for the first instalment on the house for 2nd year. She has quite a bit left but she needs to save that as all her summer work was in hospitality. We pay for all her food and toiletries and she helps round the house. My ds22 is on a year off between degree and masters and has a well paid job with Lloyd's bank for the year ,we take £160 a month off him.

CouldBeOuting · 23/05/2020 10:01

DD is still at Uni doing her Masters Dissertation. I’ve always paid her rent there (and still am) and she had a little job which paid for her “extras”. That job disappeared as soon as lockdown started so I have offered to send her some more money but she is resisting at the moment.....

If she needs it we will send it But we are fortunate to be in that position.

PiggyPlumPie · 23/05/2020 10:06

Two home here, we took £50 each from them for the last two months they got their loan money. Neither have any income ATM so won't be taking any more.

Should have deposit money coming back to me at done point. That will cover any extra food etc.

It's really tough for them, especially DD1 who was in final year.

slalomsuki · 23/05/2020 10:56

DS is at home having had his first year cut short. Fortunately university halls let us off the final terms rent but since he lost his two part time jobs in hospitality due to shut down and having to still take his exams we have not broached the subject of rent so far. I'm hoping that he will find something once his exams are over next month but it's going to be a long haul. His new accommodation contract starts 1st July and if his lectures move on line like they say they are then we may look at breaking that contract and him stay at home and commute to the 2 seminars face to face per week.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 23/05/2020 11:01

Dd is home from her first year. Her loan is in but her uni isnt charging for the accommodation this term.
She is frugal and had already save 2k over the last 2 terms from her loan. But her part time job has furloughed her and next year her accommodation costs more so we are not charging her rent so she has more left and won't then need any help from us next year as a result. Also, with the strikes etc this tear, she has only spent 2 lots of 8 weeks away from home so it doesn't really feel like she has moved out!

VioletCharlotte · 23/05/2020 11:21

It's never crossed my mind to charge my DS rent while he's home. I suppose I would if I couldn't manage without it, but I can't imagine wanting to profit from my child. I'm saving money anyway now I'm not giving him money to top up his loan. This year's been utterly rubbish for students, he can save his money to do something nice when all this is finally over.

Poundpup · 23/05/2020 11:51

I think it all depends on your circumstances. I do not charge rent or housekeeping for my uni ds but I can afford to take the hit as I am lucky enough to be able to continue working from home full time. However my uni ds has been looking/applying for summer jobs and has been helping around the home. Also uni accommodation did not charge for last term, so he has a little extra from student loan.

If I was furloughed I might charge a nominal amount to cover the increase food/utility bills. Maybe 50ish per month.

SunflowerSeedsForever · 23/05/2020 11:58

No, but they are not claiming any loan either.
Nice opportunity to owe less when they graduate.

skippy67 · 23/05/2020 12:38

Dd home from first year of uni. We don't charge her rent because she's not working at the mo. DS 22 is a trainee solicitor, we take £250 a month from him, which we put in savings for him.

TheMerrickBoy · 23/05/2020 12:42

No - one has just finished first year uni and since March has paid us back the standing order she gets from us every month. One has come home from her job and flat to work at home here, and she is saving money on food and bills but still paying her rent on her actual flat.

I suspect they will do marginally better out of this than us, as the food shopping's gone up a lot (although both will get stuff from the shops if asked or often if not) but they're not spending a lot. If it goes on really long-term, maybe we'll have to change, but on principle I'd rather not: it's their home, and we can absorb it for now (if one of us gets furloughed or loses job, obviously that will change).

BigSandyBalls2015 · 23/05/2020 12:50

Nope. DD home from first year, we only had to pay for her halls up to early April so that was a saving of about £1500.

We are spending more on food but it’s lovely having her here.

HakeFish · 23/05/2020 12:53

What a ridiculous proposition. I can never understand this bizarre attitude on here that DC should be left to fend for themselves the second they turn 18.

Clearly, if an adult DC is living at home and earning a good wage, it is fair for them to contribute to the running costs of the home. Students, however, do not earn much at the best of times. It is cruel imo to even think about charging them for living in their own homes.

Apolloanddaphne · 23/05/2020 16:27

@hakefish To be fair OP asked about students and other offspring. My DD is 22 and graduated last year and worked in a bar from that point until she was furloughed. I think I was reasonable to take digs money from her and I also think it was fair we stopped when she was furloughed.

lazarusb · 23/05/2020 16:45

No.

My dd is still paying for her uni accommodation. She can't work as her employer is in lockdown. She is still finishing uni work. I'm not currently contributing to her food and travel at uni - so I'm actually saving a bit of money having her with us.

AmNot · 23/05/2020 16:51

MN leans towards a certain demographic so these threads always have the majority of people saying it wouldn't cross their mind to charge adult children rent.

I paid rent (nominal amount) from 18 till when I left home. I was earning and my Mum was a single Mum and needed the money and at points was earning a lot less than me but with more outgoings obviously.

I was still shocked how much it costs to live when I moved out!

lazarusb · 24/05/2020 12:00

If my children were working, then I would charge rent (did that with my eldest son). I just think that if they are still in education and not working, it's not right to charge rent.

Having said that, if the food bills increased and I needed some extra money, I'd ask them to chip in (if they could afford to do so).

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread