Cheeky request? Would this upset you?

[Bangersandmash5]

I've rented a flat on my own for the last five years but due to various reasons will be moving out at the end of December. Lots of family and friends have kindly offered to let me live with them until I can buy my own place as I'm hoping to be on the property ladder by mid next year.

My close friend of many years has said I can rent a room in her place as she has a four bedroom house. She's asked for £250pm which will include all meals (she decided this), however they are a vegan family and I don't particularly enjoy the meals that they cook (lots of noodle type dishes). Obviously I would never be disrespectful and bring meat in the house but I will probably end up buying my own food anyway (boring meals such as jacket potato, beans on toast etc etc).

The bedroom is on the small side and will only fit a single bed in with a small chest of drawers so I will need to pay for a storage unit. I work full time and will be in the house during the evenings and sometimes weekends. Shower once a day and maybe wash my clothes once/twice a week, although I could do that at my parents house if needs be. I'm clean and tidy and have already told her I will help out around the house (one reason I've chosen to live with friend as she's similar to me). She's told me that her council tax won't increase if I move in.

I was thinking of asking her if she'd be happy to accept £200pm and I will sort my own food out, but wanted to get Mumsnet opinions first. I don't want to fall out with a friend, especially over money and ultimately it is her decision, but what do you all think? Would it upset you if I asked the question? She did let slip the other day that she use to charge her sister £120 to rent the same room, but I appreciate family will always get a discount!

I lived with a friend. I paid rent not because she was particularly interested in money but because it gave me a sense of it being my place too. It worked really well. Some of my happiest years.

Yes it would be really cheeky to attempt to negotiate down a really cheap mates rates offer to rent a room. I would go elsewhere if I were you rather than take the piss out of a kind friend prepared to do you a favour.

@sunshinemode

I lived with a friend. I paid rent not because she was particularly interested in money but because it gave me a sense of it being my place too. It worked really well. Some of my happiest years.

Yeah this was my thought too - I think accepting (or suggesting) mates rates creates and sense of indebtedness and power imbalance that will not be helpful for the friendship.

I would expect and want to pay the 250 which is a bargain. Tell her that you will organise your own food. She may reduce it, she may not but its still very cheap.

What she is charging you is already cheap. Fractionally more than £50 per week. Household fuel costs are going to be through the roof over the next several months. You will be using gas and electricity, more if you are cooking your own meals - then there is washing, showering, laundry, ironing, as well as lights, TV etc. If you want to live with your friend and not appear petty, you should IMO pay what she is asking. Eat the food you like and opt out of other meals, telling them you’ll get something else.

I definitely don’t agree @Aderyn21 Your friend is suggesting an extremely reasonable charge, not making money out if you.

Sounds like a lot for a small room!

I rent £250 pcm is very cheap. Look at sharing sites eg Cohabitas, they ask £600+ pcm.

I rent.

Live with one of the other people who have offered. This one is totally seeing you as a cash cow.

Really - it seems pretty cheap to me. Why would you expect to live in someone's house for six or so months for free?

My friends son gives her more than £250 per month (which includes his rent, washing, broadband, food and bills etc)!

I think you're incredibly rude to try and reduce the rate.

Live somewhere else!

Depends what the going rate is?
If this includes all bills it sounds very cheap to me. Check it out before you ask.
But if you can find somewhere else I would, I think this will strain the friendship

If you only intend staying there for at the most 6 months you are talking about £300 difference. Do you really want to insult a friend over £300?

If you're only there for 5 nights out of 7 (although possibly the odd weekend) that means the cost per night, including electricity (which has risen exponentially) broadband, showering and laundry if your others us bed-linen plus any ironing you may do, amounts to £12.50 per night each 'day' for 4 weeks, bar w/ends.
You'd be really mean to ask her to reduce it.

Hi op, I think it’s likely that your friend has included meals to keep things simple in the kitchen. Most vegans don’t want meat in the fridge or kitchen and she probably doesn’t want food in your bedroom either.
Personally I’d want to cook my own meals whatever anyone else ate. And sometimes cook for everyone as a way of being friendly. Depending on how long I was staying. £250 isn’t a lot for a room with all bills included. Including meals too they wouldn’t ‘be making money’ at all. Other posters have suggested staying elsewhere, I think similarly.

*correction
. .and laundry, your clothes plus bedlinen...

Do let me know where you can find somewhere else with rent, food, electric, internet, washing etc for £250 a month! So what if you eat out a bit?!

She’s charging you a token amount.

Frankly, you're tight.

The Vegan food would be enough to put me off, never mind anything else.

We are a vegan/veggie household and if my best friend needed a home not only would I allow her whatever food she wanted I would actively encourage it.

I don’t know her financial position but renting the room for £250 also isn’t something I’d do. I’d charge her for her share of the bills but wouldn’t look to turn a profit.

Thank her for her offer but turn it down.

£250 is cheap. Yes, your rent is £400 but never mind food - your bills over winter is what you're not counting. She doesn't want non-vegan food that'll be why she's offered to cook.

If she's your good friend discuss it, tell her you wouldn't be saving much as would prefer to eat your own (vegan) food and ask if she'll do a bit less.
I've lived with friends and it's gone either way, a lodger of mine became my best friend for years after.

This all sounds like a bad idea and 250 is cheap.

I wouldn't pay to live somewhere, even if it's cheap if I had weird restrictions on what I could and couldn't eat. You also risk ruining your friendship too if you move into her house, it's very different renting a room in a friend's house to being equal tenants renting a place together. I'd go and stay with family.

I rent from a friend and absolutely would never do it again. Better to have a proper rental relationship with an unknown person so you can decide things for yourself. I am desperate to leave but the property market is outstripping me.

£250 is really cheap. I think she is definitely already giving you mates rates. If you don't want to eat with them you could ask if she would mind you cooking your own thing (emphasise that you will cook simple meals with minimal disruption to them), but I don't think you should even mention the money. She may offer you a reduction herself without you asking, but she is already offering a bargain price. Personally I would try eating their food with them though, it is probably healthy and you may find you grow to like it.

I think £250 per month is very cheap. If you are wanting to cook your own meals then it would cost to use electricity/gas etc to cook.

I would not ask for a discount tbh. Might ruin your relationship