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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much housekeeping would you charge

83 replies

buddylicious · 11/02/2022 14:03

I have a young lad living with my family. Let's just say I've known him for a long time and we are helping him out.

I am trying to work out how much housekeeping to charge him, bearing in mind we do everything for him.

So he has his own double room here and everything is included ... ie three (huge) meals and snacks every day, including taking a large packed lunch to work. I do his washing and cook for him.
He uses the family toiletries etc. All bills are included ie hot water, heating, broadband, insurance etc.

He's not on a great salary at the moment but all he needs to pay out for is his clothing, mobile phone, travel to work.

I was thinking £70 a week?

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 11/02/2022 14:09

I think you're being very generous but it'd allow him to still save etc.

catscatscatseverywhere · 11/02/2022 14:10

sounds good

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 11/02/2022 14:18

Work out the approximate cost of the food. Add on a bit extra for utilities. Where does that get you?

DPotter · 11/02/2022 14:20

I'd take it as a percentage of his salary so that as it increases, the rent increases too. Oh yes - call it rent, not house keeping. So whatever £70 is as a percentage of his salary and go from there. Although £70 is on the low side - young men can eat their weight in food and more in a week.
Also get him a regular set of chores to do

Blossomtoes · 11/02/2022 14:25

It’s impossible to say without knowing what he earns.

BeepBoopBop · 11/02/2022 14:27

I was thinking £100, but 5 large packed lunches with snacks... there is £35 a week saving for him on his lunches alone! It depends on what he earns, but with large room, laundry, WiFi, council tax, increased price of electric & gas, TV licence, etc it's got to be £120. Still less than £500 per month.

Original poster
buddylicious · 11/02/2022 17:22

Thanks.

He's currently on just over minimum wage and works four days a week (six hours a day). This job is training him up for what he eventually wants to do, so I wouldn't suggest he leaves and gets something else.

Obviously he could get a part time weekend job to earn some more money, but he's studying outside of work.

I don't want to make any money out of him but equally I want to ensure that, going forward, he learns the value of money!

OP posts:
LittleOwl153 · 11/02/2022 17:25

I would look at how much your food bill has gone up. Realistically your TV license council tax etc is not going to be affected.

MissMaple82 · 11/02/2022 17:35

70 pound a week?? Are you having a sodding laugh!! That's utterly ridiculous. Are you looking for just financial gain or something or do you genuinely want to help him out. How old is this young lad? My 19 old son pays 100 a month! If he's working I doubt your feeding 3 meals a day, he's probably hardly there

Sparticuscaticus · 11/02/2022 17:47

Disagree with @MissMaple82 - (where do these people come from?!)

How much does he earn OP?
£70 a week for food bills and toiletries included as well as rent is amazing! But if he's in an apprentice wage say of £105 in very low income , I'd want to check

Just check that it isn't more than half of what he's taking home

HollowTalk · 11/02/2022 17:48

What's he like? I'd charge less for a lovely, well-mannered, polite lodger than one who was a pain in the arse!

Comedycook · 11/02/2022 17:51

@MissMaple82

70 pound a week?? Are you having a sodding laugh!! That's utterly ridiculous. Are you looking for just financial gain or something or do you genuinely want to help him out. How old is this young lad? My 19 old son pays 100 a month! If he's working I doubt your feeding 3 meals a day, he's probably hardly there
Really disagree with this.

Food is getting more expensive. £70 is an absolute bargain.

Of course, if it's your ds you would charge him less.

Fairylightsongs · 11/02/2022 17:54

I think the answer is define your help, this makes it look like it doesn’t stretch to financial. Do you need the money? You are taking a large proportion of his take home pay.

Fairylightsongs · 11/02/2022 17:55

Also how old is he op?

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 11/02/2022 17:57

Ds stayed with a family over lockdown so he wasn’t travelling around by train. They charmed him £40 per week and I thought that was fair. He was on apprentice wage. I did ask them to tell us if it was costing them more but they never did.

cherrytreecottage · 11/02/2022 17:57

@LittleOwl153

I would look at how much your food bill has gone up. Realistically your TV license council tax etc is not going to be affected.
I'd take this approach too - work out bill increases in all areas including food shopping, but then add a bit on for the bits you can't cost up e.g the time you're doing his washing.
CornishTiger · 11/02/2022 17:59

So is he on approx £110 a week.
How much is travel?

What has your food spend gone up by?

titchy · 11/02/2022 17:59

So he's earning what - £200 a week? Travel, clothes, phone - £60 a week? So £70'a week rent leaves him £70 a week to go out with and save. Which isn't a huge amount, but he's not working full time which is I assume a choice he has? I'd possibly bring it down a little, but the ballpark seems ok.

OwlNoises101 · 11/02/2022 18:00

Completely disagree with the rude @MissMaple82
£70 per week is cheap with all food included

Blossom64265 · 11/02/2022 18:16

30% of his income towards rent. Put that into a savings account for him for when he is ready to move out.
Then an actual charge for food and sundries. If you can afford to subsidize him on this I would. So try to keep it to no more than 10% of his income.

x2boys · 11/02/2022 18:19

@MissMaple82

70 pound a week?? Are you having a sodding laugh!! That's utterly ridiculous. Are you looking for just financial gain or something or do you genuinely want to help him out. How old is this young lad? My 19 old son pays 100 a month! If he's working I doubt your feeding 3 meals a day, he's probably hardly there
🙄🙄
ivykaty44 · 11/02/2022 18:20

If you charge him more than £75 per week you’ll have to start declaring and paying tax on the extra money above that amount.

I’d say £70 sounds fair

Blossomtoes · 11/02/2022 18:23

@ivykaty44

If you charge him more than £75 per week you’ll have to start declaring and paying tax on the extra money above that amount.

I’d say £70 sounds fair

Not if food’s included.
thegcatsmother · 11/02/2022 18:37

I charge ds £200 per month, which includes lifts to work as we work in the same office. Him being here only makes a difference to the food, electricity and water bills, as we would still heat the house and the council tax doesn't change. I am considering raising it to £250 per month from April depending on the rise in electricity costs.

Fairylightsongs · 11/02/2022 18:42

Much depends on this boys age, if he’s sixteen to eighteen then he is literally brining in 110 a week, so 70 quid is too much, if he’s 18-20 irs about 157 quid a week and again, for me, 70 is just too much, as he has his own personal costs like travel to pay for.

Op, you need to clarify his age and what he’s earning, as this could be a reasonable sum or you could be taking every last penny he has.