To not expect to pay excessive amount as we're family.

[Boop1e]

In laws brought themselves a caravan on a haven site a year ago. Decided to spend some pension money on it.
the site fees have renewed and have gone up just like everything else in life.
They don't rent it out and we only use it as family.
Anyway father in law has just charged his own son £75 for 3 nights to use it. He owed me money for ordering him a new tablet and doing him a favour so took the money out of that which I couldn't afford to lose.

Before the season started he mentioned charging £25 a day but nothing else happened and no mention of it again before we went.

He's also charged brother in law £150 to use but they paid upfront.

Am i being unreasonable to feel this is a lot to charge your own children and £10 or so a day would be sufficient. I'm not convinced I spend £25 a day heating and lighting my 3 bed home. They get their passes included with the caravan for 10 people.

Husband won't challenge it because it won't make any difference.

Am i being unreasonable to feel this is a lot to charge your own children and £10 or so a day would be sufficient.

£10 a day??? 😂😂😂

Total cheeky fuckery.

And you are not in any way paying an excessive amount, your title is so wrong

£25 for a caravan on a haven site excessive

They’re not travelling together.

YABU my Aunty and uncle have a caravan in Wales that they higher out my dh and I used it one year and we paid £500 for a week in it why wouldn’t you pay to stay in someone’s caravan just because they are family.

A set amount per night is a business contract but a voluntary contribution that's appreciated is better.

But it sounds like you've chosen not to voluntary contribute? It's not voluntary when someone has to ask you to do it, and if he thinks you've all taken the piss a bout going a few times a year each and not even making a token gesture, as well as you njt taking the hint when he said he was charging, it sounds like you had no intention of voluntarily contributing.

At least now you what he expects and he won't be thinking you're taking the piss even further if you only pay £10 per night "voluntarily"

I think the lesson to learn here is that next time FIL says something in passing that you would assume was a joke, it really isn’t. So you need to watch out for him and question it at the time.

Can I just clarify for some people, Haven annual site fees are between £5-25 k per year. Even the oldest crappiest caravan that's been rented or every week for 5 years will set you back £15-20k but brand new lodges are £100-140k. Then you have insurance and wintering fees. Their is also only a certain amount of passes involved per caravan, so say 12 passes. So these petite have paid a minimum of £20k for the first year and then another £5+k a year on this caravan.

And you are complaining about paying £25 a night? I know I'd rather pay £25 a night than £20k a year on a caravan of my own. You need to remember that caravan only ever depreciate in value and even if they sold it back to the site today they would be lucky to get even half of it back.

Although those saying it's cheap it really depends on when and where you are going. My sister got the first mon-fri in May in presthaven for £120 all in for 6.

You see, I feel if they were charging people to stay, then the odd week where family stays doesn’t matter that much as the rent from others will cover their costs and then some.They’re not renting it-so asking for a nominal contribution from family members is totally reasonable.

Not on Mumsnet, no. Parents owe their adult children financial support in perpetuity.

All families are different OP. I know for a fact that DParents would never charge me, same as I wouldn't them if I owned something but that's how I've been brought up. PIL would 100% charge us and not a £25 contribution, it would be a whatever the going rate was at the time we wanted to go.

@Thisgroupneverceasestoamazeme
Similar. My parents will travel an hour and help but pil 5 mins round corner and helping puts them out. Like you, both sides are very different and I find it difficult sometimes.

YANBU.

I had a similar situation to you. PIL have a house in Spain and we've been numerous times over the years. We do shopping, take them out to eat and do a thorough clean before we leave. Never once has it occurred to us or them that we should pay.

My DM on the other hand bought a cottage in the Lakes. She asked if we wanted to go and then started trying to work out how much she should charge us. Initially said £10 a night then changed her mind and made it £15 so we didn't bother.

She was surprised that we were shocked at her charging. They really are loaded and I was a SAHM at the time.

She asked if any of our friends' parents paid for their DC's holidays to which the answer was yes. My BFF's parents bought Holiday Property Bond shares so that their DC could have free or cheap holidays. Another friend's parents bought a villa in Portugal for family to use.

My DM and DF had the cottage for 10 years and lamented that we never ever went. They had to keep going up to make sure all was ok which was a nuisance but we weren't prepared to go.

Before the season started he mentioned charging £25 a day

Okay so he told you the cost, you used it, and now you're complaining about the cost? It is amazingly cheap, although I wouldn't charge family. but that's not even the point. The point is you were told.

Probably why you can't afford it!

Imagine if the paid you a massively reduced amount, so they got a really cheap holiday and you got help with the fees, so were able to then help them?

Seems like you're not as financially astute as the PILs.

So entitled! 🤦‍♀️

No. You are missing that they were told there would be a charge, what that charge was, and ignored it.

Do you help them, at all? You don't seem so great at the old give and take thing, do you?

If you're willing to give a contribution why does it matter if they set a figure?

You knew the cost before hand ; if you can't afford it you should not have gone.

Seriously OP! On what planet is £25 a night 'excessive'????? Forget your whinge about 'family' just for a minute (although you sound incredibly entitled every time you use that as your excuse!!)...where else are you going to get a family break for TWENTY FIVE POUNDS a night??

Christ alive, some people!! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Charging family to stay in holiday homes is different from charging for a static. You buy a holiday home and 20 years later chances are it has increased in value giving you lots of profit. Overall, it has been free. You will have more than made your money back.

You buy a static and 10 years later you have to upgrade or sell it back to the site for £1,000 or £2,000. It will have cost at least £50,000 so basically you lose all the money you 'invested', all the site fees, all the other charges. You will have spent more than £110,000 to holiday in a place you love for 10 years any time you like. You will not get any of this back If someone else wants a holiday there, it seems fair to ask for £25 a night. Your in laws are paying for a holiday for you and asking for a contribution towards has and electricity. They are kind.

I think it’s a bit mean, if he didn’t check with you first, but then I refused a first vacuum cleaner, which was an old one FIL had in his loft, when he wanted me to buy it off him.
My Aunt gave me her old one for free, and my Cousin fixed the broken wheel for us, it was great, and much appreciated

Can't think of a more erudite response? 🤣

Well in comparison a friend has just bought a caravan at a local popular haven site. For a 3 night break it starts at £200 off peak. Right up to £500 at peak date's. That doesn't include the fun passes and extra sporting activities there. They are only renting it out to friends and family. But it's still cheaper than booking through haven.