How much rent to charge 18 year old?

[TakeALookAtTheseSwatches]

My daughter left college last year and started looking for a job, she started working just after Christmas. She works part time hours and her take home pay per month is around £900. She's putting £50 in to a lifetime ISA and she has no other bills (I currently still pay her phone contract which is about £30 a month)

We provide all her food, she eats tea with us and we have breakfast things/snacks in the house. She doesn't usually eat dinner but will sometimes buy herself a meal deal if she wants something.

So what would be reasonable? I was thinking around £200 a month and I'm happy to put £50 of that in her lifetime ISA too if she wants. She is saving up for a car so isn't spending frivolously. Is £200 too much?

Well OP says he DC is saving £50 a month. So that's not much really considering she has £650!left over after saving and " rent"

Not necessarily true. I didn't pay for my DS to go to uni. He had a loan and a part time job and lived in cheap accomodation

Some students who are on full loans & lvecat home are expected to contribute to their household even whilst studying. That’s why the living at home loan is only slightly less than the living away from home.

I wouldn't charge at 18 working pt. She should just pay own phone

Totally agree with the infantilising comments about saving the rent and giving it back — surprise! Here’s your own money back because we didn’t actually need it and didn’t trust you to save any!

So like OP says encouraging her to put more into savings each month instead of rent could be an option.
Everyone is different and has different opinions on how it should be done, everyone also has different financial positions which will influence a decision on charging their child rent.

Interesting point. Yes, if I had to move into adult offspring's home because of age/infirmity, of course I'd contribute my share of all the household bills, food, petrol etc. And I'd certainly be paying my own phone contract! The phone seems to be one thing that many PPs are automatically paying for wage-earning DCs whereas I'd have thought it's a really obvious cost the young person should be paying themselves? Just curious, not criticising anyone.

Insisting that she pay into LISA is such a good idea. Probably do the same with my teen.

I also think taking over one or two house bills are a good idea (eg Netflix/wifi) to teach them about direct debits and possibly help them to build credit history.

Your son is living on his own, although he has MH issues, he has done well imo!

Doesn’t mean you have to mollycoddle them. It’s not mean to ask them to contribute to household expenses if they are able to. I wouldn’t want adults earning as much if not more than me, eating me out of house and home, enjoying long showers, in a warm house, having a cooking, cleaning and washing service for free, while spending large amounts of disposable income and managing to save. If their income wasn’t great, they should contribute what they can afford.

Agreed. It certainly doesn't 'teach' them anything either. In real life you don't get that money back.

Sorry yes you're right he is doing well.
I think i was just maybe unfairly comparing his life to others who are financially secure. As secure as you can be these days.

Sounds about right and well done fur teaching her a life skill

Yes 🙌 I say this every time! Someone says oh it’s teaching them how to live in the real world…well,I’ve never had a landlord turn around and give me back the money I gave them! 🤣

Indeed. Not much of a "life skill"!

What a ridiculous comment. Nobody chooses to be born

Take £200 and put it in savings for her when she eventually buys a house/moves out, or wants to buy a big purchase/travelling etc.

I understand charging a 30 year old who has a full time job rent, not an 18 year old with a part time job who in this economy basically has no way of moving out.

Also, being 18 is literally the most perfect time to make silly purchases (to an extent) and buy what you want! Let her have a break. I started saving for a house around 21 y/o and at 26 still have purchases I made when I was 18 (designer shoes etc) that I could never have bought now that I have my own house, children and other financial responsibilities.

I can't believe all these people saying that you shouldn't charge her anything OP, no wonder we have a nation of youngsters who behave in such an entitled manner. Our kids need to learn to look after themselves, and our job is to teach them how. Which means that as soon as they start earning, they start paying a REALISTIC contribution to their living expenses. The first thing I would do is stop paying for her phone OP. As far as how much, I used to hand over a third of my earnings each month. It doesn't matter whether the OP needs the money or not, the point is to teach our kids that they have to expect to pay bills, before having 'fun' money. If the OP can afford it, then I'd highly recommend putting some or all of what she charges into a savings account, but DO NOT tell your DD that that's what you're doing, let her believe that you are spending it on her food, her share of heating, water, lighting, etc. as this is what she will have to do when she does leave home. What's the point of allowing them to earn a pretty good sum of money each month, and letting them just blow it on whatever they fancy? What does that teach them? I'll tell you, it teaches them nothing, and gives them a false expectation of what they'll have to spend when they do leave home.

I don’t think you have read all the responses. I don’t know what the young people you know are like, but my young people are capable of saving for their own home and are not blowing their money as you put it.

I think what you’re planning is perfect.

Don’t let her freeload, it’ll probably bite you on the bum further down the line. Adults need to learn the world owes them nothing.

And the ‘point’ others made about you’d have to contribute to her uni costs if she were to have gone is irrelevant since most 18/19!year olds in the UK don’t go to university, anyway. I guess the ‘point’ helps some parents feel better about mollycoddling their little darlings.

“The world owes them nothing”.
”Freeloading”

Gosh so depressing to read. I can’t imagine thinking your children are freeloading in their own home.

Adult children.

That's pretty harsh on those of us who HAD to "charge" because we simply couldn't afford to support another adult.

We are not talking 40 year olds though, are we?