Finishing Uni this term - how much should we charge for Board and Lodgings

[swimmer4]

DS is coming home & whilst looking for Graduate post is doing part time job with minimum wage.
How much do you charge for Board and Lodgings?

In your situation I'd definitely charge for board and lodging. For adult DC inclined to laziness it's the only way to teach them the vital life lesson that life isn't free and we all have to pay our way one way or another.

I made my pay £200 a week on a starting salary of £35,000. Then when she moved out I gave her back the £10,000 I'd taken. Just didn't want her wasting it away and thought she should know how to budget.

The guideline is about a third of their earnings so they get used to using that amount of earnings to pay rent/mortgage. I'm always amazed at the number of people on these threads who say they would never charge them anything 🙄 they are adults and should get used to paying their way. Even if you are comfortable enough not to need the money, you can take it and put it in savings account for a future house purchase.

To the pps who wouldn't charge their dcs and can afford not to, then that's great. But, I don't see how kids learn to budget and pay their way when they have it so easy. I think it's good to ask for rent. My dd is only 14 so I'm not there yet. When I left school, I paid about 2/3rds of mine which was too much I feel but that's another story.

I don't think we do children any favours by not asking for something towards their keep but I guess it depends on the circumstances.

As the pp said, take the money and save it to give back to them once they leave if that feels better.

But, I don't see how kids learn to budget and pay their way when they have it so easy.
Three or more years at uni on a very tight budget is a pretty good way to learn.

I didn't charge DD1 anything. In fact, we encouraged her to take a break in the summer, go away, have some fun. You have a whole lifetime of work ahead, and this is the last opportunity to not have any responsibilities. At the end of summer, she came back, did some tutoring, and looked for a job. She bought and cooked meals every so often, and helped around the house. Giving her that breathing space allowed her to save for a deposit for her rental property in London when she started her job in the New Year.

£500 a month!

My ds is due home soon, but we won't be charging him. I just can't imagine doing this - he's only 21. He will be saving a proportion of his salary though (he has just been offered a grad post).

DD graduated last summer and it's taken her the best part of that year to get a graduate level job. The job is just up the road so I cant see her moving out anytime soon! We wouldn't charge anything, it feels like we won the lottery not having to pay student contributions of £300 per month!

I would not charge and would encourage dc to save instead.