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Original poster

charging rent for son and daughter

27 replies

revlac · 29/07/2011 14:16

Hi
just joined the site. At the moment we are charging our son £80 a month for living at home, he has a good job and brings home about £700 a month, our daughter started her job about 4 months ago but because she is only part time and brings home about £380 a month we only charge her £40 a month, are we doing right with this as our son is complaining because he has to pay more.

OP posts:
PurpleRayne · 29/07/2011 14:27

Is your daughter still in education? How old are they? Do you pay for all their food too? Are they contributing to the home in other ways?

BitzyVonMuffling · 29/07/2011 14:28

Tell him if he thinks he can find another place to rent for eighty quid a month he's more than welcome to try. I assume that for that price it is just board as well. Please tell me you don't provide meals or do his washing? Whatever does he do with the other 600 with no bills to pay?

CogitoErgoSometimes · 29/07/2011 14:30

In the real world, rent would be determined by the facilities available, not by the ability to pay. When I used to rent out a room in my house I charged £250/month inclusive.

Original poster
revlac · 29/07/2011 14:31

My son is 19 and my daughter is 17 and yes we pay for all their food. My daughter when she is free helps around the house with some chores but my son is lazy and rather wastes his money up the pub.

OP posts:
whostolemyname · 29/07/2011 14:33

Are they in education?

Original poster
revlac · 29/07/2011 14:34

No education.

OP posts:
PurpleRayne · 29/07/2011 14:35

Probably time for him to start saving up for a deposit on somewhere to rent then. Suggest to him that you can help him save up by putting away half his current take-home pay towards moving out.

Why is your daughter working p/t?

whostolemyname · 29/07/2011 14:41

Then i think they should pay the same. If your daughter is part time and son full time she should be doing more to help in the house really.

whostolemyname · 29/07/2011 14:41

And £80 is a bargain!

Original poster
revlac · 29/07/2011 14:43

This is the first job she managed to get, she has now down her trial period and her hours will start going up once she is 18. We are so pleased that she has managed to get somewhere.
As for my son he has an attitude and just doesnt think its fair that he has to pay more.

OP posts:
DizzyKipper · 29/07/2011 14:44

Tell him he's welcome to leave if he finds the price unreasonable Wink

Original poster
revlac · 29/07/2011 14:48

I've just told him that actually and he was non to pleased.

OP posts:
Sarsaparilllla · 29/07/2011 14:48

I think that's totally reasonable, especially since your daughter is helping our round the house more. Tho tbh, I'd stop doing anything for him such as laundry, he really should be doing that himself at his age

If he thinks it's that unfair then direct him towards the flats for rent section of your local paper, he couldn't live in a shoe box for £80 a month all inclusive

breatheslowly · 29/07/2011 14:48

I don't know how much help your daughter does around the house, but our cleaner charges £10 per hour, so even a few hours of help might be "worth" the £40 difference.

Sarsaparilllla · 29/07/2011 14:49

Oh, and your son has more disposable income per month than I do! :)

DizzyKipper · 29/07/2011 14:51

He has more disposable income per month than me and OH put together! Personally I'd have been charging them more for rent anyway, you think inflation may have an affect on your prices anytime soon? Wink

Original poster
revlac · 29/07/2011 14:53

My son is the sort of person that leaves his plates, dishes festering in his bedroom but my daughter keeps her room really nice, she offers to wash up, hoover etc but my son would not do this.

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 29/07/2011 14:58

If he's drinking his wages down the pub you need to up the price. Even if you keep most of it in an account for him. As it stands he's got £600+ 'pocket money', nothing to show for it and isn't pulling his weight at home either. Your daughter is more helpful, admittedly, but £340+ spends is a heck of a lot to be left with. As others have said, more than some families have.

Original poster
revlac · 29/07/2011 15:06

Well my daughter has just saved the money she has got so far and brought herself a moped, she has just also payed for her cbt test and passed. She needed to get her transport sorted as the bus service is not very good where we are, she decided to go for a moped as a car is just to expensive, but I can say that she is very wise with her money and does not waste it. She is helpful.
As for my son I'm afraid he just wastes his money and cant see it, i get all this "i'm young, i have a life and want to enjoy it" comment all the time.

OP posts:
PurpleRayne · 29/07/2011 15:07

It would be fair to expect your daughter to pay similarly once she is 18 and earning a full-time wage. At 17, she is still your responsibility.

But £40 per month is not a reasonable contribution towards her keep either.

I'd suggest nearer a third of take-home pay would be reasonable for both, bearing in mind you are feeding them too, and presumably covering their laundry costs.

Your son is an adult at 18. And more than old enough to be pulling his weight, economically and domestically.

Original poster
revlac · 29/07/2011 15:12

We did agree that my daughters rent would go up once she is 18, I shall certainly take on board these comments though and Im so glad that I've asked about this but I shall have a good talk with my son, who knows i may have to show him the door if he does not like it.....

OP posts:
HomemadeCommunistRussia · 29/07/2011 15:23

Gordon Bennet how can you afford to subsidise your son so much?

I would suggest that you have a look around for what a room in a shared house costs near you and charge him the average.

Stop feeding him and doing his washing. If he doesn't wash up or return his plates to the kitchen, then he does not get to use them anymore.

If he refuses to pay give him a month notice to leave.

You will be doing his future wife/girlfriend and him a favour.

louby86 · 29/07/2011 15:31

That's a bargain! When I finished uni and got my first full time job I paid my parents £50 a week board. I also did my own washing and ironing and if we needed any bits and bobs picking up from the supermarket I always offered to get them with my own money as I knew to live on my own I would be paying out at least £550 a month! I think your son is being really disrespectful, I'd never dream of earning that much money a month and only giving my parents £20 a week!

ImperialBlether · 30/07/2011 11:38

Your son isn't even paying for all of the food he eats! If he isn't respectful in the house then I would tell him he has to save up for a flat. You should be charging at least £50 per week and that is doing him a favour.

I don't think it's any of his business what his sister pays. Tell her not to tell him anything.

ivykaty44 · 30/07/2011 11:43

I would set a % of their wages as rent - so if you set your son at 80 quid out of 700 that is just over 11%

and your dd is taking home 380 quid and pay 40 quid per month in rent that is just under 10%

so really you need to put your dd's rent up by 2.80 ish to make it fair

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