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Original poster

What to charge my grown adult children for living at home

67 replies

missc1984 · 10/12/2018 11:03

I'm looking for advice as to what is a reasonable amount that my 2 full time working adult children should be contributing to the household expenditure each month. I am a single working Mum with rent & all the usual bills to pay. My rent is just under £1300 pcm & then I have all my bills on top of that.

OP posts:
v101 · 10/12/2018 11:10

£75-£100 a week each. They get hot water, heating, electricity, use of washing machine (and potentially food)

Original poster
missc1984 · 10/12/2018 11:46

Yes thats what Im thinking as I'm really struggling to pay for everything. Dreading having the conversation with them. What do I do if they refuse?

OP posts:
MadeForThis · 10/12/2018 11:50

If they refuse, the move out. Their choice where they live.

EdHelpPls · 10/12/2018 11:51

I think if I could afford to do it rent free I would, as long as they were saving money for house deposit (or I’d take rent and save it all for them)
However, in our current situation, with my eldest turning 18 in 2 years, I’d have the expectation she would help. Still cheaper for her than living away.

I’d write down the expenses you have, and start a conversation with them. If they didn’t live with you, would you be living somewehere cheaper? How different would your bills be? Do they already cover their own food?

m0therofdragons · 10/12/2018 11:54

My parents always charged 10% so it didn't matter how much db and I earned we would still be left with the bulk of our salaries. It also meant that any pay rises benefitted the whole family and rent never needed to be renegotiated.

Original poster
missc1984 · 10/12/2018 11:56

If they weren't living with me I would definately be somewhere cheaper. They buy some of their food already but Im still buying groceries & household stuff which they use.

OP posts:
Pinkyyy · 10/12/2018 11:58

What is their monthly income?

Original poster
missc1984 · 10/12/2018 12:02

They don't really tell me what they take home but I think my son is earning around 18k & my Daughter is probably similar.

OP posts:
IWouldPreferNotTo · 10/12/2018 12:02

Working on the basis that they're earning between £15-20K then I think £400-600/month for rent and utilities is fair. Then it depends if you're feeding them as well.

MrsWobble3 · 10/12/2018 16:02

I'm charging mine £450 per month on the basis that the cheapest room in a shared house near our house I could find on sparerooms.com was £400 plus share of bills estimated at £50 per month. They both seem to think this fair.

Pinkyyy · 10/12/2018 16:52

In that case, £100 a week is more than fair

Youmadorwhat · 10/12/2018 16:54

Go with % rather than a set amount!

Loopytiles · 10/12/2018 16:58

Calculate your total costs, including bills. And some food, loo roll, washing powder, cleaning products etc.

Consider what the “market rate” in your area / type of property may be for room only. And what your wishes are with respect to encouraging them to save money.

Then decide what you think is reasonable.

Heratnumber7 · 10/12/2018 17:00

Mine are 21 and 23. They pay £50pw each. But both are saving hard.

gamerchick · 10/12/2018 17:03

I think 100 per week each is fair for now. If they don't like it they have to move out. I couldn't believe how much my household costs went down when my eldest moved out. I didn't want think she cost much at all when she was here.

Original poster
missc1984 · 10/12/2018 17:30

Wow, they are in for a shock when I tell them how much I want them to contribute. Up till now my Daughter has been paying me £30 a week & my Son £37.50 a week & thats everything including bills & food. They both do nothing around the house as in chores, & my Daughter is constantly buying new clothes & my Son smokes weed in his room which I hate but cannot get him to stop it.

OP posts:
llangennith · 10/12/2018 17:31

When a change of circumstances meant I had to ask my DD to pay rent we agreed on £350 a month. At the time she earned £18k. It still left her quite enough to spend on herself.

Heratnumber7 · 10/12/2018 17:32

When our DCs temporarily moved out last year our gas supplier queried our bill because it was so low!!

Singlenotsingle · 10/12/2018 17:35

Depending on how old they are, maybe they should look at getting a place together, which would leave you free to downsize?

Bestseller · 10/12/2018 17:39

Find out what it would cost to rent a room in a house share locally and charge that. They're still better off as (presumably) you're still buying food and (probably) doing the bulk of the chores.

damekindness · 10/12/2018 17:39

My daughter plus grandson live with us while saving for a mortgage - she pays £300 a month (she earns 30K+)

Snog · 10/12/2018 17:43

Do you want them to stay or to move out?

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 10/12/2018 17:45

I used to give my parents 1/4 of my salary when I was still living at home.

DS1 is working and we (luckily) are in the position where I don't need money from him. Our agreement is that he puts a minimum of £500pm in a savings account and treats the family to the odd takeaway Smile If our finances changed though I'd take the £500 for bills with no hesitation.

MyDcAreMarvel · 10/12/2018 17:49

£300 a month which is nearly a third of rent plus £200 a month for food and bills. So £500 a month total per child.

RickyGold · 10/12/2018 17:49

I would charge what it costs you to have them staying with you so you are not out of pocket, so work out what they cost you and charge them that.