Child being exploited?

[Birdcatdog]

My 18 year old has announced she wants to move into her girlfriends family home. Apparently the mum is going travelling for 6 months and has offered my child to move in for £280 a month- not including food.
My child has just started their first job this week and the gf's mum knows it a decent wage -£27 grand.
I feel like the only person benefiting from this arrangement is the gf's mum and it feels like my child is being exploited. The mum would have to keep up the cost of her house whilst travelling as her own child will be living there. £280 is too much in my opinion? £50 a month would cover any costs but my child moving in wouldn't even be and additional person as the mum is leaving?
They live 10 minutes from our home and I have explained to my daughter that its a waste of money as she goes and stays at the gf's whenever she wants now. My child has specifically taken a year out to work and save for living cost when she goes to uni next year.
I feel like she is making bad financial decisions for no reason. She might not even know this girl in a year. They have only been together since February.
We dont have any strict rules at our house so I am confused on why she thinks she needs "independence". All of the things shes listed as independence such as shopping, cooking ect she could do at mine for free.
What am I going do to? Realistically I know I cant stop her. Im so sad

That's not very fair. There's a huge difference between the situation I found myself and an 18 year old refusing to empty a dishwasher! Somewhere in between is surely appropriate for a grown woman.

(And actually it wasn't much to do with my parents - lots of things happened, I had a drug problem, some rubbish friends and an unwanted pregnancy. My parents are lovely people)

At her age, I was paying £500 a month to live with my boyfriend in a shitty flat above drug dealers. That sounds like a great deal and a chance for some independence.

Exactly - my comment wasn't really wasn't fair or kind to you. What I wanted to highlight is that it's not nice to make judgements when we don't know the whole story.

IMO the mother is taking the micky. She knows your DD will stay at her house when she’s away anyway but she’s just trying to make a bit of dosh out of it. Poor form.
However, I do tend to agree that it’s uk to your dd and using the word exploited may be an exaggeration.

The average rent a tenant pays for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) room in the UK generally ranges from £550 to £950 per month, inckuding utilities.

I think your daughter is getting a bargain, frankly. It will be nice for her to share a house with a friend for six months and she'll learn to be independent. The mum will know the bills are covered. An all round win.

I mean where else would she rent for that money other than stay at home???

It's a bargain.

She's an adult not a 'child'.

£280/month sounds like a fair price and it’s very low risk. If it doesn’t work out, she can come home.