Do you charge live at home twentysomethings rent?

[BoulderingBridget]

my eldest who graduated a few years ago, travelled then got a job in London and rents with friends. The younger one is coming back home in Sept and will be working part-time. Should I charge some rent, or help her out so she can save to move out?

I didn’t and didn’t want to until it became apparent that DD was dragging her feet, had no plans except for living with me while travelling abroad monthly and just generally seemed to take everything for granted. I’m a single parent and supporting 2 adults on one income was creating more and more a strain on me. I felt overwhelmed with stress.
She also never moved out for uni so I never had the opportunity to save up and clear the CC debt I’ve acquired since Covid times.

I ended up having a conversation with her. She wasn’t happy, but now she pays a symbolic sum, then it will go up a little after she graduates and if after a year on she still wants to live with me, we’ll split the bills evenly. She’ll be in her mid 20s by then.

I do because I can't afford not to.

My 19yo (who didn't want to go to uni & is doing a professional services apprenticeship) pays a nominal £100pm - which covers the loss of single adult council tax and a contribution towards utilities.

He also shops for his own food and cooks himself. Both of us will pick up things like milk which we both use. He also buys his own toiletries, other than loo roll.

My 24 year old currently living with us has just this month finished her Masters degree and has been earning maybe £400 to £500/month from her very part time job. I haven't charged her anything at all but hopefully she will start earning more now that the course is over and I'll probably ask her for a couple of hundred per month towards food and bills if she stays here.

After University she had two full years away from home working full time and completely supporting herself. She's not taking the piss. I couldn't charge her rent as I wouldn't let out her bedroom to someone else for income if she wasn't here.

We charged our son rent because he was royally taking us for a ride and we wanted him to move out. (It worked!). It's likely our daughter will move back soon, and we won't charge her rent because she is a hard worker and doing everything she can to get ahead in the world. In your circumstance, you could charge her and save it for when she moves out. That's one option.

We didn’t, just share of utilities and he bought how own food. As a result, he’s buying a house at 22 😃

No. My son is at Uni. However he’s expected to participate in the upkeep of the house. eg load the dishwasher, walk the dogs, wash his clothes. Mind think differently when he’s employed.

I’m 26, pay £20 a week as a symbolic sum. It was that or do my own food shop - which I refused because my dad then eats it all!!

£20 a week? Do you work

Also just to say - I work full time, but live in a very low wage/higher cost of living area due to holiday lets etc. my parents are dead against me renting and I wouldn’t have any quality of life if I was renting. I’m moving jobs soon after being stuck in a pretty dead end one for last four years. I’ll be working for a promotion as soon as I can be and looking to save up! But even flats in our area are going for £150k minimum, and on minimum wage it’s just not going to happen. We all get along really, really well and we’ve all enjoyed these adult years living together so far.

Cross post lol - my parents are very well off and don’t need the money, it’s a symbolic sum

My dd24 has just moved back home after being away for 6 years . She is supposed to be saving so we take £200 a month off her and she earns £1800-£2k a month

My ds earns quite a lot but I don't charge him as he is saving hard to move out and also most bills would cost the same regardless of whether he was with us or not. Our mortgage is paid off, council tax would still be the same as would water ( not metered). He buys a lot of his own food and has one quick shower a day as he goes to the Gym daily and showers there. My job will end next year and I will need to charge him then if he is still at home.

I think it very much depends on long term plans and of course your own personal circumstances. I have 2 adult DC living here right now. One will likely be here permanently (there are reasons) the other not. They both pay rent. The one who will be here temporarily is paying less, but still something.

I'm single and while my wage is OK, I can't afford to support 3 adults! Even with paying me rent, they have enough money for hobbies, socialising, holidays etc. Imagine me paying for everything and being broke, while they swanned off on holiday! Don't think that would be very fair!

I would have to charge rent if either of mine lived here as adults. It would depend on the situation though - I wouldn't charge a student even if they had a part time job.

I was charged £10 a week rent when I moved back home. It wasn't so much about paying the going rate or anything like that, it was more about teaching me about money, debt, the value of things and standing on my own two feet.

I also had to do my own laundry and cook for all of us twice a week and help with the housework.

So OP I say yes, but maybe don't charge what an actual landlord would.

I don't and won't charge rent for cultural reasons; but also because we can manage without.
What other people do depends on their circumstances.

i would charge rent, but keep it in a savings account to go towards a house.

22yr old and 21yr old Sons live at home. Each of them pay £200 a month. I'd love to not take any money from them but as a single Mum I can't afford not to.

'Housekeeping' - yes
A commercial rent - no.

But I think this is influenced by whether they are likely to save or whether they are 'money burns a hole in their pocket' kind of a person.

One of my dc wanted to give a commercial rent sized amount for us to save for them without them being able to touch it.

I'm hoping not to charge once they are earning. If they can prove reasonable amounts are going to pension and savings by direct debit, I won't add to that.

In effect this is what I did for my offspring. She came home from working abroad after Unuversity and was with me for a few years.

She still had a lot to learn about the “real world” so we agreed a sum we were both happy with.

She also did housework (both of us were out all day working) and regularly cooked supper.

I wasn’t about to keep her as I would a small child or school age kid. She had lessons to learn about life.

It worked for us amicably and sensibly.

Thanks everyone for your experiences and different view points. My other option is a contribution from her dad to cover the extra food bill, given that she hardly stays with him. When younger they stayed 4 night with me and 3 with him so there is a precedent for things being split more equally.

Both my DS know out of full time education and you pay rent £150 a month, it’s not even an issue or focused as it’s always been a given. I actulky save it to support my mum, so they are passing it up the family!

I wouldn’t be ok with an adult out of education working part time. I personally would either expect them to save 30% of their earnings towards future housing or charge that in rent and save it for them depending on personality.

why is it that so often in these posts the adults are not actually working in real jobs?