DS (16) wants to move out

[GentleOliveFatball]

Hello, my 16 year old son wants to move out and rent a house with a friend (who is 18) They are both responsible and my son has been keen to move out for a while. (We get along fine, but our home is very small and now he's getting older I think he struggles with not having much of his own space/space for when friends visit.)
I trust both my son and his friend, they have spent months researching and saving money. Between them they can cover rent, food, bills etc for a small two bedroom semi-detached house, walking distance from where they both work.

However I'm worried that landlords will not rent to them because my son is only 16. I don't mind signing the tenancy agreement if I have to, however I don't know if I can since I won't be living there?

My son is still only looking, and I'm aware I must do more of my own research however any advice would be appreciated.
We live in Scotland by the way.
Thank you!

search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fscotland.shelter.org.uk%2Fprofessional_resources%2Flegal%2Faccessing_accommodation%2Fyoung_people_and_care_leavers%2Ftenancies_and_young_people_under_18_years_old%23%3A~%3Atext%3DLegal%2520Capacity%2520(Scotland)%2520Act%25201991%2C-This%2520Act%2520deals%26text%3DSomeone%2520under%252016%2520does%2520not%2Ccannot%2520legally%2520hold%2520a%2520tenancy.&utm_campaign=aga&utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4

Absolutely not.

Your ds is still a child, and it’s not legal or possible to rent a house before the age of 18 in the UK.

I would suggest you spend the next two years helping him to save, building up his skill set for future employment that goes beyond minimum wage jobs, and encourage him to really make the most of living at home.

Is he in a relationship with this other man? Something would worry me about this set up. Is he taking drugs?

Keep him close. At sixteen he is still very very young, and needs your care and guidance more than ever.

i would ficus on driving lessons for him and other milestones like saving for a car.

How is he able to cover rent at 16??

Isn't he still in education?

Clearly says he is in work. If he can read a paragraph and understand it he'll be doing a lot better than some 'adults'.

Only if you are prepared for the fall out when it goes wrong. Look, they might both be very sensible. On the other hand, I've seen lots of young, very sensible people who end up with friends dossing on their floor, lots of noise and getting behind with the rent because they can't budget. And making a mistake at that age causes issues that can continue for years.

I agree with the others, absolutely not. Not because of trust issues but I would want him to save thr money and invest it at the very least, there is no need to live independently at such a young age.

I get the frustration with having a small house, but the house he will be renting won't be much bigger and the reality of having to shop, cook, tidy and clean would soon way outweigh the freedoms. You would then no doubt have to step in. I would wait 2 more years, they will soon fly by.

Age 16 is considered adult in Scotland.

Moving out at 16 is bonkers he is still a child

But isn’t education until 18 a requirement nowadays? And apprenticeships don’t pay that well. Can you work full time at 16 these days?

It was 30 years ago but I moved out at 15. I rented a house with 3 other people. I didn't got nuts.
OP, you know your child. Definitely keep an eye on him and get him to come home for regular meals. My Mum visited once a month and rang me every week.
I can't help with the lease, my worry will be you may be stuck with a bill for damages.

Lol. He can afford rent.

Go nuts

No landlord will rent to a 16 and 18 year old.

MN need to seriously get a grip with 'education is a requirement until 18' do people seriously believe every child stays in education until 18?
Loads leave at 16, get jobs, apprenticeships or worse case; do nothing.

All the posters advising OP not to allow her son to move out - how do you propose she stop him? Absolutely have a chat about the benefits of staying at home, being able to save etc but at the end of the day it's his choice. In Scotland he is old enough to sign and be responsible for a tenancy.

OP, I would just keep communication open with him. Let him know if he moves out he is always welcome to come back home if he changes his mind or it doesn't work out. I would let him work out the details for himself though. Just be supportive and kind but don't do it for him. 16 is very young, if it doesn't work out immediately he has plenty more years ahead to become independent

Of course there is no reason why a 16 year old can't live by themselves. However, is it wise to encourage such a move if he comes from a loving, supportive home? He's making a very short-termist decision and in your shoes, I'd want to paint the potential future picture for him.

What could go wrong. How he's still developing and might want different things in two years time. He's not going to have the chance to save much money if he's paying rent and bills and everything else adult life entails. Will he want to drive? But a car? Change jobs? Go back into training or education? Might this be a novel idea which he gets tired of once the reality of 'adulting' kicks in.

It's a requirement not a law if the young person has a job to go to then they don't have to stay on.

It's only in England that you are required to stay in education. Everywhere else in the UK you can leave school and work age 16. Op says she's in Scotland and her son is working.

Where is this semi-detached located? Asking for a friend.

There is no job held down by a 16 year old that can cover rent and bills! His sums are wrong,

How does a 16 year old afford to move out?

Most young people want to spend their money on themselves and not hand it over to a landlord. I'd be very suspicious that he wants to get away from you so that he can get up to other things... like growing drugs or being in a relationship.

Can he be the lodger and 18 tear old rent in just his name. I think as I'm older I do consider a 16 year old working to be capable of living alone, they're certainly no longer a child.

I get it, OP. I'm guessing your son shares a room with a sibling, and it's hard for them at that age when all they want is their own space. Been there! Although my teens were able to have their own rooms when my adult daughter moved out.

And folks, I'm not saying for a single second that it's right, but you can get married at 16 in Scotland where the OP lives! And come on, staying at school until 18 isn't for everyone. It sounds to me like the OP's son is doing pretty well for himself, relatively speaking.