What sort of rent do people charge 18-25 year old children

themanbearpig

AMILLIONDOLLARS wrote: »

You're in for the shock of your life. One day you'll have to pay rent AND help around the house. If I were you I'd get some practice in now:D

AMD

I have moved out for 4 years, while at university, and have even lived abroad for 6 months, so I know how high living expenses are.

I moved back home after university to save money, and to avoid having to pay rent, not to pay my parents who aren't exactly doing too badly, so hardly need the extra money.
I still pay for my own food and make it, do my own laundry, help out cleaning etc. So its not like I'm bumming around leaching off my parents.
If I was told to pay rent, I would leave pretty swiftly and house share with friends again. Paying rent at home is just being given all the responsibilities of having your own place, but without any of the benefits (which outweigh the cost IMO!).

I can understand why some parents feel they need to teach their children a life lesson by making them pay rent, but it won't be very effective.

carlislelass

I pay 1/3 of my wage, even that wouldn`t cover my own place

tek-monkey

themanbearpig wrote: »

I have moved out for 4 years, while at university, and have even lived abroad for 6 months, so I know how high living expenses are.

I moved back home after university to save money, and to avoid having to pay rent, not to pay my parents who aren't exactly doing too badly, so hardly need the extra money.
I still pay for my own food and make it, do my own laundry, help out cleaning etc. So its not like I'm bumming around leaching off my parents.
If I was told to pay rent, I would leave pretty swiftly and house share with friends again. Paying rent at home is just being given all the responsibilities of having your own place, but without any of the benefits (which outweigh the cost IMO!).

I can understand why some parents feel they need to teach their children a life lesson by making them pay rent, but it won't be very effective.

Do you have no desire to be independant? Maybe I'm strange, but I'm quite proud of the fact that I ask for nothing from anyone. I couldn't live on handouts, just seems wrong to me.

Jowo_2

Catblue wrote: »

I also feel that it may engender a sense of entitlement in the person involved, which can be very damaging in their future relationships.

If someone is constantly given the impression that they do not need to contribute to running a household and that they do not have to bear the responsibilities that other (presumably lesser) people should bear, then this can really store up problems for them in the long term. .

Yes, Catblue, although the example I gave was extreme, it is the case that it has engendered a sense of entitlement and does damage relationships because the recipient of frequent generosity comes to expect it and doesn't learn a lesson from poor decisions, because someone else always picks up the mess.

This I found out when I asked for 2 simple favours and found one was passed onto someone else and another was badly done with extremely poor grace - this was probably the first time I thought 'whoa! The things I have done for you yet you've displayed so much resentment in helping me out in my time of need'.

She saw nothing wrong from tapping her friends and family to pick up a debt from a debt collecting agency for an unpaid household bill when she'd just had a long holiday in an exotic location, just shrugged when challenged 'The holiday was unmissable, my brother doesn't mind paying bills for me, our family is close and we always help each other out'.

So while some of the posters think its mean for a parent to demand a sum back from their children who live at home that is more reflective of the actual expense they incurr, too much generosity can corrupt a person and make them selfish, putting their needs and consumer desires first and cushioning them from the effect of their extravagance.

Much better to instill in them a bit more respect for others, the discipline of saving, the need to have contingency for unexpected periods of unemployment or bills, a sense of pride in preventing problems or resolving their own household issues.

Oldernotwiser

themanbearpig wrote: »

I still pay for my own food and make it, do my own laundry, help out cleaning etc. So its not like I'm bumming around leaching off my parents.
.

Forget about rent; do you pay a third (or a quarter or whatever) of the bills and council tax? If not, then you are leaching off your parents!

mouche

I am not from the UK and I find these discussions very interesting as insights into a different culture. Where I come from, most children don't move out of their parents home until they are married and some not even then. Depending on the financial circumstances of the parents, adult children with an income may contribute towards household expenses but parents will rarely ask for it and it will rarely be a fixed amount.

My parents are financially well off - they paid my university fees and pocket money up until I got a job at the age of 23. I was expected to use my pocket money to pay for gifts, birthday cards, any clothes over and above what my parents chose to buy me, books - basically any luxuries that I might want. I learnt to save my pocket money from a young age so that I could afford bigger luxuries. When I started working, I got a good salary and would occasionally take my parents out for dinner, buy things for the house, put petrol in the car etc. But it was never a fixed amount and my parents never asked for any kind of contribution. Now that I'm married, they continue to help me financially if I need it (mainly in the form of an interest free loan to help with a deposit for a house).

My husband's family is not so well off but even though he lived at home on and off after completing university, he was never asked for a contribution. He would contribute voluntarily to help his parents and continues to do so to this day even though he hasn't lived at home for over 15 years. The contribution now is mainly in the form of cash once a year when we visit but earlier was in the form of things like paying for their home to be painted and redecorated, paying for them to go on a luxury holiday etc.

Now there are 2 points I want to make:
a) If my parents or his parents are ever in need financially, we will help them to the best of our ability without needing to be asked. For the simple reason that we love them and want them to be comfortable. Including 'keeping them in their old age' if need be. Similarly, if we ever need their help financially, they will do whatever they can to provide it.

b) Despite me never contributing a penny to my parents, they have taught me through example and directly how important it is to budget and plan your finances so that you can live comfortably. I am great at managing my money. My husband who did contribute much larger sums to his family has no concept of financial planning and would spend every penny we earn if I let him. So it doesn't follow automatically that children who contribute learn how to manage their money and those who don't, don't. It depends on what you teach the kids about money and about family when they are young that makes the difference when they are older.

mpg

Back in the day I was earning £70 per week. My mum wanted £10 per week

Did I pay it Behave..Daylight robbery I'd show them... Moved out got a bedsit and spent £70 per week on rent and Traveling expenses. Ha that taught her..Er me

After 6 months of that i offered my mum £20 per week if i could come home

She taught me then

Bufger

Catblue wrote: »

I think we all probably know someone like this - their adult relationships are very prone to failure because their new partners will not put up with a partner who refuses to pull his weight. And the problem is that this person truly does not know how to pull his weight - because it is something that was never taught to him.

Ahem..

or her

pineapple123

Been reading this thread with interest.
I think all adult children should pay for there keep after all child benefit has stopped, most have had financial help when in full time education and its only right they pay up.
The amount depends on indiviuals situations, wages, if adult children saving for morgage etc.

What would an adult childs reaction be if as soon as they had there own home the parents moved in with them exspecting board and lodgings for free, maybe for years.

Bufger

mpg wrote: »

Back in the day I was earning £70 per week. My mum wanted £10 per week

Did I pay it Behave..Daylight robbery I'd show them... Moved out got a bedsit and spent £70 per week on rent and Traveling expenses. Ha that taught her..Er me

After 6 months of that i offered my mum £20 per week if i could come home

She taught me then

A good lesson learnt the hard way eh!

I had a similar lesson and went back home with my tail between my legs. Ive never moaned since!