MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Terry and June charge their son rent?

TrinityBoy

As he is working full time, and not a student, the situation is somewhat different. Unless he has to pay rent he is likely to get used to spending at an unrealistic level making it difficult to move out into the "real" world.

I believe he should pay rent!

DdraigGoch

I believe that he should pay rent, but equally that it is unfair to expect rent if the 2 students paid nothing .... as someone pointed out, the students would have had to fund the halls/rented accommodation out of their loans, so why didn't they pay their parents rent out of that?

The poster who very ingeniously worked out the proposal that the eldest student should pay for the first year's rent for the youngest, then the middle student, then the youngest himself has come up with what is probably the fairest solution. Congratulations to that poster, sorry I can't recall your name...

BKAT_9

I am probably going to get shouted down here, given the audience...however, I totally appreciate that if the parents have financial difficulty then they should charge the son rent. But if they can afford to forgo the rent (given the evidence that their other sons lived there rent free it would seem they can) I think this is a rather narrow view of 'teaching the son a lesson in finances'. Surely this also sets out that working is in fact counter productive since the other sons were let off. Would it not create a totally level playing field to state that they would allow their children rent free accomodation for a yr after secondary education? - this would make it totally fair and not include any distorted 'lessons' for any of their children.

Perhaps I speak from the heart here - but my parents similarly let my sis (who was unemployed), her partner and her child live rent free. I moved back after 10 yrs away in order to undertake further study whilst continuing to work and my parents charged me significant rent - I DIDNT need to be taught lessons in money/life - I had been living independantly for many years....but because my sis had been out of work for all that time she received everything on a plate! Yes it was my choice to move home BUT if you look at the two situations side by side....rather than take my situation alone it doesnt quite add up.

I think a lot of the comments here are because Martin and his team have done such an excellent job of drilling MS into us, which is great but taking the employed son as one situation is not actually in the spirit of the problem posed - it is in relation to the situation with the previous rent-free living sons.

cloudypops

Yes - this is about educating him about life in the real world.

Su111

Yes I think they should charge their son rent, if only to cover the bills and wear and tear.. tax free too as renting to a member of their family. I rented my house out to my two sons a few years ago and charged them... but kept the money in a separate account which built up so was able to help them later if needed. It made them realise that in the real world they have to support themselves and the real cost of renting, bills etc.

JayD

Charging him a knockdown rent would seem fair to me.

Of course his non-earning brothers were allowed to stay rent free but he will be earning and should not be encouraged to be a free loader. Apart from council tax, tv licence, the basic utility bills and contents insurance - which I would expect him to pay - there are other costs that his parents, as landlords, will have to cover. These will include general maintenance and repairs, buildings insurance and annual fees re upkeep of communal areas and services.

He should count himself lucky that he will have a cheap flat to stay in, kept in good order, with decent landlords. In London, that is not an easy thing to find.

So, I think they should charge him a reasonable rent - and he should be extremely grateful!

pie81

I believe strongly that he should get whatever his brothers got.

The fact that they have chosen to do different things is irrelevant - the parents should treat them equally.

dalizzyclarke

We as parents are our childrens worst enemies we carry them financially and then when their demands exceed our income we wonder why they will not, refuse or even sometimes do'nt know how too make their way in the big world. Of course terry and june should charge him rent even if as others have said they save the money for him, why? investment in a rental flat if it will become a burden too you for the sake of helping your employed child!!!!!!!!!!

Buster15

Would the income attract tax for the parents ?

Cloudane

Well I live with the folks still and just pay board so I'm not one to talk really. But if he's wanting to be independent then the parents should probably try to ease him into the expenses of the real world, yes by charging rent. Not to make a profit though - just pay any excess into a savings account to give him a helping hand if he later decides to get a house or whatever.