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

vPersie

How long did brothers live there as students? Let him live there rent-free for same duration,,,,then charge rent!

scoutkim3870

By letting his brothers live there free, the parents made a contribution towards them getting a degree and that contribution had a calculable value. I would want to treat all my children the same. If I helped one of them with a financial contribution, such as free accommodation while taking a degree, I would want to make exactly the same contribution to the others, regardless of whether they chose to do a degree or to start work instead. That seems only fair.

DJFearRoss

Originally Posted by ses6jwg
IMO he should have to pay to cover the utility bills, council tax etc.

I think charging your own son rent to turn a profit is bordering on the obscene.

Totally agree! What is the world coming to?? Are we this immoral now?
If they need the money and they brought up their child well enough he should want to help his parents. 'Parents and Child' are the not the same as 'Landlord and Tennant'. The brothers bit is irrelevant.

Doesn't 'family' mean anything anymore?

delboy99z

Yes; charge rent.

Our two sons lived at home. One went to uni and on return got a job but continued to live at home for a while. The other left school, got a job and lived at home for a while.

BOTH were charged rental to cover Utilities, food etc. However, both on leaving home AND purchasing their own properties were given an unexpected cash present equal to their rent to assist in setting up home.

NOTE on purchasing their properties, NOT while renting with the current girl friend.

VickiB

How long should a "child" be dependant on his parents? Surely the parents have a right to create AND spend their own hard-earned money as they wish - even if this means swanning around the world on a cruise ship. Assuming he could afford some suitable accommodation, he should realsise that he must thank his parents for all they've done for him to prepare him for adult life - and then get on and lead that life with all the responsibilities that entails. And Mum & Dad can - at last - lead their own lives too.

abfmdf

The key question is what advantage the son gets from living in London. His brothers were there to get an education, is he there to start a career or have a good time ?

If he was just got a McJob he should pay a large proportion (as he is not there for the job and could work from home with no loss of income to his parents), however if the job is leading to a career his parents should help him out as much as his brothers.

Comeonusaints

He should be allowed to stay rent-free for a similar length of time to that given to his brothers.

The fact that he is earning money is irrelevant - this is family not financial.

lynnebird

I think he should pay some rent even if just to cover his share of household expenses. If Terry & June are financially stable, maybe invest all or part of it for the future.

Pellyman

Seems to me the parents are due some return on their investment.
Three sons, the two older ones having had three years free rent and the youngest son now needs some help as he starts out. How about the eldest, now presumably qualified and earning, paying the first year's 'rent' for his youngest sibling then the middle son paying the next year before the youngest takes over?. That way all three will have been effectively subsidized for two years by the parents.
If the two older brothers would find the above too much of a burden they could pay alternate months or quarters for the first two years.
How much should the parents charge their sons? A minimum of the actual annual costs (break even) but, preferably, all the sons should insist the parents get a reasonable return on their investment. After all the parents have had at least three years expenses to bear. Methinks it's time for some meaningful 'Thank you' boys.:T

HippyClair

When you have children you have to be so fair to each child and treat them each the same. By offering the flat to the two children when students, as a parent you'd have to be prepared to offer the flat to the 3rd child whether they were a student or not. There are a lot of people out there that have felt unloved by their parents and this could easily result from a situation such as this.

I have no particular view about whether they should charge, only that they have to be fair to each child and treat them all the same. It is something that should have been considered prior to renting out the flat to the first 2 free of charge. Equally the flat will have only been let to the first 2 for a period of time, say 3 years, therefore that would be the timing that I would give the 3rd child.

I personally, wouldn't have rented out the flat free of charge in the first instance. Any parent with more than one child knows that what one has the others want too and that includes love! Feeling unloved is something lots of children and young adults suffer with, it's all perception but their reality.

Love and light x