question:- I'm mortgage free. should my girlfriend pay me rent ?

*Jellie*

Just wondering- Thanks for reposting your reply from page 9
Maybe it would be worth editing your first post to add the compromise you have now reached as it might be more useful for people to comment on this now not the original question?

PoorPennilessMe

Apologies if I'm repeating anything others have put...

I think it all depends on one question - do you intend to spend the rest of your life with her?

If so, then there is no point keeping finances seperate - just throw your lot in together! If she has more spending money than you she will spend it on the pair of you and vice versa... You may as well just have a joint account and be done with it. But a word of caution from my own experience... Get a 'Declaration of Trust' drawn up by a solicitor. This is a document that says what happens to property/money in the event of a split. If she refuses to sign it. then you know why she is with you and it's your money!

If you don't plan on being together in the long haul, then why is she moving in??? And go ahead - charge rent whilst you can!!!

xxSaffronxx

Gingernut1101 wrote: »

we agreed to have the house valued at the time of me moving in and I signed an agreement saying I had no claim on the house up to the market value at the time. Any profit over and above this amount we would share if we broke up.

I think thats a very good compromise!

justwondering25

Cleany wrote: »

Life isn't a business, in any sense

hmmm , its a shame business sense is not taught early on in school , more people could apply that to life / living and the costs of life in general.....how would you live without any money of any kind ? regardlessly money is involved , be it given or earned , perphaps thats why some people have unmanageable dedts .

Tedious_Tracy

I think you are unjustified in asking her to pay you rent as if you were to have children and she stopped working to raise them she would not be able to pay you.
The other downside of her paying you rent is that you would have to have a legally binding rental contract in place meaning that you would have to give her notice to vacate the property if you were to break up. Would you want her in your house for a month after you have split?. If no contract is in place she could claim that she contributes to the house costs and if you were to break up she could in theory take up to 1/2 your house regardless of whose name is on the deeds. With no 'rent' being paid she would have no rights to your property.
I agree that she should pay half of the household bills but be careful about asking her to contribute to any repairs and any additions to the property i.e. new kitchen as she could get her contributions back from you.
I hope you make the correct moral decision before it causes a rift in your relationship.

mrsmilky

Before we married, my husband lived with me in my flat. He didn't pay rent as such, just paid for all the meals out and holidays... it worked well... the flat was still legally mine and I could have throw him out at any time....

Now we are married we have moved into a slightly bigger flat and are mortgage free...

We now fund a joint account which pays for the holidays and meals out....

PoorPennilessMe

tabskitten wrote: »

I just think its so sad.

my partner and I share everything- whats mine is his and vice versa.
He loves me and I love him and I would never try and ''diddle'' someone I love. Whatever happened to good old fashioned trust.
Personally I do nt think that you should be living with someone that you do not trust and love- but then I am very old fashioned!

I used to be in that situation, and trusted completely my partner at the time...

Then (because she became severely violent-natured with no warning signs) I moved out of our joint house (it was that or risk my life). Because I had trusted her, I lost everything... Including the £50k equity I had personally put into the house as a deposit! I actually walked away with £3k... Oh yes, and £10k worth of debt that we had built up together!

I don't think it's a lack of trust/love to plan what will happen if a split occurs - I learned that one the extremely hard way!!!

Choc-addict

Just thought i'd pop in with my thoughts....can understand that you feel you have worked hard to clear the mortgage etc (I assume prior to being with GF) however, that was your choice, not hers.

Not sure if anyone has posted this already but perhaps rent your home and keep it as 'yours' and get a joint mortgage on a house 'together'?

It strikes me kind of odd that you would want to charge her rent if you have no mortgage?? 50/50 on all other things i.e bills, shopping etc but not charging her rent!

If it was me i'd walk, i'd want to be treated as a GF.....not a tenant!

Good luck in solving the dilemma, hope it works out x

Adebisi

kick her out see how she likes it then

justwondering25

mrsmilky wrote: »

Before we married, my husband lived with me in my flat. He didn't pay rent as such, just paid for all the meals out and holidays... it worked well... the flat was still legally mine and I could have throw him out at any time....

Now we are married we have moved into a slightly bigger flat and are mortgage free...

We now fund a joint account which pays for the holidays and meals out....

Nice way of doing things , takes away the word "rent" and replace with "meals out and holidays" , thats sounds fair .