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

chivalry21

Split the bills OR both put some money into a joint bank account every month for bills/shopping etc.

I'd forget about the mortgage issue, especially if you plan to stay together. Spend the extra money on enjoying life, you've only got one and it's over far too quickly.

A.Jones

Rah wrote: »

My view is that if you have no mortgage, you should not charge your girlfriend any rent.
....

however if there wasn't a mortgage no-one should have any rent to pay!

So he should re-mortgage and stick the money into a personal (not joint) savings account. Then he has a mortgage, so presumably she would then pay.

Annabelle_

Andyluke2 wrote: »

What planet are you living on? :mad:

Yes you are a great MSE but you are talking about a relationship not a business!!!

So what if you have no debts, no mortgage etc....a relationship is for sharing and if your place seems to be a good place to build on the relationship then you should be grateful for that and share it with her, not asking for rent, shes not a flat mate.

My GF moved in with me, yes the bills went up, council tax rose but we came to an ammicable arrangement - I pay the bills, she pays for the food....an easy compromise.

I can understand why you feel that way but that's beacuse your relationship worked out which is great but it's naive to think that every relationship will. I don't think it has anything to do with being in love or not - it's just sensible to realise that as an unmarried couple with no kids you're clearly not at that level of commitment yet so why gamble with your house?
It's only prudent to plan for your future so stop giving him such a hard time!

property.advert

shaven-monkey wrote: »

If you were sharing rented accomodation she'd pay half the rent but because it's your house she doesn't have to?
Tell her you're putting the rent into a savings account to pay for your wedding. Don't specify whether the wedding will involve her.
Get a standard lodger agreement sorted out and have her sign it. If she won't then you could always say that she's only with you for the free accomodation.

Absolutely and have her either take or decline legal advice before signing an effective pre nup to protect your property.

Quite simply, were she not with you then she would have to pay market rent and you would have the option to rent out space in your property to a lodger.

In fact, if she took umbrage at this, then she is merely showing herself as someone who wants something out of life without putting anything in. Left wingers will try to wrap this up in love and shout you down but stand your ground and let her walk if she objects so strongly.

Her actions will show whether she is with you for the free ride or whether she actually wants to be with you.

Now were you to go down the marriage and family route, I would spend wisely on a pre nup. There is a fair chance you will end up in the divorce courts and you need to have it laid out exactly where you came from. It is not your problem that she has squandered her money while you saved yours.

waggledance

I joined the forum just to reply to you.

Er, yeah, you're being really mean! It shouldn't matter how hard you've worked in the past or whatever, if you love this person why would you not just share?

Sometimes the things you own end up owning you.

justwondering25

pmj1812 wrote: »

You've worked hard and in many respects life has treated you well so far. But before you negotiate too hard with your girlfriend, who you may be spending the rest of your life with, I think it might be wise to think a bit more to the future.

What might happen to your fortunes as you and your girlfriend grow old together? If you were to get a serious degenerative disease, would she put her life and ambitions on hold for years on end to care for you? If you needed medical care that could only be bought privately, would you hope she would be willing to sell everything she could do without to give you a decent quality of life for a bit longer?

Sorry to be morbid, but it's amazing how fast life can turn around and if you've withheld something that you could have given freely now, then how much could you reasonably ask her to sacrifice later - as a wife, mother and companion in later life?

Yes all fair points and equally potential facts of life.

A.Jones

waggledance wrote: »

I joined the forum just to reply to you.

Er, yeah, you're being really mean! It shouldn't matter how hard you've worked in the past or whatever, if you love this person why would you not just share?

Sometimes the things you own end up owning you.

Presumably, you would also expect her to share her entire savings with him. He used his money to pay off the mortgage, no doubt she has some money stashed away. If he shares the house, she should share everything in her savings account.

justwondering25

Rah wrote: »

what an interesting dilemma.
My view is that if you have no mortgage, you should not charge your girlfriend any rent.
However, if you are both working you should pay half each towards bills and other costs of running the home.

I am in a related but different situation. I bought a house last year in my sole name and my boyfriend lives in it with me. He is just starting up setting up his own business at the moment and has no income. Therefore he doesn't pay me anything.
when he starts earning money he will start paying half the mortgage and bills.

however if there wasn't a mortgage no-one should have any rent to pay!

Fair point , but the house fairey did not gift me my house.

justwondering25

A.Jones wrote: »

Presumably, you would also expect her to share her entire savings with him. He used his money to pay off the mortgage, no doubt she has some money stashed away. If he shares the house, she should share everything in her savings account.

although i would not ask her for any of her savings , this is a fair point , what if my girlfriend had equal savings to the value of my house in her bank account , should i be entitled to half the interest she earns from the money ................hmmmmmmm very much a extremely fair point.

gaily

I've just read the thread (including the 'afterword' by the original author) and think that this is a case of 2 people who have sensibly commited to thinking about what might happen in the short and longer term

I originally thought it mean, as girlfirend who pays 'rent' would not benefit out of the money she has put in should the relationship sour, but then again - no renter ever does. If the property were on a mortgage, then at least each contributing party has something to take out of the relationship.

I think your approach is realistic, in that she will invest a sum of money to enable the 2 of you to set up home together when you so choose to set up together, and if things don't work, she has a 'nest egg' to take on with her (without having to be a mercenary and turn what could be an amicable split sour!)

No, it's not a business, but I think a lot of bad press is given to people who split, and then bicker about what they are getting (Heather Mills, The ex Mrs Trump to name a few) - far better to work it out in advance. It's nothing more than a pre nup (however they are viewed in the british courts) does.

I hope if the 2 of you do marry, then other than inviting us all to the wedding, you'll not charge her rent any more - even if she then helps pay the mortgage for the new spot on the beach in the Maldives!!!!