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

maracasman

This sounds like a relationship which you wish to doom to fail.Either you have a human relationship based upon love and mutual respect or you enter a business partnership which is a money making exercise.Why stop at rent? What about charging her for every time she uses your car? Or any other of your possessions? The fact that you have had to put this out to the web for discussion indicates to me ----(male, husband with children - no I haven't asked for payment from my wife nor my children for anything that I have provided over the past 25 years - DESPITE having paid off my mortgage
and having worked REALLY HARD}-- that you do not deserve your partner. Sooner or later she will reach the same conclusion.Please note that I do not seek to charge for this opinion.

laratigger

When I moved into my boyfiends house, which was paid off. I paid all the bills - except car stuff. I would not have it any other way. I would have to contribute. Have you talked to your girlfriend? I'm sure she wouldn't want to feel she's taking advantage. how would she like to contribute?

nikkie

I think I agree with vast majority of the posts on this in some way, shape or form...
My overall opinion- and this would apply regardless of whether a mortgage was paid off or not- would be to open a joint account and BOTH pay in equal amounts you can both confortably afford (and as you earn the least you can decide/work out the amount). Anything else you each earn outside of that amount is yours to use as you wish.
The total you both pay in would be more than enough to cover any bills, emergencies etcetc and [if there still was a mortgage being paid] enough to cover the mortgage itself... even if there isn't you can still 'pretend' there is a mortgage and both overpay into this account as a faster way of saving as a couple for a rainy day. All direct debits etcetc to do with the house would then be set up to pay out from this account- phone, electricity, water/sewage, council tax, gas, TV license, internet etcetc.
If you split up you can devide the remaining money in the account evenly and close it- no messy house entitlement issues or ownership to worry about. You can get into house deed changes etc if you get married.

To ask for an actual rent (As in a payment that is extra to the assistance with bills etc) would deeply offend me if I was ever asked to move in to an already mortgage free home. YOU chose to overpay, not the girlfriend. If she's willing to help with bills, emergencies and the like then there's no need to add more to the charge- that's just greedy... and a little mean. How would you feel if the roles were reversed? Yes, she's benefitting from not having that extra cost- but so are you [with a house being an investment- YOUR investment- if you sell it, she won't get any of that 'hard work' you put into it now, would she?!?!?!]. And now she's helping you run it! Just make sure she's clear that it's YOUR house and that the money you're combining now is for running costs only. If you do get serious enough to own a house properly together then, chances are, you'll end up selling that house to buy your first together anyway.

alandbailey

As she will be your live-in girlfriend ( or common-law wife) I suggest that she pays half the bills but not any rent as you have already bought the property.
BTW paying half the bills includes repairs as well as utility bills. Unfortunately my ex-wife thought I should pay for everything and divorced me when I asked her to pay half the running costs of our house (owned outright).

penthouse

Suffice to say this has been a really interesting topic that many readers have views on, things get murky when we bring money and love into relationships that are not otherwise bound by law. I think it was wise of you to take the subject by the horns and discuss it further with your girlfriend.
Your addition justwondering25 to the dilemma seems a good win win situation, you get to look after your interests by still bringing in some rental income from your investment property but you help her to get on the housing ladder which she may or may not have had the opportunity to have got on without your help. Both your interests are protected, your investments in each other and in the brick and mortar are looked after. Crucially you are working towards the future together and look forward to having a property in both your names rather than her giving money to a property in your name that has been paid off.
Thanks for the interesting post.

pennyfrog

Obviously if you live together and you're both earning, then you should both be contributing to the costs of the home-ie, repairs, council tax, bills, food, etc. To decide how this will be arranged, (joint account for 'house' or whatever) before moving in together is sensible.
To charge her rent... hmmm, I think that's treading on dodgy ground.

But to say that if you married you would actually charge your own wife rent to live with you........!!!!!!!!!!!
If we'd been in that situation and my hubby had suggested that to me- I'd have invested my money in a good pair of running shoes and got the hell out of there fast!
I seriously hope if I'd suggested collecting rent from my own husband, he'd have told me in no uncertain terms what he'd think of that.

Sorry, hon, but that's unbelievable!

kristina88

aliasojo wrote: »

I'm either just too old now or living in another world entirely but I always thought that loving someone and being in a serious relationship with them, meant you wanted the best for them and were happy to help and support them whenever you could. Being in the fortunate position of having a paid for roof over your head means you could easily do this with no cost to yourself but instead you choose to charge anyway.

I think that's disgusting tbh, this is supposed to be the person you love, not just a flatmate.

I think all other outgoings and bills should be split but if there isn't a bill there in the first place (i.e. no mortgage or rent payment required) then it's mean to still want to charge it.

Totally agree with the above.Plus she will feel that you treat her as a person from the street, which is not acceptable for a gf. If I was her, I would start looking for someone else. A man is in the first place a breadwinner and a protector when babies come.Or she can charge you when she is gonna be carrying your babies the same amount surrogate mothers do.:rotfl: Plus she is gonna be on maternity leave which is a loss of her year's earnings which is equal double of yours. If you want to have happy relationship create conditions for that.

shared bills would do,another advantage as soon as she moves in you will save £500/month(travel savings).Ta-ta!!!!it is a win-win situation=)

rosybunny06

mrstinchcombe wrote: »

I've changed my mind, I think you should definately charge her rent. Then when you have kids she can charge you an hourly rate to be a Mother 24 hours a day, 7 days a week looking after your kids. At the commercial rate of course.

She will work very hard as a mother, so why should you benefit?

Ha ha brilliant mrstinchcombe! He sounds like a right tightwad he obviously loves money more than anything else, imagine gurning about his petrol money going to see her and then making out how good he was for not asking her to cover the expense!!!
I would walk over hot coals for a loved one and I wouldn't ask for money to pay for the coal!
Actually he would be better staying single and alone in his mortgage free house, counting his money.
His "dilemma" doesn't reflect very well on his opinion of his girlfriend does it? Has she read this forum I wonder?
Being tight is a distasteful and hateful character trait, Martin Lewis advises being savvy and cautious with our money but I don't think he meant for us all to turn into untrusting tightwads! This has outraged and saddened me, I wish I hadn't read it.

wigglebeena

If she should pay the market price for rent, shouldn't he be paying the market price for sex? Why should she give it away to him for free, when she's invested in her appearance and kept herself pretty, and could charge top dollar elsewhere? (I have no doubt he's the sort of customer any working girl would charge double to.)

ohyeahitssorcy

ok the question is

I'm mortgage free, should my girlfiend pay me rent ?

the answer is

Only if you want her to leave your greedy a$$ for someone a bit less tight fisted.

In fact she is probably already thinking about leaving you if she hasnt already that is, this isnt moneysaving this is taking advantage of someone you supposedly love ... love ? yeah right ... and once she starts telling her mates your days are numbered sunshine because they will crucify you (personally i would like to see that) you need to come back down to planet earth and change your attitude before you end up with no girlfriend.

My girlfriend lives with me and i pay for everything why ? because i love her more than my wallet or my bank balance i would give her everything i own just to know that she is happy and loved.