What's fair rent for working children living at home?

Wirenth

Person_one wrote: »

Or, you could teach them about managing finances and budgeting.

My parents never took anything like market rent off me, funnily enough, I had still heard of rent and bills and knew they needed paying!

Yes, mine too.

You have either brought your children up properly, knowing how to survive the world, or you haven't.

kizzie_nikita

I think £40 is too low aswel. When i moved in with my OH (i was 17) and his parents as i left home because of terrible circumstances i had to give £50 of my £56 i got from Income support to them. And i only had one meal a day there.

Torry_Quine

the usual advice is 1/3 for board, 1/3 to spend and 1/3 to save.

faerie~spangles

OP do you and your hubby have a Starbucks and lunch out every day whilst at work?

Do you have the same spending power as your daughter has?

If the answer to the above is no.

May I suggest you look into the cost of a room in a shared house in your area. and charge her accordingly.

As a 21yr old adult she cannot expect to move back home, cause resentment and disruption and live off of the bank of mum and dad.

Long term you are doing her no favour by allowing her to not pay her way.

Let her pay for a cleaner because she wont pull her weight re' household chores. (She won't last long in a houseshare!)

shellsuit

If she's bringing home £900 a month, I'd expect no less than £300 a month from her. That leaves her with £600 a month, or £150(ish) a week which is ample.


When I left school, I worked full time, picked up £81 a week and gave my parents £30 a week, which rose to £40 when my parents split up and there was just me and my Dad.

I never grumbled about it at all. Some kids nowadays don't know how lucky they have it!

System

Person_one wrote: »

Or, you could teach them about managing finances and budgeting.

My parents never took anything like market rent off me, funnily enough, I had still heard of rent and bills and knew they needed paying!

Thats what im doing with my teen she has an account with HSBC she checks online before she spends any money and she transfers money to an online savings account

HappyMJ

crumblepie wrote: »

I read a thread on here a few weeks ago where a parent was going to do exactly that. Out of the JSA £40 was going to the parent for board , leaving the child with £15 or so.

That was my suggestion. £40 a week all in for board including all bills no matter what they earn. They get a roof over their head, food on the table and warmth. If on JSA that would leave them with £16.25 per week. If I were 18 or so I would not want to live on £16.25 a week and would do anything at all to earn more money. It's my suggestion to encourage them to go and get a job. I doubt as a parent that I would actually keep all of the £40 a week I bet some of it would go back to the adult child. Me personally I have about £25 a week to spend on non-essentials. There is no way I am allowing someone who doesn't work to have more dispoable income than me.

MamaJAH

Thank you for all your comments; I seem to have opened a can of worms!
I had to double check whether this was a parenting forum or a money advice one.....
Let me recap.....
I have never charged my ‘children’ board to live in the family home but once they chose to leave and enjoyed the freedom of living independently then decided for financial reasons to return to the home that’s a different matter – we supported her throughout the winter, cleared up after her and put up with the arguments that have ensued because of it.... She is no longer a child, I feel she is taking us for granted. The other two wouldn’t dream of acting this way! She is now earning a full time wage – If she wants to continue having a good time living cheaply at home that’s all well and good but she needs to reduce the stress for the rest of us and play someone to clean up after her and help by put something towards the shopping bill, it’s not much to ask! It’s about being a nice adult. I think Faeriespangle said; it is what would be expected if she lived in a house share.
Thank you also for the suggestion about the direct debit savings – that is a great idea that may help her to save. I don’t think by suggesting it to her we are being patronising at all, she knows she’s not good at saving this might be just what she needs to get her started!

£40 a week may be low but it’s a start!

Mojisola

MamaJAH wrote: »

I have suggested to my husband that we 'charge' her £40 a week, he thinks this is a lot?

MamaJAH wrote: »

She should bring home approx £900 a month

So she's have over £700 a month free and clear to spend as she wants? If she doesn't agree in a flash, I'd think she was in need of a reality check and suggest she starts looking at the costs of renting elsewhere.

jane130 wrote: »

i point my son in the direction of gumtree and rooms in shared houses - he was shocked to see it would cost him £300 pm for a room in a shared house with inc bills

It's always worth showing young adults what the real world costs - most then realise what a good deal they're getting at home.

I don't think it's a good thing to treat adult children as if they were still children - if there are four of us living in a house, why should two pay all the bills and do all the housework? Adults living together have to share the financial responsibilities as well as the work that keeps the household running. If I wouldn't put up with certain behaviour from a lodger or a flat-mate, I don't see why I should put up with an adult child behaving the same way.

Pollycat

MamaJAH wrote: »

we supported her throughout the winter, cleared up after her and put up with the arguments that have ensued because of it.... She is no longer a child, I feel she is taking us for granted. The other two wouldn’t dream of acting this way!

From what you've said of your other 2 children. this comes across loud and clear.