What would be fair amount for a 21 year old to pay?

Fieldsofgold

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

How many people realistically would actually rent their spare room out? A stranger living in your house is dramatically different from one of your own living there.

I've done both and know which I preferred!

duchy

It's true -the lodger has gone out of fashion !

My grandparents took in lodgers (they lived in central London) my Mum lodged in London before she married , my parents in the sixties and early seventies bought a bigger house than they needed with the intention specifically of renting rooms out to pay the mortgage - when I was tiny there was a couple with a baby, later we had a medical student at Guys and a drama student at RADA who later became one of the most well known actors on Irish TV as he played the Patriarch is a very long running series ,as well as foreign students -including one family who sent a different daughter each year (we loved them as the family were fruit farmers in the south of France and each new arrival came with a huge crate of peaches ) . My first flat I had flat sharers who I suppose technically were lodgers as it was my flat .

I can't think of anyone I know with lodgers now or even short term foreign students.

Maybe communal living has simply gone out of fashion so kids stay at home until they set up as part of a couple and miss out on the flatshare phase ?

(BTW most of those students were at different times never more than two -it certainly wasn't a mansion....and my brother and I shared a room to make it do-able-I remember the excitement of having my own room when we moved ironically to a smaller house at the age of seven)

aileth

When I lived with my parents and was earning £16k PA, I paid my parents £300 a month, as well as helping with household chores, cooking some nights and bought everything myself. I still managed to save a fairly nice amount.

At £31k PA, he has got a bargain at £300. He may want to save for a house, but he's in for a short, sharp shock when he actually gets the house and discovers mummy isn't there to do everything for him.

bestpud

Our 21 year old pays around a third of her income and doesn't begrudge it.

She wanted to pay and she is good with money - I don't think you are doing your son any favours OP.

I was talking to a colleague a while back who threatens to move out whenever her mum puts her foot down about contributing financially or helping around the house and her mum gives in every time! This woman is in her late 20s and working full time but thinks it's ok to manipulate her parents and be proud of it! I can see your son going the same way.

Do yourself a favour and ask him if he wants a list of estate agents!

aileth

Also the £300 you're asking doesn't seem to be just rent, it's essentially being catered for.

I'd get the price for an average one bed/house flat with the cost of a full-time maid and an average grocery bill for a single bloke and show him how much of a favour you're really doing him.

Indie_Kid

aileth wrote: »

Also the £300 you're asking doesn't seem to be just rent, it's essentially being catered for.

I'd get the price for an average one bed/house flat with the cost of a full-time maid and an average grocery bill for a single bloke and show him how much of a favour you're really doing him.

Plus all the bills that someone would have. (water, gas, electricity, etc)

jen1301

He's 21. He's an adult!

Tell him to either pay it or move out. He obviously doesn't realise how much it costs to live, and at the age of 21 it's about time he learnt.

I moved out and rented my own house at the age of 19.

He needs to grow up.

Dazedandconfused

Where in the country do you live?
In my area the going rate for a house share is £250-£350 per month incl bills although obviously not including food

balletshoes

Dazedandconfused wrote: »

Where in the country do you live?
In my area the going rate for a house share is £250-£350 per month incl bills although obviously not including food

... and toiletries, cleaning service, ironing service, chef services etc etc .....

sulphate

I don't consider someone earning £31k to be rolling in it (although it's more than I earn) but I'd say a 21 year old living in the North East paying £300 for rent with £1700 disposable income a month is probably feeling very well off!

Sounds like he needs to learn how to budget, and doesn't know the value of money.

Do you know if he is actually saving? Sometimes the "but I'm trying to save up to move out/get a house deposit together" is used as an excuse. If he saved £1200 a month (perfectly doable, giving his circumstances, unless he has other large financial commitments? i.e. car etc) that would give him £500 to "play" with - more than enough. Husband and I have £400 between us to "play" with every month and I'm sure we could halve that if we really needed to (and we live near Cambridge, where the cost of living is pretty high). In two years time he would have more than £28k saved - enough for a reasonable deposit + fees for a suitably sized house in the North East, I would imagine? Assuming his wage stays the same, it would probably increase.

By the way, I'm all for parents supporting their children past their 18th birthday..... if they can afford it. I don't agree with wealthy parents charging kids that don't earn much an unaffordable amount for the sake of "paying their way" but that's obviously not the case here.