Acceptable rent for long term family 26 March 2018 at 6:14PM in Marriage, relationships & families 23 replies 3.5K views

2017me

Hi, Can you give me some guidance please, How much would you change a month for giving up your living and dining room so that that your brother and his girlfriend could move in long term whilst their house is being built. This includes all the cooking elec, gas, water plus her 7 year old son every other weekend and once during the week. My furniture for those rooms are in their storage?

Many thanks in advance.

AnotherJoe

Long term to me means years. Are they planning to take years building it? If so I'd reconsider.

Anyway, >> I <<< wouldn't charge anything but I'd expect them to offer to contribute to utilities costs, say 1/2.

Detroit

Your out of pocket expenses for extra food washing supplies etc, plus a percentage share of the utilities based on the share of the house they will be occupying; so if two rooms equal half your house, 50%.

If you want extra room rental for your inconvenience, have a look at the going rate in your area for two rooms with shared facilities, and charge a bit less than that.

(Although unless you've already agreed there will be a rent charge, they may bit a bit surprised, as they may be expecting you to ask out of pocket expenses only).

aninvasion

It depends on what you want to charge for family. You're doing them a favour but they still need to contribute costs to the household.

If I was personally in the position of living with a family member I would put forward how much I was willing to pay - so maybe ask them first what they can contribute?

You are containing them to the equivalent of a studio flat without the privacy so anything over £300 would be a tad silly tbh.

It's all about how much they and you feel comfortable with.

Mojisola

2017me wrote: »

How much would you change a month for giving up your living and dining room so that that your brother and his girlfriend could move in long term whilst their house is being built.

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Long term to me means years.

Maybe have an increasing scale - shared bills for three months, extra contribution as 'rent' for the next three months, and so on.

Might encourage them to get on with the build and move out.

Happier_Me

We moved in with my in laws for three months when our house was being bought and renovated. This was a few years back but we paid the equivalent of all our utilities plus our food bill each month which was around £750 at the time. This was on the basis that we still saved our mortgage/rent payment and they had to put up with a baby and a toddler and not just two adults.

rach_k

I think it depends how keen you are to have them stay!

If it's something you're doing because you feel you have to (or have been asked and couldn't say no), make it enough for you to appreciate the extra money and also enough that they wonder if it would just be better to rent somewhere else/stay elsewhere! I'd start at half or even three quarters of what they'd pay renting 3 rooms elsewhere (bedroom, living room/2nd bedroom, half a kitchen, half a bathroom). They're still saving money, won't have the hassle of finding somewhere, deposits, references etc but it's enough that they might just decide to go elsewhere anyway!

If, on the other hand, you're very happy to have them, I'd probably just want to cover any extra bills including food and if one of them is a decent cook make a deal that they cook for all of you twice a week

onomatopoeia99

Look at the many "what should I charge my child in rent now they are working?" type threads that come up on here every month and double it as there are two people? It's about family staying long term, just as having a child live with you is, after all.

chesky

Be prepared for it to take much longer than they're estimating. I've watched enough TV property programmes to know builders always take much more time than they estimate.

PeacefulWaters

Spareroom.co.uk might tell you the market rate for a room in your area.

Do you have any short term family?

sulkisu

I'm not sure how much to charge, but unless you have a second living room or some additional living space, giving up the living room and dining room for several months, sounds extremely difficult. Are there other family members living at home? You could find yourselves living out of your respective bedrooms - with nowhere to sit, watch tv, relax or socialise - are you all really prepared for that? Short-term, it's probably manageable but long term.....I'm not so sure.