How much board to charge kids?

cookie666

Kids are both 19 now, they both have decent jobs pulling in around £22K PA, what is a fair amount of rent to charge them each week (yes, I do think children should pay!).

They get in that, food, heating, electricity, washing, lifts etc (one to and from work most days as anti-social hours which means often picking him up at 1AM), they each have their own room and own bathroom as well.

Suggestions please. 

theoretica

If they moved out, what would you save?  The household would use less food, electricity, petrol...  This is what it is costing you to have them there. Would you get lodgers in if they moved out?  In which case their presence is costing you lost opportunity. Would you downsize? Are they pulling their weight with housework?

How much would they need to pay to rent rooms elsewhere + living costs.  That is probably the most you should charge.

Where between those figures you charge probably depends on very personal situations - do you need the money, are they saving for house deposits or spending thoughtlessly, do you want to encourage them to move out or to stay?

gwynlas

There are a lot of posts already on the forum on this subject and differing amounts suggested from straightforward percentages of take home pay to charges for each service provided. Perhaps you could have a general discussion and decide what appears fair to you all. Regarding lifts your son would need to pay fares for transport to work so perhaps you encourage him to ay for driving lessons and  pay supplement on your insurance.

noitsnotme

£100 a month we’ve just started charging the oldest in his first job.  That is secretly being saved to be given back to him at some point in the future, hopefully to go towards a property deposit.  We don’t particularly need the money from him but wanted him to start learning about paying bills and budgeting.

Spendless

Not entirely sure why having their own bedrooms and bathrooms are being taken into the equation? Unless you are saying there is a cost involved to them having this including you would have a smaller place if they weren't there, eventually though you will have the benefit of equity from a larger house should you choose to downsize later in life.

Is the one with lifts learning to drive? Does it equal out with the lifts between them or does the one with anti social hours need more, I think you'd need to reflect this in petrol money asked for.

My eldest never returned after Uni, he met someone there, got engaged, moved briefly to her parents before finding a job in our city and rents privately. We haven't got to this stage yet with youngest as she's done some short drama courses and for the 6 months she was home inbetween and working p-time in the Entertainment industry we agreed that we would still treat her as a student until a certain deadline. As and when she does come back and starts working then her main cost to our household is food, negligible electricity I would say (our bill doesn't really reduce when she's not here) and lifts. I'd need to work this out before coming to an amount. I

I would be saying that your children should also be paying for their own spends, clothing, toiletries (since they have their own bathrooms they can fully buy their own stuff as there's no need for communal items) 

Pollycat

As already said, lots of threads on this subject:

Here's 3:

How much keep to ask for? — MoneySavingExpert Forum

How much board to charge? - Page 3 — MoneySavingExpert Forum

How much board for 18 yr old? — MoneySavingExpert Forum

silvercar

How much extra is it costing you to have the children at home? Charging more than this would seem to me to be profiting from them, which seems wrong.

MDMD

silvercar said:

How much extra is it costing you to have the children at home? Charging more than this would seem to me to be profiting from them, which seems wrong.

And if you were profiting and exceeds £1,000 you’d have to also ensure you need to declare it and pay tax in it

silvercar

MDMD said:

silvercar said:

How much extra is it costing you to have the children at home? Charging more than this would seem to me to be profiting from them, which seems wrong.

And if you were profiting and exceeds £1,000 you’d have to also ensure you need to declare it and pay tax in it

I don't think this is always true. If you were charging something approaching a discounted market rent you could utilise the rent a room scheme for the first £7,500 a year in total before expenses. If it were less it would be a "Board" charge and be considered as a contribution to household expenditure.

HampshireH

When I worked and lived at home I paid £200 a month

That included food, contribution to bills and my mum still did my washing. I paid for my own car and it's insurance and upkeep

Seems reasonable. And it wasn't given back. It was to genuinely contribute to the food shop and bills.

If you're also ferrying one adult around at antisocial hours I'd factor in as well as bills and food, how much would alternative travel cost them and charge a % of that for being their personal taxi to cover your fuel costs.

Perhaps each of your young adults need to contribute different amounts of one is costing you more than the other.

Nelliegrace

I think if they are typical teenagers I would make them responsible for the food, electricity and water bills, and various household tasks.

Another choice would be to charge them a lot of rent, as much as rent elsewhere would cost them, and save it to help them buy a property in the hope that they will move out eventually. The new bank of Mum and Dad.