Heh, I think my answer will be pretty controversial.

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?

$0. I had to move back home after I couldn't find enough part time jobs to keep me afloat (like literally, they paid pretty much nothing). My field, as many of them did, had an influx of graduates with the same skills, and it was almost impossible for me to find a well-paying job.

Because of my resume, I couldn't even get hired by retail jobs ("you're too overqualified"), to the point where I had to lie and omit things in my application and change how I behaved in interviews. It still didn't work.

So a year after I graduated, I slunk back home. I'm thankful that my parents didn't charge me any rent, but they could afford to. Plus, my mother is Asian so she probably would have paid ME rent just to live in the house with her.

2. Did you feel this amount was fair?

Not gonna lie, I think that it's horrible (okay, I'm really exaggerating with that term, I know!) to charge your children rent in certain conditions.

A) If you can afford to live relatively comfortably without having your child contribute to the rent.

If your child is not sucking you dry, financially, and you can afford to have your child to live in the house, WHY would you charge them rent? Like Odessa said, what happened between 17 and 18? Did the child suddenly grow to twice their size or require a lot more money just to take up that one room?

B) If the child is a full-time college student, and A is true.

If you're comfortable and your child is taking 15-20 credits a semester, why would you force them to get a measly part-time job just so you can get your utility bill paid?

If I were a parent, I would encourage them to get a part time job for any other expenses (eating out, entertainment, etc.). Depending on their situation, I would usually provide a minimum 'allowance' for gas and other essential costs. For example, if my child was in a major that required extensive volunteer work and he/she didn't have time for a job, I would cover gas costs for going to school and the volunteer position. But that's it.

I only think that charging rent is okay under certain circumstances:

A) I like the poster that said that someone's parents gave them the money after they moved out. I like the idea of encouraging children to learn about saving money and understanding living costs- I think that this is a fair way to go about it without really dipping into their meager savings.

B) If the child has a fairly well-paying job and can afford to live on his/her own, I would ask the child to contribute some rent.

C) If the child is acting like a bum and sitting around and watching television. Basically, I wouldn't be charging rent because I need it- I'd be charging rent to force the child to get off his/her butt and look for a job or go back to school.

D) If I can't afford to feed another person. If things are tough, I would request that the child pitch in some of his/her income for food, cable, internet, water and utilities. I don't think that I would officially 'charge rent,' though.



3. Did you have to help pay for anything else? Or was it all included in the rent amount?

My parents are actually pretty well off, so I didn't have to pay for much. I had a low limit on my credit card, so they paid my bill at the end of the month.

If I wanted to purchase anything more than that, I would have to use my own money. I ended up using my own money for transportation costs, purchasing books, etc. But I never had to pitch in and pay the bills. I was getting married and planning on moving out in a few months, and they graciously allowed me to save as much money as I could.

4. Where do you live?
New York (at the time!), now, just south of the DC-Metro area



Of course, this is the part where it wasn't so easy for me to live at home: I LIVED BY THEIR RULES. If I didn't pay rent and I ate their food, I had to come every night (unless I was traveling), tell them where I was going and answer to their rules. Period. THAT'S what would, in my opinion, encourage a child to become independent and move out ASAP.

While it was really great to have a break from worrying about groceries and such, I was bound to their rules for six months and I saved as much as possible so that I would not have to move back into the house. I actually developed a lot of symptoms because of the tense atmosphere in the house, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I guess that I ended up paying, somehow.

1.Rent Paid- $0. My parents both have really good jobs so there would be no reason for them to charge me rent.

2.Do you think the amount is fair? Yes I do and so does my parents. I'm enrolled in college full time and I work part time and I have medical issues that sometimes infers with work. My mom would rather me successfully complete college and have my focus solely on school and work then to have to worry about working more to pay more bills. She would honestly rather that I save my money for when I graduate college and find a place of my own.

3. Do you have to pay for anything else? I pay all of my bills besides rent and utilities. I do help out with small expenses from time to time like I'll buy some groceries, pet supplies, or other things needed for the house. I do help out a lot at home when I'm not super busy with school like cooking meals, doing everyone's laundry, cleaning, and what not.

Where do you live? Ohio

*** Not to offend anyone but I just wanted to add that I can't believe how many of you have to pay rent and the high amount that you have to pay to your parents. I could understand paying rent if your parents were having financial problems and truly couldn't afford a house or apartment with multiple rooms or if you were older, done with college, and had a steady full time job. My grandpa made my mom move out when she graduated high school so she got married really early and had a family really young and sometimes she wonders what her life would of been like if she would of been allowed to stay home. I believe when you have kids they are your responsibility until they are ready to be indepedent. Your kids were not asked to be brought into the world you brought them in so you should take care of them and want them to have the best life possible and not be indebted to their parents.

^Not offended in any way but thought I would try and explain my thoughts.
At 22 and working full time I feel it's not a right to live at home even though it's the most practical option for me at the moment and I am happy enough to do so. Giving money to my parents covers basic food/water/gas/electricity/internet etc. and also prepares me for when I move out and begin to pay rent/bills. Hoping it won't be as much of a culture shock this way but no doubt it will! The amount I earn allows me to save a decent amount every month as well as paying rent.
I'm also pretty sure that mum and dad are saving a portion of my rent every month and are intending to give me a lump sum when I find a flat/house which is a nice gesture

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?
I never paid rent while living at home. They even bought me a place and I didn't pay rent there either until I graduated. Now i pay for all my utilities to them. My parents always wanted me to put my money into savings and as soon as i decide to move out of this place, I will be on my own.

2. Did you feel this amount was fair?
Now I think that I was very spoiled, but I think while i was living at there home they were being parents. They want me to save as much as i can so that I can start of easier than what they did.

3. Did you have to help pay for anything else? Or was it all included in the rent amount?
like i said earlier, even now after I have graduated, i still don't pay rent for the condo they bought me. all I pay for is all the utilities. which is only about 200 dollars a month.

4. Where do you live?
St. Paul Minnesota

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?
On average $50 per week. My parents also helped finance my first car, so I added $50-100 per week for car payments.

2. Did you feel this amount was fair?
Absolutely. To explain to those who are horrified at the rent at all, this is why my folks did it:
~ once my bro and I finished highschool and got part-time jobs, they considered us adults, and they wanted to ensure we were responsible with our money rather than fritter it away. The "rent" was a token amount only (they didn't need the extra money), but it was an exercise in teaching us saving and budgeting.
~ I was in tertiary education, with two part-time jobs and trying to get a company (into which I'd invested my savings) off the ground. It was a heck of a lot cheaper and easier to live at home than find a place to rent for myself.

3. Did you have to help pay for anything else? Or was it all included in the rent amount?
I paid for my personal expenses - clothes, fuel, phone, etc. I also chipped in for internet bills when I knew I'd been online a lot (the old days of dial-up). Everything else was included.

4. Where do you live?
Melbourne, Australia.

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?
Do I? Last year I made a dinner once a week, where I picked up my pay on my day off, went to Tesco's, got home, made a fancy dessert, and a really fancy dinner. I usually spent about £20-£30 pw on groceries, so if you count 4 weeks to a month, my rent was about £100pm. Though now I'm home this year, I'm working two jobs (but seem to be earning less money... woe?!?!) so I don't make dinners so often, and when I do, I put less effort in, use the food that's here. Out of necessity/time etc.
When I moved in, my mum mentioned rent, but she's never really serious, she knows that I'm saving to be somewhere else.

2. Did you feel this amount was fair?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. My parents have given me so much and I really should contribute more, or contribute less laundry/work on others' parts. I love how lucky I am that they can afford to do what they do for me, and how much benefit I get from it. (Saving enough money to spend 4 months in South America, what?!)

3. Did you have to help pay for anything else? Or was it all included in the rent amount?
I pay for all my car expenses, though my dad paid my insurance for christmas, but it only lasts until April, when I turn 25, and I'm thinking about getting myself a named policy, to start building up a no-claims bonus when I can afford to spend a bit more on insurance. That's if I even wind up living in this country, but that's another story! I pay for anything that I need, but I don't add to the phone/tv bill, just food/electricity (in terms of use) and according to dad, I don't use much extra anyway.

4. Where do you live?
Northern Ireland. Not the buggered economy part, the other part... Standard rent in our "big city" (ie Belfast) is around £200-£250pm for a flatshare with a couple others. Other parts of the uk would be considerably more.

For a little background, I am 23 and live at home currently after living on my own during college. I have a degree, and I have a job, but I am drowning in student loan debt.

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?
$0. All of my money currently goes towards paying off student loans and attempting to go back to school. I make practically nothing at my current job, and there is no way I would be able to pay rent, let alone feed myself and cover basic needs with the money I have. I was reluctant to move home at first when my parents offered it as an option, but I am thankful for it now because it has afforded me the opportunity to take time to do things that I would not have been able to if I was working 2-3 jobs just to make enough money to house myself.

2. Did you feel this amount was fair?
I do, but that is also because I am a contributing member of the household even if I am not paying rent. We are a family, not a bunch of roommates, and my parents expect me to treat them and continue acting as such. I know that sounds strange, but I know people who do live at home and pay rent and it really is like having roommates for them. They barely interact with their family even though they live with them. Strange, but it works for them I suppose. I am expected to contribute by doing dishes, laundry, cleaning, cooking etc as needed in order to help the house run smoothly. These tasks really are not that different from things I was asked to do growing up, so it doesn't seem strange to me to be expected to help clean up the kitchen or the bathrooms, vacuum the living room, throw on a load of sheets or towels, things like that. If I do things as I see they needed to be done it helps take some of the stress and pressure off my parents to do those things, and everyone is happier. That's my way of showing them that I appreciate what they are doing for me and they care more about that than the money since I need that much more than they do.

3. Did you have to help pay for anything else? Or was it all included in the rent amount?
Everything else in my life that costs money I pay for. My dogs and all their vet bills, food, toys, etc (although sometimes if my parents are at the store and we need dog food they will pick it up for me so that I don't have to make an extra trip). I pay multiple student loans, cell phone bill, clothes, specialty food I really want but the rest of the family won't eat, going out money, hygene products, etc.

4. Where do you live?
Philadelphia

^ Yes I agree with you , if you are over 18 and paying rent it makes you more of a roommate then a family member. I think that if you are paying rent over the age of 18 you should have a ton more freedom then you did when you were underage. A girl who I worked with briefly ( because she was seasonal) had to pay rent every two weeks at her parents house. She was actually paying 1/3 of her family's rent or mortage. She was 20 and had been paying rent since she graduated from high school. She had one job in fast food and she worked seasonal in retail as well. She couldn't even think about going to college because she was too busy paying rent and utilities at her parents. The thing I thought was crazy was she had absolutely no freedom even though she was a contributing member of the family. She wasn't allowed to go places without her parents permission, she wasn't allowed to buy things without her parents permission, she lived in a very strict enviornment. I told her she should just save up and move out because the amount she was paying to live at her parents was almost close enough for her to get her own place.

^ That's just crazy. I really hate to hear stories like that. It's almost like the parents are holding the kid hostage.

kk~

^ I know I felt terrible for the girl. Her parents have the best of the both worlds- they get to control her completely but she is also paying 1/3 of their bills. I forgot to mention but she pays the internet, a portion of cable, and groceries on top on her own personal expenses. There is no way she could consider going to college or moving out unless she found a great full time job which in the area we in isn't very likely.

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?

Well, I graduated in May, then got a promotion with my job which moved me back to my hometown. I was supposed to live with a "friend" of mine, but she bailed on me 2 days before we were going to sign the lease...and at the time I had packed a weeks worth of stuff to get me through work...
Anyway, long story short. My grandma offered me her upstairs bedroom/loft/attic room thing. I pay $350/mo, which is prob what I would be paying if I had a roommate in an apartment around here..except I can leave whenever I want. I already have an apartment in mind..just waiting for money and for a space to open up.
Oh, and for it to get warmer.

2. Did you feel this amount was fair?

Um. I feel that it's kind of a lot..especially if I'm supposed to be trying to save for my apartment. And especially so after reading this thread :-/
I pretty much can come and go as I please..I am 24 though..sooo yeah.
I just wanted an option that wouldn't keep me tied down.

3. Did you have to help pay for anything else?
Originally I was also supposed to help pay for the portion of utilities that increased as a result of my living here, but that hasn't happened. Thank the Lord.
I'll help buy things like milk and toilet paper or other random things if they run out though.

4. Where do you live?

Midwest, USA.


I make about $1000-1200/mo. But I also pay for all other expenses. Gas, cell phone, student loans, car payments and insurance..etc etc.

I am away at college, but when I was at home for 2 months this past summer (taking summer classes at the local college), my parents didn't make me pay anything, and I think it would be absurd if they had! My job right now is to graduate from college (I'm a double major), and besides summer camp counselor jobs, I don't have an income. I helped out around the house tremendously (and also did that when I was visiting for Christmas break), I did errands for my parents every chance I got, did the grocery shopping for them with their money, groomed the dogs, deep cleaned kitchen and bathrooms, etc. So I did a substantial amount of work, but not because I had to, just because I feel grateful for their support and I want to show them my gratitude by gifts of service.

I think it would be different if my circumstances changed, like if I wasn't going to school. But I'm a good student, I work hard, and I don't give them any trouble... and they don't need help paying their bills. I plan to do the same thing with my hypothetical children.

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?

Nothing during my university years, but after I graduated from university (age 22), my parents made me pay rent - $100/week, or $400-500/month. But in 2007, I went on a 3-month trip to Spain and Italy and didn't have to pay rent during the time I was gone. I moved out of province in the fall of 2008 (age 26) and they didn't charge me for my last month either.

The main reason I didn't move out till I was 26 was because I wanted to move out of province and living in my parents' house was cheaper, so it allowed me to save up for that. My decision to move to Montreal was cemented after my 3-month trip, and I figured I may as well just live at home, save up, then move out. If I had gone through the troubles and expenses of getting an apartment in my hometown before moving out, I would have had to wait a lot longer to leave town, especially since my job at the time didn't pay much (if I had planned to settle in my hometown, I would have gotten an apartment soon after coming back from that trip). I figured there was no point in leaving my parents' house before leaving town, since I wasn't planning on settling in my hometown anyway.


2. Did you feel this amount was fair?

I never liked having to pay rent, but at least it was a lot cheaper than having to get an apartment. Plus, I didn't have to pay for food, and I only needed to start paying for gas after I came back from my 3-month trip.

Also, they didn't charge me during my university years, and they also told me that if I ever want to come back to my hometown and get another degree/diploma at the university or any one of the colleges there, I can live in their house rent-free during the time I'm a student.


3. Did you have to help pay for anything else? Or was it all included in the rent amount?

After my 3-month trip, I had to start paying for gas (my parents had a 3rd car and I was the primary driver). I also bought my own toiletries and other personal items. Other than that, everything else (food, laundry stuff, utilities, etc) was included in the monthly rent.


4. Where do you live?

My parents live on the east coast of Canada, I now live in Montreal.

1) My kids did not pay rent or any other expenses but as soon as they started working they bought their own clothes and covered their own spending money.

2) This was fair, in my mind, because as they grew older they also had college expenses or student loans to pay off. We did help considerably with college but it's still REALLY expensive.

3) They did not pay for anything else. Since they were small they had chores to do and as long as they lived at home they were still expected to shovel snow, help with the dog, do their own laundry, etc. As long as they were in college and worked part time we paid for their gas and car repairs and insurance but when college was over, they paid for their own cell phones and car insurance. We paid for their health insurance and medical bills.

4)I live in Pennsylvania, USA

Hope this info is helpful.
Good luck with mom xoxo

Keep On Dancing*

1. How much rent did you pay while living at home?

Nothing. I've honestly never even heard of children paying their parents to live with them. I'm 23 and after being away at college, I graduated and can NOT land a full-time job. As one above poster said for herself, I'm "way too qualified" for a lot of jobs I have applied for to and just can't beat everyone else out for the good ones! If I was paying my parents to live here ,there is NO WAY I would be living at home still.

2. Did you feel this amount was fair?

Yes. The only reason parents should make their kids pay rent is if the kids are super lazy and aren't trying to get a job. My parents know I am spending every single day job searching and freelancing and trying to get OUT.

3. Did you have to help pay for anything else? Or was it all included in the rent amount?

I have to pay for any food I want that isn't in the kitchen or on the grocery list. Although I can add items of my own. My parents won't pay for me to go blow all my money on restaurants or fast food. They have recently started paying for my gas (thank god) but not if the gas is for a trip or something. Basically, they pay my needs, I pay my fun.

4. Where do you live?
Atlanta, GA, USA

I guess it depends on your age. The second I turned 18 my Mom demanded I pay $20 a week, the price wasn't bad problem was I hated living with my parents and badly wanted to leave so I was angry to pay anything to put up with her abuse. I paid for a while until I could hack it on my own money was then bolted, our relationship is better now but I could never live there again.

Now I am 28 and my husband and I live with his parents we pay $500 a month, which pisses me off as we could find an apartment for close to that, but he thinks we can't afford it and won't settle for a cheaper apartment so we are stuck. I think the rent is unfair as it is mainly so that his folks don't have to live in a *gasp* dreaded apartment and they smoke like 4 packs a day in the house and I have asthma and they don't care, it is just disrespectful as they could not live in this house without our rent.