Da zero a 600 euro, i giovani che vivono a casa si dividono l’“affitto” che danno ai genitori

>Emily Murphy lives at home with her parents, but unlike some of her friends, doesn’t pay any rent as she has not earned anything since finishing university last year. “I went travelling after I left college and then when I came back at Christmas, I decided to wait until the new year to start looking for work,” says the 22-year-old. “I applied for a few jobs but there was nothing available in my field and I didn’t want to take something which would tie me down if a proper job came up. Also, my parents said that it was more important that I was ready to start if something came up that suited my qualification in advertising.
“I have been for a few interviews and have also been told that when a job comes up, I’ll be first in line, so am holding out for that.”

I think it’s crazy to charge adults children rent during a housing crisis. You’re just delaying their ability to move out by even longer.

I completely understand that some families are in a difficult financial situation and so if people can help out then they should. But there’s so many families who aren’t in a bad situation, have their own mortgages paid off etc and they’re charging rent to teach their 30 year old “a lesson”, it’s infantilising and delaying their issue. They’ll never move out if you take their deposit.

Charging €600 rent to your adult child is absolutely bewildering in this housing situation.

They’d literally be better off living in a mouldy box room and sharing a bathroom with 5 others elsewhere, away from their parents for their own bit of privacy.

Thank god these people aren’t landlords themselves.

Let them contribute to the bills and fast track their way onto the property ladder.

People here seem to be under the impression that parents are charging rent for fun. Some households require it especially for small increases in electricity, heating, and then food. Nevermind the fact that many of the people living at home aren’t coming from money. My mam charged me, but I’d never consider it rude, I hardly exist for free? 

This can be a good arrangement if both parent and child are happy with it (parent gets money, kid gets to help out) but if the parent just randomly enforces it on the kid it just breeds resentment. My mam did this to me one summer which I found very unfair because I was actively trying to become more financially independent by working during the summer so I could save for the college year. It wasn’t a discussion, which I would have been happy to have. Plus the mortgage was paid off by then. If the parents need the money that’s one thing but ime that’s not the case for many parents who do this.

My parents outlined their household expenses that I benefited from that came to over €12000 a year (health insurance was a big one, over €4K for the family), not including groceries, so yes I was happy to pay €400 a month. I was on a real salary, why wouldn’t I? 

I offered to pay money as soon as I started working and was told no. I was working and in college so basically was only home to sleep and shower. I paid for all my own food, furniture (Ikea wardrobes, painting walls, bed sheets, new beds and mattresses etc), college equipment, split the cost of new kitchen appliances etc. And gave them my employee discount for the supermarket I worked in which got them 20 percent off food shopping and meaning I couldn’t use that myself.

One day, when myself and father got into an argument, he told me I needed to start paying. I refused. I offered, I contributed, I more than covered for myself. He was not going to use it as something to punish his adult daughter with. I said if he’s not accepting that throw me out.

It used to piss me off that people assume because you’re living at home that you’re eating all their food, being cooked for, laundry done etc. Honestly I don’t think in every situation paying rent is needed, especially if there’s no mortgage and plenty of money. Why wouldn’t you give your kid, who is already at a massive disadvantage compared to you, a chance

I’m so glad I’ve got myself out of that situation now.

Such a Boomer move. I can’t stand that my kids can’t afford their own place, so I’m going to charge them rent to live with me. That’ll fix it!

It’s not ‘rent’ it’s ‘keep’ and people need to stop acting like they don’t know the difference. When I rented I paid ‘rent’ and I paid for my bills and I paid for my food. When I lived at home I paid ‘keep’ which covered my share of bills and food, and I was more than happy to do so. These are nowhere near the same. Calling it all ‘rent’ just allows people to moan about something that should be willingly given to help the household you’re living in if you have a job.

A lot of parents bought during the Celtic tiger years and certainly knew financial hardship. We’re still paying off a mortgage, can’t afford health insurance, can’t afford a private pension. Supporting our adult kids is draining every penny of our income. To them, they think it costs nothing, the house is already there, the fridge is already full. They are oblivious to what it costs to run a household and what extra people costs in terms of fuel, food, electricity etc.

To an outsider (and apparently our kids) it looks like we have a decent life – a nice house and a company car. But I’m worried about hitting pension age. Of course this younger generation will tell us we should have looked ahead and saved completely oblivious to the fact that the housing crisis combined with the cost of living crisis will have a significant financial impact on many of their parents too. For many of us it’s costing us our ability to contribute to a pension. Maybe we can go live with our children for ‘free’ when that happens.

I am 24 and I give €300 a month. Not a lot I know but it covers some shopping light and heat. I work 8-5 so never really in the house. Would not be able to not give anything.

Think it depends on the individual households circumstances. It’s a necessity in a lot of cases.

As soon as I finished college and was working full time I was asked to contribute to the household/pay rent(It’s the same thing) I didn’t mind at all as it was far cheaper than renting a room elsewhere. Both my parents have mortgages which were somewhat unaffordable due to marital breakup so I knew they needed it, it wasn’t to line their pockets. Had I not been there they would have rented it to a student. The older I got and the more income i earned the more I gave but it never exceeded €100 a week.

I’ve plenty of friends who weren’t charged anything when living at home and some of then were financially responsible and saved but others just spent their money and never learned how to budget properly. It’s an important part of growing up

In the future, when my kids are grown, I will charge them something and if I’m in the positions to put it aside and give it back to them, I absolutely will but if I’ve still got a mortgage to pay and food to put on the table etc I’ll use it towards the household.

I don’t think it’s a ‘one size fits all’ thing. It SHOULD be different depending on circumstance.

If they’re saving for a mortgage, and the rent they’re paying their parents isn’t impeding that then it’s all good. But if the parents are charging so much rent that it’s stopping them saving for a mortgage (effectively trapping them there forever), then that’s no good.

If they’re a bit younger, maybe not saving for a mortgage yet and just looking for a free ride, then have at it. Charge them rent like crazy, it’ll teach them am important life lesson.

There’s a million other scenarios you can come up with so it’s a completely pointless topic without specifics.

I don’t pay anything but some caveats.

– my parents paid off their mortgage in 2018
– we have solar panels which bring electricity costs to <€400 for the year
– I buy my own food, pay for my own car, cook food for the whole family x2 a week
– ⁠I have my own health insurance
– ⁠when it’s time for renovations or jobs around the house I provide the labour to do it (most recently gutted and refit a bathroom upstairs that my man wanted done for yonks)
– I take on a greater proportion of the household tasks
– I lived away from home from 22-26 paying my own way so the charging ‘rent’ to give it back at a later date is a wasted lesson on me according to my parents
– saving 70-80% of what I earn depending on the month and what expenses I have to cover.

My parents legitimately would bate me with the wooden spoon if I tried to pay them so I try and give back in other ways that are non monetary and get them extra nice gifts for birthdays & Christmas.

My parents did the rule that it was 1/3 your take home pay to simulate what renting was actually like. My parents also had 6 children and cleared their mortgage in record time because of this.

Asking them to help with the electricity bill is fine because its higher now with more people. Asking them to pay 70% of your mortgage? there is a special place in hell for you