Is it bad my dad charges me and my boyfriend this much rent?

Do you actually know how much your parents pay in bills a month though? You may be underestimating, £3500 a year comes to £292 a month which seems extraordinarily little, though tbf I'm used to prices in the south so if you're up north this could be correct. I just think it's worth asking what their monthly expenditure is because if it really is that cheap then yes, I find it outrageous that you're being charged so much and that your parents are making a profit off of you when they should ideally be allowing you to save more for an eventual deposit and whatnot.

Reply 3

Original post by Amydesigns1104

So my boyfriend and I moved out and lived in a flat and then moved in with my parents ( which we’ve never done together before)

My parents don’t have a mortgage on their house, so all they pay is bills.

I worked out that the maximum they could be paying a year in bills is £3500 and that’s being super exaggerated with energy crisis.

My boyfriend and I buy our own food, we pay our own Netflix and tbh we are never there cos we work all day.

And we pay £375 each ( so £750 in total) and although this is much cheaper than what we were paying at our flat ( £600 month each plus bill) I just can’t help but think my dad is scamming us?

Your dad isnt scamming you, he set a price and you agreed to pay it. He is under no obligation to just charge what energy costs you may use. Look he could have charged less, of course, but he also could have charged more.

I lived with my parents for a few years also when working, and I saw it as a nice thing being able to financially contribute and pay back my parents for the circa 18 years of them supporting me (think the average cost is around 250k from birth to adulthood). So basically remember he isnt a landlord he is is your dad.

Take care,

Greg

Reply 4

StriderHort

21

Well it's not bad for your dad, ka-ching! :ahee:

Reply 5

Amydesigns1104

OP

8

Original post by Sorcerer of Old

Do you actually know how much your parents pay in bills a month though? You may be underestimating, £3500 a year comes to £292 a month which seems extraordinarily little, though tbf I'm used to prices in the south so if you're up north this could be correct. I just think it's worth asking what their monthly expenditure is because if it really is that cheap then yes, I find it outrageous that you're being charged so much and that your parents are making a profit off of you when they should ideally be allowing you to save more for an eventual deposit and whatnot.

I get that of course but I’ve never been ungrateful and I’ve also given them lovely gifts on birthdays / fathers days and chrisymasss to show them that.

Original post by greg tony

Your dad isnt scamming you, he set a price and you agreed to pay it. He is under no obligation to just charge what energy costs you may use. Look he could have charged less, of course, but he also could have charged more.

I lived with my parents for a few years also when working, and I saw it as a nice thing being able to financially contribute and pay back my parents for the circa 18 years of them supporting me (think the average cost is around 250k from birth to adulthood). So basically remember he isnt a landlord he is is your dad.

Take care,

Greg

Sorry I meant £3500 a year on gas and electricity, I think they pay £35 a month for water on top of that, and then WiFi must be £30 a month?

They don’t have a landline.

I know everything’s expensive these days but yeah I can’t help but think my dad is profiting off us!

Reply 6

Original post by Amydesigns1104

Sorry I meant £3500 a year on gas and electricity, I think they pay £35 a month for water on top of that, and then WiFi must be £30 a month?

They don’t have a landline.

I know everything’s expensive these days but yeah I can’t help but think my dad is profiting off us!

OK so that would then bring the monthly total to £357, which means you're being overcharged already for just one of you. And remember that it's all 4 of you using the house so just with the rent he's charging you alone he's covering the costs of everyone else, so your parents aren't having to pay a dime of their money despite them using the gas and electricity, water and wifi too. That's unfair in my opinion and then they're making all of that extra profit from charging your boyfriend too. I would personally have a massive issue with that if I were in your shoes because it doesn't appear the rent that's charged is in any way related to the monthly expenditure. The amount you're paying is your dad's side hustle!!

If I was a parent in this situation the way I'd do it is add up all the costs that everyone uses, i.e. gas, electric, water and wifi and then split it 4 ways. But right now not only are you maintaining your parents so that they don't have to contribute a single penny towards the bills of their own house, but they're also making hundreds of £££ extra too.

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 7

lesgo21

Original post by Sorcerer of Old

OK so that would then bring the monthly total to £357, which means you're being overcharged already for just one of you. And remember that it's all 4 of you using the house so just with the rent he's charging you alone he's covering the costs of everyone else, so your parents aren't having to pay a dime of their money despite them using the gas and electricity, water and wifi too. That's unfair in my opinion and then they're making all of that extra profit from charging your boyfriend too. I would personally have a massive issue with that if I were in your shoes because it doesn't appear the rent that's charged is in any way related to the monthly expenditure. The amount you're paying is your dad's side hustle!!

If I was a parent in this situation the way I'd do it is add up all the costs that everyone uses, i.e. gas, electric, water and wifi and then split it 4 ways. But right now not only are you maintaining your parents so that they don't have to contribute a single cent towards the bills of their own house, but they're also making hundreds of £££ extra.

I don't think a parent should charge rent unless they are struggling which does not seem to be the case here. As mentioned previously in the thread, parents should be supporting their children in reaching their financial goals.

Original post by Amydesigns1104

So my boyfriend and I moved out and lived in a flat and then moved in with my parents ( which we’ve never done together before)

My parents don’t have a mortgage on their house, so all they pay is bills.

I worked out that the maximum they could be paying a year in bills is £3500 and that’s being super exaggerated with energy crisis.

My boyfriend and I buy our own food, we pay our own Netflix and tbh we are never there cos we work all day.

And we pay £375 each ( so £750 in total) and although this is much cheaper than what we were paying at our flat ( £600 month each plus bill) I just can’t help but think my dad is scamming us?

Be an adult - do the maths properly. You've got a good start at what some of the costs are of running a house, all utilities, council tax, insurance etc. And then there is wear and tear, and then there is choice. If you didn't come back home to live, would your parents be renting out? Two dead cert options there, 10% chance yes they would - but at a much higher, commercial rate, but 90% chance - no way! They almost certainly anticipated having home to themselves when their kids were post 18/21.

You think your Dad is scamming you - what do you think he thinks about you coming and living back at home when you are an adult with a partner?

Reply 9

Cote1

I would not necessarily use the term 'scamming' about your parents until you know the full facts though I understand that you feel that your parents are charging more than you financially cost them.
If you feel strongly about it then talk to your parents. That may clarify to them that you are being overcharged. Work out the actual cost of having you live with them, and see if you can reduce the amount you pay.

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 10

marple

15

Original post by Amydesigns1104

So my boyfriend and I moved out and lived in a flat and then moved in with my parents ( which we’ve never done together before)

My parents don’t have a mortgage on their house, so all they pay is bills.

I worked out that the maximum they could be paying a year in bills is £3500 and that’s being super exaggerated with energy crisis.

My boyfriend and I buy our own food, we pay our own Netflix and tbh we are never there cos we work all day.

And we pay £375 each ( so £750 in total) and although this is much cheaper than what we were paying at our flat ( £600 month each plus bill) I just can’t help but think my dad is scamming us?

If it was just you then you would perhaps have a point. But why should you father subsidise your boyfriend? He is clearly taking advantage of them, and I for one would be very reluctant to have an unrelated grown man in my home who was not pay his own way.

As others have said, you are unlikely to know all their outgoings. Average council tax is £2,000, and gas/electric is similar. They may have loans, pension payments, car costs, insurance, water rates etc. In any event, they are saving you a great deal of money. If you are trying to save for a house or something specific it may be worth asking how they came to £750 and explain that while you do not want to take advantage of them, it would be helpful if they could reduce the rent and put the difference in a savings account in your name.

Personally I would charge my daughter nothing, but would expect her partner to want to pay a reasonable rate.

Reply 11

Original post by Amydesigns1104

I get that of course but I’ve never been ungrateful and I’ve also given them lovely gifts on birthdays / fathers days and chrisymasss to show them that.

Sorry I meant £3500 a year on gas and electricity, I think they pay £35 a month for water on top of that, and then WiFi must be £30 a month?

They don’t have a landline.

I know everything’s expensive these days but yeah I can’t help but think my dad is profiting off us!

Like i said unless he hopes to claw back the estimated 250k price of raising you, then no he wont be in profit for a very long time, not at 700pcm anyway.

As other posters have alluded to, i am not sure having you and your boyfriend staying is a major treat for your parents, so maybe the extra money might be buying you goodwill as well as a roof over your head.

Greg

Reply 12

Original post by greg tony

Like i said unless he hopes to claw back the estimated 250k price of raising you, then no he wont be in profit for a very long time, not at 700pcm anyway.

As other posters have alluded to, i am not sure having you and your boyfriend staying is a major treat for your parents, so maybe the extra money might be buying you goodwill as well as a roof over your head.

Greg

Tbf I don’t think the cost of raising a child is something a parent can in good faith try and “claim back”. After all it can be argued that the choice to have a child was the parents’ and that the child had no say in the matter.

Reply 13

Original post by lesgo21

I don't think a parent should charge rent unless they are struggling which does not seem to be the case here. As mentioned previously in the thread, parents should be supporting their children in reaching their financial goals.

At what point does this end though, 21, 40, 80?

Being an adult also means being given the space to learn and live like one, cant always be reliant on parents pockets.

Greg

Reply 14

Original post by Sorcerer of Old

Tbf I don’t think the cost of raising a child is something a parent can in good faith try and “claim back”. After all it can be argued that the choice to have a child was the parents’ and that the child had no say in the matter.

Exactly agree, its a null and void argument. Just responding to the idea that the OPs parents are trying to turn a profit, there aint any financial profit in having children, even at 700pcm as an adult.

Reply 15

martin7

Original post by Amydesigns1104

My parents don’t have a mortgage on their house,

That's a big assumption.

Are you sure it's true? How do you know?

Reply 16

Original post by greg tony

Exactly agree, it’s a null and void argument. Just responding to the idea that the OPs parents are trying to turn a profit, there aint any financial profit in having children, even at 700pcm as an adult.

I disagree. Assuming OP’s monthly figures are correct then the parents are turning a profit, and a pretty hefty one at that. The cost of raising a child is irrelevant given that, again, it wasn’t the child’s choice, and more importantly, the parents aren’t in some kind of debt or financial hardship because of it. What they’re earning from their child is separate from raising her.

It’s like arguing that a parent who sets up a profit-making business isn’t actually making a profit, which is just absurd. That business is making a profit because the earnings and expenditure of that business are not related to raising a child and so don’t need to take that into account.

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 17

Muttley79

Original post by Amydesigns1104

I get that of course but I’ve never been ungrateful and I’ve also given them lovely gifts on birthdays / fathers days and chrisymasss to show them that.

Sorry I meant £3500 a year on gas and electricity, I think they pay £35 a month for water on top of that, and then WiFi must be £30 a month?

They don’t have a landline.

I know everything’s expensive these days but yeah I can’t help but think my dad is profiting off us!

Council tax, house insurance, contents insurance, ... move out if you don't like it

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 18

StriderHort

21

Since no one else will say it, is it possible this is you dads way of telling you and your BF not to get too comfy? If you'd not long moved out maybe they were just getting used to getting some space or privacy back, and now you've ran home with an extra mouth in tow.... in terms of living conditions this is prob not ideal for them.

Reply 19

Cote1