Would you charge your parents rent?

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  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    i wonder if the NO people are considering what it would do to her confidence and pride.

    it's not true of all mothers but it's true of a lot. sometimes the cruelest thing families do is put their own need to feel kind above an elderly relative's need to feel like a contributer. we all know how uncomfortable it can be to feel indebted to someone, and no amount of assurances eases it.

    If she wants to contribute to rent/bills and can, I'd accept but make it a low amount of money. I'm certainly not going to tell her, "Hey Mom, it's going to be $200 for the spare room, $200 for utilities," My folks never charged me rent when I moved back with them as an adult, though it was agreed that I should chip in when I could.
    and when you chipped in what you could afford it made you feel better about living with them, right?

    No. It made me feel like an idiot because I was 24, jobless (getting food stamps so pitching in with the food bill), with a college degree and would be homeless if not for my parents. My siblings were living on their own, albeit in barely-above poverty situations, with GEDs and abusive spouses. They didn't have this stigmatic shame of still living with their folks when they were adults. I shouldn't *have* to live off the generosity of family.
  • kyodi
    kyodi Posts: 376 Member
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    Bump for reading after work and my opinion.
  • Ninguneado73
    Ninguneado73 Posts: 832
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    no
  • SpeSHul_SnoflEHk
    SpeSHul_SnoflEHk Posts: 6,256 Member
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    Situation (not my own situation):

    You are doing well financially (mortgage paid off, you and your spouse have high paying/stable jobs etc.). You have 4 children that are all under the age of 10. You let your mom live in your finished basement after your dad passes away. Her only income is from the government (pension/benefits) which is around $800-1200 per month.

    Would you charge her RENT?

    IF ...

    Yes - Then how much would you charge her ?

    No - Tell us why, is it wrong ?


    BE HONEST ....





    tnxs.

    No, but I would have fun with the "My house, my rules thing."
  • FearAnLoathingJ
    FearAnLoathingJ Posts: 337 Member
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    Definitely not, I'm assuming the parent didn't charge rent to the kid while he/she was residing in the family home...

    of course they weren't charged rent. When you choose to have kids you choose to raise them, and provide for them it's part of the job of being a parent.
    I think my mom would rather pay rent than be considered a live in babysitter or maid lol
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Hell yeah, they charged me rent once I was 18. I promptly left for the military, but they charged me rent again when I moved back in for 6 months after I got out. It was minimal, but they still charged me rent.
  • mrandolph69
    mrandolph69 Posts: 197 Member
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    The thought would never have crossed my mind. Absolutely not.
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
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    My parents never charged me rent, or for all the money they spent raising me and sending me to college. I guess the answer is hell no. I would not even charge for food, utilities, and stuff. Of course I wouldn't refuse if she insists on buying food or clothes for her grandchild.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
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    tl;dr

    No! I wouldn't charge them rent. It would feel so wrong to do that. My parents supported me so much and gave me so much not just as great parents, but they paid for college, my wedding, and so many other things in my life. Frankly, the money mentioned in that scenario isn't that much. I would however milk their babysitting services to the max.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    I wouldn't and my mother charged me rent when I was 18. Your mother is not 18 and not in need of any lessons about life responsibilities (which is why my parents charged me rent). Also, with such a great inequity in income, it would be unseemly. No, I wouldn't. In fact, if she offered I'd turn her down.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    No I wouldn't, because under no circumstances would she live with me. That's what nursing homes are made for. :laugh:
  • holliebevineau
    holliebevineau Posts: 441 Member
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    I wish I could afford to take care of both of my parents. They still live in the house that I grew up in and that house was paid off long ago. It would just be nice to take care of them like they took care of us kids. They made tons of sacrafices for us when we were growing up. No way would I charge my parents rent! Plus she is paying You everytime she baby sits!
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    There is no way I would charge *my* mother rent, but not everyone was raised with a mother like mine. Based on our family's values I would only ask her to help if I couldn't cut it. It sounds like they can, but again, I'm not sure what sort of family relationship they have. My mother never charged me a dime and she bought me 1/2 of my first car, clothing, food... I can't even list all the sacrifices my mother and father made for me. No way I would be able to charge them one red cent.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I'd probably stock her fridge too! lol
  • syedsaad
    syedsaad Posts: 156 Member
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    No way not at all .... your parents are your responsibility at old age as you were their's when you were a kid. Even if you area not well off still I dont think they ever said you pay us for your food and rent as we dont have enough money when you were a small child so how can you????
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    No way not at all .... your parents are your responsibility at old age as you were their's when you were a kid. Even if you area not well off still I dont think they ever said you pay us for your food and rent as we dont have enough money when you were a small child so how can you????

    I think if you genuinely can't afford to put food on the table or pay your bills on time, pooling your resources is a bit different. Children don't have 1200.00 incomes. That's what families do in tough situations (which I realize this isn't, but IF IT CAME DOWN TO IT...)
  • bettacheckyoself
    bettacheckyoself Posts: 570
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    ******************************************** MORE DETAILS ***************************************************

    - You use to rent out that basement before she occupied it (but the money was just extra spending money)
    - You grew up poor, but your mom did the best she could (was a housewife)
    - You contributed money ever since you turned the working age (either all of pay or minimum $200 per month)
    - You brought in the most money out of all of the family members (father couldn't find work)
    - You were never really close to your mom but there was never any real conflict



    Would these factors change anything?

    ******************************************************************************************************************
  • Tiggerrick
    Tiggerrick Posts: 1,078 Member
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    I would charge her $600/mo. AND use her for baby sitting.
    I would divide the $400 equally amongst the kids in a fund for future college.
    I would put the additional $200 in a fund for my Mom's future needs.

    Since she was a house wife her husband probably controlled all the money and expenses. This way I would ensure that everyone is being taken care of. I don't really need the money for me, and her knowing everything I am doing is for the interest of her grandchildren and her... well, it would be like her husband probably did for years.
  • Hunnib23
    Hunnib23 Posts: 61 Member
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    My mom once charged me $250 a WEEK for rent, so HECK YES, I would charge her!
  • beach_please
    beach_please Posts: 533 Member
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    No. You said the family is in good shape financially, so they don't NEED the rent to help cover expenses. I think we have a responsibility when our parents get older to take care of them, not try to make money off of them. If the family was struggling financially, that would change my opinion. But, since they aren't I think its a douchey thing to do.

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