how much rent is fair to charge co-parent

krustyusty

My boyfriend lives in my house and pays rent, I am thinking of asking him for more rent once our baby is born. I'm thinking more like half the rent for our room, and half for the baby's room, combined that would be about equal to half the rent on a 2 bed apartment.

He can afford to pay more, but I don't want to be scabby. I can manage without upping his rent, so its really just what is fair. What do people think?

ash23

If the lodger is going then he should pay the going cost of a room share (or what the lodger was paying).
He should not have to pay you childcare when you are on maternity leave. That is absurd.
He should be paying half the babys costs.

Arciphel

krustyusty wrote: »

But I can also think of reasons against, the main one being I would not be charging the baby rent of he wasn't around so why would I charge it rent when he is?

How are you planning on charging your baby rent? Stop it out of their child allowance?

Supraman

The main reason against is that you wouldn't charge the baby rent if he wasn't around ? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever .

It is this chaps choice to live with you . How you can compare him to a newborn baby in terms of renting is beyond me .

Surely the relationship isn't a business transaction , he should pay his way in terms of accommodation and increase to half mortgage if he's willing and share the babies costs . As for paying you for while your on maternity ? No he should not "pay" you due to savings on childcosts , nothing at all wrong with being a man about it and looking after more bills or treating you etc. during this time but paying you for the privilege is for the birds imo .

Scortho

I'd charge him half the rent it'd cost him to rent a similar apartment.
While this might be less than half the mortgage, I doubt his name would be on the deeds so he gets nothing back by paying the extra amount, where's you do (one day owning the apartment in full).
As its his baby as well, split the cost of the baby down the middle. Likewise with food, utility bills etc. if he wants to pay more than half of this, then let him. But don't expect him to, or force him to as it could lead to some bad rows.

Catphish

krustyusty wrote: »

My boyfriend lives in my house and pays rent, I am thinking of asking him for more rent once our baby is born. I'm thinking more like half the rent for our room, and half for the baby's room, combined that would be about equal to half the rent on a 2 bed apartment.

He can afford to pay more, but I don't want to be scabby. I can manage without upping his rent, so its really just what is fair. What do people think?

I take it there was a lodger involved from the other posters, but what I don't understand is why you haven't discussed this with your boyfriend? Obviously with someone leaving the house it will mean that you've to balance out the financial loss. Just talk to him about it, you're two grown adults

krustyusty

Yes I edited the original post because the extra details seemed to be confusing people. It seems like the people who addressed the central question agree with me that half the rent on a comparative accommodation (=half the rent of our room + half the rent of baby's room) seems fair, but half the mortgage is too much.

We have discussed it, but sometimes its good to get an outside perspective, and I thought boards.ie would be better than giving details of our finances to family and friends, who would only give biased opinions anyway.

Thanks all, I just wanted to check I'm not being too scabby or asking for too little!

Moonbeam

Let me understand this..
You own a 3 bed house,your boyfriend is your lodger and you are both expecting your 1st baby together?
You feel he should pay you more rent due to the baby and should also pay to rent the babys room?

username123

Scortho wrote: »

I'd charge him half the rent it'd cost him to rent a similar apartment.
While this might be less than half the mortgage, I doubt his name would be on the deeds so he gets nothing back by paying the extra amount, where's you do (one day owning the apartment in full).

I disagree with this. They are co-habiting - sharing a bed. Since the recent change in Irish Law he will have a claim on the property once they have been co-habiting for 2 years. See Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010.

The fair way to do this for a cohabiting couple (who I presume want to stay together - no plans to break up in a year?), is to have the costs for both people under the roof either the same or pro rata per salary - depending on how the couple want to handle finances.

Presumably as a couple with a child you see your future together so your money and his money goes into the same general pot?

To be perfectly honest - you should really visit a solicitor about this and get proper legal advice.

Scortho

username123 wrote: »

I disagree with this. They are co-habiting - sharing a bed. Since the recent change in Irish Law he will have a claim on the property once they have been co-habiting for 2 years. See Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010.

The fair way to do this for a cohabiting couple (who I presume want to stay together - no plans to break up in a year?), is to have the costs for both people under the roof either the same or pro rata per salary - depending on how the couple want to handle finances.

Presumably as a couple with a child you see your future together so your money and his money goes into the same general pot?

To be perfectly honest - you should really visit a solicitor about this and get proper legal advice.

Cheers I'd forgotten about that part!
Jesus 2 years isn't long to be living with someone for them to have a claim on your property is it!

username123

Scortho wrote: »

Cheers I'd forgotten about that part!
Jesus 2 years isn't long to be living with someone for them to have a claim on your property is it!

Its only 2 years if you have a child. Its 5 otherwise. Well, it certainly brings to focus the financial considerations of moving someone in! Its a serious step, legally as well as emotionally and people are best to look into the details beforehand rather than afterwards when the legal battle costs a fortune!!

It was really brought in as a result of the courts seeing so many cases where people who had made solid contributions were just thrown out without so much as a by your leave. I can see how Id feel hard done by if Id made 10 years of dual mortgage repayments and then was left homeless.

January

Moonbeam wrote: »

Let me understand this..
You own a 3 bed house,your boyfriend is your lodger and you are both expecting your 1st baby together?
You feel he should pay you more rent due to the baby and should also pay to rent the babys room?

They live together at the moment, but they also have a lodger. She wants the lodger gone before the baby arrives.

Moonbeam

ah ok.
That makes a bit more sense.

Scortho

username123 wrote: »

Its only 2 years if you have a child. Its 5 otherwise. Well, it certainly brings to focus the financial considerations of moving someone in! Its a serious step, legally as well as emotionally and people are best to look into the details beforehand rather than afterwards when the legal battle costs a fortune!!

It was really brought in as a result of the courts seeing so many cases where people who had made solid contributions were just thrown out without so much as a by your leave. I can see how Id feel hard done by if Id made 10 years of dual mortgage repayments and then was left homeless.

Yeah I suppose from that point it makes sense. They'd have to be documented mortgage repayments I take it.
What happens if its done as a form if renting like the op's partner is now?

Also citizens information say that it's the proportion of the mortgage that they contributed to over the lifetime of the mortgage so it's not an automatic 50:50 split which is fair.

username123

I suppose you would prove money leaving one account going to another. Only a fool would pay out money with no record.

Renting is different, you don't share a bedroom, that's cohabiting. Even a rent book makes no odds, all you need is people to confirm you we're a couple, not rent a room strangers.

It's not just mortgage payments, it's household contributions. You could agree that I pay mortgage and you pay bills and groceries, but you would still have a claim because you contributed to our household.

I don't think any of it has been tested in the courts yet though.