is it right to be paying rent for living at home?

LegacyUser · 31-07-2014 04:50PM #1

Hi, was just curious about peoples thoughts on this as I don't know what to think of it. Anyway I graduated from college in September last year and soon after, I got my first full time job. I still live at home with my parents but as soon as I got a job I was told I would have to pay rent.

I suppose that is fair enough, the thing is I am paying 130 euro out of 550 a week. Is this a lot to be paying to live in my own home or would people reading this think it's fair? Just wanted some opinions as I'm debating moving out. I get on well with my parents but they are both unemployed so maybe that has something to do with it. Any comments are appreciated

JillyQ · 31-07-2014 05:06PM

Yes you should be paying rent at home. Are your parents asking you to pay your share of the bills as well?

thegreatgonzo · 31-07-2014 05:17PM

What other expenses do you have on top of the 130 euro? Do you have to pay for your own groceries, electricity, etc?

Czarcasm · 31-07-2014 05:18PM

OP if you move out, you'll pay a lot more than €130 a week for your independence. If you get on with your parents, then I wouldn't really go rocking the boat if I were you. It's perfectly normal to want to help out at home and contribute to the household costs.

I think what your parents have asked for is reasonable and fair. It's certainly not excessive and they're hardly leaving you penniless. You still have plenty left to play around with and put some aside for savings.

eviltwin · 31-07-2014 05:23PM

Of course you should pay rent and its a very fair amount. You cost your parents money in terms of food and other utilities and seeing as you are now earning it would be extremely selfish to expect them to cover those costs and not contribute especially seeing as your parents are not working. Why would you think you should get all of those benefits for free?

Snake · 31-07-2014 05:25PM

Czarcasm wrote: »

OP if you move out, you'll pay a lot more than €130 a week for your independence. If you get on with your parents, then I wouldn't really go rocking the boat if I were you. It's perfectly normal to want to help out at home and contribute to the household costs.

I think what your parents have asked for is reasonable and fair. It's certainly not excessive and they're hardly leaving you penniless. You still have plenty left to play around with and put some aside for savings.

I was paying 120 a week for a 3 bed townhouse.. So not true

ash23 · 31-07-2014 05:27PM

GrayFox208 wrote: »

I was paying 120 a week for a 3 bed townhouse.. So not true

Plus food, electricity, heat, phone/broadband, bins, tv?
If all this is included in ops rent at home its a bargain.

If not then it'd probably be as cheap to rent or house share elsewhere depending on location.

What are rents like in your area op?

Realt Dearg Sec · 31-07-2014 05:28PM

GrayFox208 wrote: »

I was paying 120 a week for a 3 bed townhouse.. So not true

So were all your bills less than ten quid a week?

So, yeah, true.

thegreatgonzo · 31-07-2014 05:28PM

GrayFox208 wrote: »

I was paying 120 a week for a 3 bed townhouse.. So not true

Yes but did you have other expenses on top of that?

JillyQ · 31-07-2014 05:30PM

GrayFox208 wrote: »

I was paying 120 a week for a 3 bed townhouse.. So not true

What other bill were you paying? The op appears to be only payin the €130.

Rachiee · 31-07-2014 05:34PM

Yes you should absolutely be paying rent you are an adult you need to contribute to the household income. Its great that you got a job after you finished college. I think 130 is neither a bargain or unfair

Dowl88 · 31-07-2014 05:34PM

Tis grand if your not paying for anything else. Rather cheap infact instead of paying elec, bb, heating, food, bins. Property tax, Water charges. Welcome to the real world!

Grainne101 · 31-07-2014 05:37PM

Sorry but depending on where you live €130 per week seems like a lot, I live in a very nice, very central part of Dublin for considerably less than that. That said €550 per week is great money for your first job so well done you. You should absolutely be paying rent living at home but perhaps your parents think they need to teach you the value of money?

Snake · 31-07-2014 05:43PM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

So were all your bills less than ten quid a week?

So, yeah, true.

Each, yeah

JillyQ · 31-07-2014 05:45PM

GrayFox208 wrote: »

Each, yeah

how many of you were living in the house

LegacyUser · 31-07-2014 05:52PM

Thanks for the replies so far everyone, didn't expect so many so quickly. I just want to reiterate that I've no problem paying rent, I just wasn't sure if that was a lot to pay for living at home as personally i'm clueless on rent prices for people who have moved out of their home. I also pay for the internet but this is fair as i'm the only one who uses it. I'm living in a suburb of North Dublin at the minute and that's as specific as i'll go with location. I guess i'm luckier than I thought, judging by the responses!

Snake · 31-07-2014 05:59PM

JillyQ wrote: »

how many of you were living in the house

Myself and herself.. Bills were just sky Internet and electricity

car.kar · 31-07-2014 06:09PM

130 a week seems a lot to pay to be living at home. It depends how much you enjoy living with your parents - you'd find a flat share for that amount in or near town, and if I was paying that much, I'd rather have my independence.

I'm at home and I contribute rent, but can only afford about fifty a week. If I were paying 130, sure I might as well just move out!

tenifan · 31-07-2014 06:15PM

where do you live? if in the city centre, or somewhere posh.. might be worth it. What's included in rent? Food, internet, sky, etc?

On the plus side:
+You get on well with your parents. better the devil you know. Strangers can be a nightmare.
+you're helping your parents out financially.

The downsides:
- less independence.
- thinking of getting a mortgage? best to be able to show you're really paying rent.
- may be a little steep (compare to market rate for renting a room in a house-share, factoring in bills)

MagicMarker · 31-07-2014 06:28PM

OP, you've finished college, you've got a job. It's time to grow up and move out.

Grandpa Hassan · 31-07-2014 06:45PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

OP, you've finished college, you've got a job. It's time to grow up and move out.

This.

Why you would be living at home when you are earning decent money is beyond me

JillyQ · 31-07-2014 07:14PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

OP, you've finished college, you've got a job. It's time to grow up and move out.

Agree with this

DizzyDamsel · 31-07-2014 07:21PM

130 seems like a bargain to me, you should offer a bit more, seen as your parents are both unemployed.

Rubberchikken · 31-07-2014 07:40PM

I don't think it's the amount that matters.
What's important is your parents are unemployed and do you expect to warm 500+a week and not contribute to the househol?

If you don't want to pay your parents anything then maybe it's time to look for your own place.

LegacyUser · 31-07-2014 07:59PM

I think it's a bit unfair everyone telling the op she should move out of home, if she gets on well with her parents what's the problem? Also they maybe be happy with the extra top up if they are both unemployed. OP you should look up rents on daft and you'll see how much you have to pay to share with people or rent on your own.

tinkerbell · 31-07-2014 08:10PM

GrayFox208 wrote: »

Myself and herself.. Bills were just sky Internet and electricity

That's not comparable - you're not including groceries.

OP, yes you should be paying! Why so you think your parents should continue to fund you when you have a job? It's irrelevant that they are employed or unemployed. Do you expect a free ride for the rest of your life? Once you start working, you need to start contributing. 130 a week is VERY fair. You'd be paying far more if you were out renting when you include rent, bills, groceries, etc.

Stavro Mueller · 31-07-2014 08:11PM

If you look on a site such as daft.ie you'll get an idea of how much it costs to house share in Dublin. It looks like your parents have already been looking and that's where they came up with the figure. You can look at the matter both ways. Either you're getting a real bargain or your parents are being a bit hard-nosed. I admit my thinking's coloured by my own parents. When I started out working and was still living at home, mine wanted me to have more money in my pocket so they didn't ask for as much as that from me.

If your parents are struggling financially maybe it's better to pay them the money for now. In the longer term though, you should be looking into moving out. My guess is that you have never lived away from home and that's an experience you really should have. You can never be a fully fledged adult while living under the roof of your parents.

It really boils down to what it is you want. If you're thinking of moving out, you can afford to do so. I reckon it'll probably cost you more to house share but look at what you'd be gaining. Although I moved home for a while after I left college I just had to get out of there again. I'd lived away from home when I went to college so I'd gotten used to eating what I wanted when I wanted, being able to come and go as I pleased without having to say it to anyone, have overnight guests etc. Personally I'd rather take that hit to the pocket than to live with my parents but that's just me.

Ieatbooks · 31-07-2014 08:36PM

Move out.. I'm sure it'll be cheaper.........Not! From the minute I was 16, I was 50euro a week.

Tarzana · 31-07-2014 09:25PM

Grainne101 wrote: »

Sorry but depending on where you live €130 per week seems like a lot, I live in a very nice, very central part of Dublin for considerably less than that.

I reckon you're very lucky to be paying so little for a nice Dublin city centre apartment. You definitely would be paying below market rate. Someone moving into your apartment now would probably pay a lot more.

tenifan · 31-07-2014 09:37PM

cymbaline wrote: »

If you look on a site such as daft.ie you'll get an idea of how much it costs to house share in Dublin. It looks like your parents have already been looking and that's where they came up with the figure.

I'd be twice as hard-nosed and assume the parents aren't willing to live with a stranger, but enjoy the rent money. In which case, a fairer amount would be €100 a week.

Assuming bills are €30 pw higher thanks to the op's presence, that's still €3.5k a year tax free, versus €0 if the op moves out.

And it's win-win. Parents get a reasonable amount of rent, while helping out their offspring. Op gets a bit of a headstart as he/she can save more for their future, while helping out the parents.

Dial Hard · 31-07-2014 10:37PM

You should definitely be paying rent, but €520 a month to live at home seems a *little* excessive to me. Comparing it to open market rental rates is a bit disingenuous, because obviously living at home doesn't give you the same independence as renting. Likewise, parents "renting" to a child have none of the responsibilties that a landlord has to a tenant. It's a two-way street. I moved home for two years after my marriage went tits up and I paid €95 a week in rent. That included bills, but not groceries, and I cooked for everyone in the house (parents and a sister) two or three times a week.

Dial Hard · 31-07-2014 10:41PM

DP. Always happens from the phone, for some reason.

implausible · 31-07-2014 11:06PM

How are your parents' finances? Are you sure this is 'rent'?

I ask because a friend's brother found that the minute he got a job, his mother was demanding fairly steep rent from him. He paid up, but when he went to buy a car a year or two later, she handed most of it back to him. She had been taking it as she knew he wouldn't save by himself, so she did it for him and called it 'rent'. Genius I thought.

Leo12 · 31-07-2014 11:19PM

Just want to say well done on getting such a well paid job, hope it works out for you congratulations ! Secondly what you are paying is about right. You are an adult now that has to contribute and I'm sure the extra money will be a huge help to your parents. As other posters has said, house shares on daft.ie and other sites are very expensive and this is 'entry' level into independence and all which that entails. My tuppence worth? Yes pay your parents €130 per week, you still have over €400 per week to spend as you see fit. Try and save a little, even if it only €20 a week, it soon adds up. Enjoy this time living at home whilst getting a fab wage because you will never be as rich again in your life!

InReality · 01-08-2014 12:14AM

Thats an amazing salary for a 1st job. op do you mind saying what area thats in ?

shruikan2553 · 01-08-2014 12:23AM

It seems a little high. A person should be paying their share of electricity, food bills etc but I find this idea of "sure it would cost more to live elsewhere" a bit odd.

01-08-2014 12:36AM

InReality wrote: »

Thats an amazing salary for a 1st job. op do you mind saying what area thats in ?

Please keep replies relevant and helpful to OP

thank you

MouseTail · 01-08-2014 09:51AM

Is laundry and cooked meals included? Sounds like a bargain to me.

kylith · 01-08-2014 10:28AM

It's certainly less than you'd pay if you were living elsewhere and paying bills and groceries too. That said, it does seem a little high for living at home, but it's possible that your parents have priced it that way to 'encourage' you to get your own place.

greengirl31 · 01-08-2014 02:41PM

We all had jobs when we were in school and as soon as we started earning we started contributing to the household. It wasn't a huge amount from what I remember but something ... When we started working full time we handed up more .... I remember thinking my mum was terrible for taking that money from me and her telling me I'd thank her some day - as only Irish Mammies can

20 years on, I realise she was right to insist on handing up the few bob but I'd hate to have to tell her she was right

Mrs Garth Brooks · 01-08-2014 04:01PM

Move out. I was able to afford to get a house share with rent and bills and I was grand on €100 a week and this was a 10 minute walk from Cork City. Food would have been an extra €30.

Why do people think that just because the OP lives at home he or she has their mammy doing everything for them, the washing, cooking, food bought. I didnt read this anywhere in the OP. This is not always the case with adults living at home.

Paying up €130 a week, i'd rather move.

MouseTail · 01-08-2014 04:42PM

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

Why do people think that just because the OP lives at home he or she has their mammy doing everything for them, the washing, cooking, food bought. I didnt read this anywhere in the OP. This is not always the case with adults living at home.

Because that would be the norm more often than not, and the OP didn't clarify that wasn't the case. So really comparing those living arrangements with rent is not giving a true picture. Its more like living in digs where after handing up all the remaining income is disposable.

boobar · 01-08-2014 06:54PM

expensiveliving14 wrote: »

I suppose that is fair enough, the thing is I am paying 130 euro out of 550 a week. Is this a lot to be paying to live in my own home or would people reading this think it's fair? Just wanted some opinions as I'm debating moving out. I get on well with my parents but they are both unemployed so maybe that has something to do with it. Any comments are appreciated

I think it's right that you should contribute now you're working. It's pretty common.

You get on well with your parents, that's great.

As they're unemployed, surely you see that your contribution will help with the finances.

You ask is this a lot to pay to live "in my own home", but it's not your home it's theirs.

amtc · 03-08-2014 01:39PM

Just a point - this is means from their point of view so their social welfare may be reduced.

tenifan · 03-08-2014 04:51PM

amtc wrote: »

Just a point - this is means from their point of view so their social welfare may be reduced.

Yes, because the parents are clearly declaring this income :rolleyes:

dar100 · 03-08-2014 05:34PM

You earn more than both your parents combined. Enough said, pay up

Tarzana · 04-08-2014 08:59AM

tenifan wrote: »

Yes, because the parents are clearly declaring this income :rolleyes:

It's exempt income under the rent a room scheme, so even if they declare it, it won't mean they'll get taxed any more on social welfare than they would without it.

Big Bag of Chips · 04-08-2014 09:09AM

If you live at home you should contribute. Electricity, food, washing, heating, hot water, etc all need to be paid for. And if you are earning then you should be paying towards your expenses.

Your parents have asked for a figure. It's up to you to either agree to that figure or negotiate a different one if you feel it is unfair or too much.

But yes, absolutely, when you start getting an income of your own, be that a wage, or social welfare payment you also start paying your way in the world. It's not "rent for living at home". It's covering your expenses (and maybe a bit of rent!)

SterlingArcher · 04-08-2014 09:19AM

kylith wrote: »

It's certainly less than you'd pay if you were living elsewhere and paying bills and groceries too. That said, it does seem a little high for living at home, but it's possible that your parents have priced it that way to 'encourage' you to get your own place.

Or its possible that they themselves are struggling and need the extra money. Sometimes kids can be blissfully unawares of these problems because the parents don't want to worry them. They shoulder that burden themselves. But apart from that...

Op, you should be happy to be finally able to give back to your parents after they have looked after you your whole life unconditionally. You should love paying rent when the rent is due. Trust me, having plenty more money does not make life sweeter, looking after people who care about you does.

In this situation It's how you look at it that makes you feel robbed or happy to pay up.

tenifan · 04-08-2014 11:12AM

Tarzana wrote: »

It's exempt income under the rent a room scheme, so even if they declare it, it won't mean they'll get taxed any more on social welfare than they would without it.

Who mentioned tax?

We're talking about the social welfare means test.

Tarzana · 04-08-2014 12:51PM

tenifan wrote: »

Who mentioned tax?

We're talking about the social welfare means test.

Ah right. And actually, now I think about it, if you rent to your own kids, it's not exempt.

OP, you're earning very decent money for a grad, maybe move into a two bed with a friend? It would work out about the same, moneywise, plus you'd have more freedom.

is it right to be paying rent for living at home?

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