Rule of thumb - like your bond repayments may not be more than 30%-odd of your gross, charge them 30% of their gross salary for rent. Throw the food in for free - IF you feel like it...

Yes, they should pay rent to teach them to be financially responsible. If you dont need the money, put it in an saving account and give it to them as wedding gift or towards a deposito for their own house.

I paid rent when I started working and it really made me more responsible.

You need to charge them rent to equip them for the real world. If you shield them what is going to happen when you cant shield them anymore??? Dysfunctional adults.

If only we could all live rent free???

30% of gross is fine

When I studied again when I was 24-25 I had the option of either staying with a complete stranger and giving them part of my bursary money (i got R3000 pm) or stay with my mother who was a pensioner at that stage as my father passed away years earlier. My mother stayed close to the varsity I was studying at, thus it made perfect sense to rather stay with my mother and give her the same amount of rent that I would give a stranger, not because she ever asked, but because it was the right thing to do. I also got to know my mother better and gained an insight into her personality that I would not have learnt otherwise. My mother passed away a couple of years after that and to this day I am thankful for choosing to stay with her than a stranger rather. Thus children should choose to pay for their lodging as we are responsible adults by then. Treat your parents with repect and do not take life, time and money for granted.

I would think it depends on the age and the amount they are earning.

Over 18 charge them rent or make them pay something IE the muncipile account or give you a portion to the food bill. I think it is a good way to teach them Responsibility they may be your kids but I am sure you would like to teach them to take charge of some aspect of there life they will have to when they move out

it depends on the person and the cicumstances. If you don't need the money and your child is responsible with theirs, then rent-free is fine, they will most probably save the difference for overseas trips, to put a deposit on their own place or buy a car if you haven't bought them one already.

If they are irresponsible, then make them pay rent, the less responsible the more the rent up to 30% of nett. If you don't need the money then put it away for them but don't tell them about it. You can then present it to them as a lump sum at some point.

Making your child's life as easy as possible is the want of most parents, so if the lessons have been learned then there is no need to punish them for it. If you need the money however, charge them rent, working children are working for a reason, whatever the age!

Absolutely......If he earns he shoudl pay! I remember paying rent at my folks place and I got it all back as a wedding gift the day I got married! Kids have to learn that nothing is free and I thank my parents for instilling the financial discipline back then....I dont expect anything for nothing....

Umm, Yes. I paid rent to my mother as soon as I started working, 13 years ago. I started working when I was 18 and moved out into my own house at age 21, having been used to paying a reasonable amount of rent. I like the 30% of childs salary.

I know some young people who are graduates, live at home rent free and drive an expensive German car. They also cannot afford to move out of the house because paying 5 or 6 K on a car and are young that is too big a chunk of money. These families tend to fight a lot, in my observations.

What was done with me once I started earning an income was to pay rent/boarding fees to my parents? The amount deducted from me, was for my folks to indicate what life had in store for me once I had decided to move out on my own. 30% of my salary. I’m so grateful that my folks gave me a good indication and early lesson on life. Many of my friends never contributed to rent in their household and started buying lavish cars and expensive cell phone accounts, designer clothes and jewellery...In general wasting their money. There was no guidance in saving. Now it’s unfortunate but they have moved out of the house and are really not doing very well. To keep the lifestyle that they had lived when they were still residing with their parents, they moved over to the worst possible solution... DEBT. All they have done is sink them self’s deeper. All this I blame on the parents for not giving their children the correct advice and direction to grow them financially in their futures. So yes make your children pay for rent. Food, water and lights it’s up to you. But we need to start teaching the youth of today what is expected of them once they want to start making it on their own.

I think one should charge them rent even if you save the money on their behalf in order to get their own place eventually. Whether you keep the money or save it on their behalf you are investing in the future wealth of your family. As you have responsibility, so they need to learn to have responsibility. If you allow them to stay for free, they eventually expect freebies from others in life making them like "parasites". Be brave now as a parent to avoid embarassment later. You need to be responsible so your children can imitate that in their lives.