Homeowner Backed for Trying To Charge Sibling Rent for Home They Inherited

​​​​The internet has backed a property owner for wanting to charge their sibling rent on a home they inherited from their parents.

In a post shared on the popular discussion site Mumsnet on Saturday, user Inheritanceconfusion explained the story that has since received over 150 replies.

They said: "My sibling and I inherited a property from our parents when they died. My sibling has been living there for about 18 months since probate was granted. The intention was to buy my share but that has been delayed for various reasons.

"My sibling has not been paying anything for living there and I've recently discovered that they and their spouse are saving around £2,000 ($2,209 USD) per month. With costs of living and our own mortgage rising, I am considering asking them to pay me some rent on the property."

Senior lecturer in psychology at the University of the West of England (UWE) and author of No Family is Perfect: A Guide to Embracing the Messy Reality, Lucy Blake told Newsweek: "Conflicts over inheritance can lead to estrangement, and although we might think of this as rare, the quality of sibling relationships in adulthood varies.

"For example, in a sample of approximately 4,000 adults in the Netherlands, 13 percent had had contact no more than once. Contrary to the images of happy, healthy, functioning families that we see all around us, those who have a wider range of experiences when it comes to sibling relationships are not alone."

Meanwhile, replies on the now-viral post backed the sibling, saying they would be right to charge rent.

One commenter said: "I don't think it's unreasonable at all. The OP [original poster] could push for the house to be sold now before the sibling is able to buy them out."

Meanwhile, another user wrote: "If the sibling only owns half the property, she should technically pay rent on the other half. Otherwise OP is missing out on half of market rent while they live for free."

"They absolutely should not be benefitting from staying rent-free in your jointly owned house. Either they buy you out or you put the house on the market," agreed another reply.

They are far from the only siblings to suffer tension as a result of inheritance. Last week, a brother was backed online after he shared how he did not want to share his inheritance with his sister after years of estrangement.

Other Mumsnet users felt that it would be unfair to charge the sibling for living in the home when they own 50 percent of the property.

"You can't charge someone rent for a property they own," said one reply.

Another Mumsnet user agreed and wrote: "I couldn't imagine a world where I would ask my sister for rent on a house she jointly owns."

Newsweek was not able to verify the details of the case.