Homeowner Charging Niece $600 a Month To Rent Room in 'Old House' Dragged

The internet has slammed a woman for charging her niece over $600 a month in rent to live in her house.

On Thursday, the poster on the popular discussion site Mumsnet shared the dilemma and wrote: "My niece has moved in with myself and my partner. Long backstory but basically she is very close to us and we love her very much."

But the reason for the post prompted over 200 responses when the Mumsnet user explained: "We are discussing how much rent she should contribute. Her net pay is £2,200 ($2,640) per month. We are going to suggest £500 ($602) per month. Is this reasonable?"

Before long, replies started flowing in with many commenters asking what would be included in the niece's rent. "Does that include food and utilities?" asked the first commenter, while another person said: "Depends what it includes and what the going rate for an equivalent room near you would be."

"What's she getting for the £500?" asked one Mumsnet user.

According to information from the United States Census Bureau, in 2021 more than half of adults (58 percent) aged 18-24 in the U.S. lived in their parental home. While 17 percent of adults aged 25 to 34 reported living with parents.

While this number seems high, it is likely that there is a link to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when lockdowns and job losses meant that college dorms closed and many were suddenly unable to afford housing.

The Pew Research Center says that around one-in-five U.S. adults changed their residence due to the pandemic or know someone who did. In June 2020, a survey found that 3 percent said they moved permanently or temporarily due to the pandemic, while 6 percent say that someone moved into their household as a result. The age group most likely to have their living situation impacted by the pandemic was young adults, with 37 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds saying that they or someone they knew moved because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Mumsnet user clarified after several questions about the arrangement and wrote: "It does include everything all utilities, food, TV, Netflix, toiletries, laundry facilities. She will obviously have the run of the house she is not a lodger. We live in a very large old house. I have asked her to give me a list of any food she especially liked so I can get it in for her."

But despite the inclusions and the fact that the young woman works full time and makes a good wage, many replies felt that the homeowner was overcharging their niece.

One commenter wrote: "That's too much in my opinion," while another said: "My adult sons are 26 and 24 and I charge them £300 ($362) a month. That's for everything including laundry service and meals. I think £500 is a lot."

"That's insane," said another reply. "I would never charge a family member that much. Are you making a big profit here?"

Another Mumsnet user shared their confusion at the setup and said: "Seems like a strange setup to me. She has a large inheritance and a good salary but is paying £500 pm dead money to live with her aunt and uncle when she can clearly get her own place? I think you're making money out of her, which doesn't sit right with me."