Parents Charging Daughter 'Market Average' Rent to Live at Home Slammed
A mom-of-three has been slammed for refusing to let her daughter move back into the family home.
In a now-viral post, u/Commercial-Virus-893 explained her eldest daughter, 25, moved out three years ago to live with her boyfriend. But, recently, the rent increased by 40 percent in three months, and they couldn't afford to live in the apartment anymore.
The young couple, who have been together for seven years, hoped to live with her family for six months to save. But the original poster refused to let them return to the family home, unless they paid the "market average," plus utility bills.
Now, they share a two-bedroom apartment with six random people as the family home was out of their price range.
In 2019, a financial information site called Market Watch surveyed 3,000 U.S. adults and teenagers aged 15 and up. The results found 38 percent of millennials expected to pay rent while living with their parents, but the majority returning from college expected to live rent-free.
The Redditor wrote: "The issue is me and my husband don't feel that's appropriate. She's an adult now, and she needs to learn to take care of herself, not [rely] on handouts from her parents."
When describing the housemates, the mom wrote that her daughter called some of them "sketchy."
The mom added: "I feel for her, but I still think it's her responsibility. At this point, she doesn't call much anymore and I'm worried this may have impacted our relationship."
'It Doesn't Sound Like They're the Best for Each Other'
Virginia-based Hannah Keeley, who is a certified coach specializing in motherhood, told Newsweek about her opinion on the Reddit post that has received 12,800 upvotes since February 9.
Keeley said: "The problem is not the daughter. It's who she has chosen to shack up with. She's been with him for seven years, and in all that time, he couldn't find a better job? Or save up money for a deposit on an apartment? Maybe he fears commitment—to a career and to her.
"Has marriage ever come up? Why or why not? Have there been any career or learning opportunities they have passed up? Why? Get curious. It doesn't sound like they are the best for each other.
"She needs to draw the line and respect herself more by finding a real man who can treat her like the woman you raised her to be. Maybe, if she can break it off with this boy who's pretending to be a man, she can move back in," Keeley said. "With a caveat—a portion of the money she is saving must go to invest in a therapist or life coach, so she can learn to make tough decisions that honor who she is and who she wants to become."
What Do the Comments Say?
The top comment, which has racked up over 67,700 upvotes, read: "Seriously? Your daughter is an adult, but she's still your daughter? She's not relying on handouts. She's offered to pay rent.
"You're really gonna charge her the market average to live at home? She even gave you a timeline. I think you're being unreasonable."
Another comment with 25,500 upvotes, read: "And then she has the gall to wonder if it impacted their relationship. Lady, how would you feel if the situation was reversed? You'd better pray nothing similar happens to you cause she'll probably leave you in the street."
"[The mom] shouldn't have had one kid. Let alone three. Why have them if you don't even want to live with them? My daughter is really young and she keeps telling me she's going to live with me forever... I know that'll change... What she wants will change. But my door will ALWAYS BE OPEN even if she was with someone and had a kid or whatever... There's no way in hell I'd turn her away. Nor would I turn my son away," wrote another Reddit user.
User Commercial-Virus-893's account has since been suspended. Newsweek could not verify the details of the case.
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