Allowing tenant's / housemate's girlfriend to move in

VonLuck

At the moment I'm renting out a room in my place to a friend of me at what I think is a reasonable price compared to market rates. His long-term girlfriend is currently living at home with her parents but stays over pretty much every weekend from Friday evening to Monday morning.

My friend has suggested that she moves in permanently while they continue to save for their own place. I've no problem with that, and even suggested that she moves in for free (just pay her fair share of the bills) but he insisted on paying extra for the 'inconvenience'. It's not really an inconvenience as she's lovely, but he wants to pay extra regardless.

What I'm wondering is, what's a fair amount extra to charge for someone else living in the house? He's pretty prideful so I don't think he'd take kindly to a token say €25 extra a month. Should I suggest that she pays whatever she's paying to her parents for living at home? She's not moving in for financial reasons - she just needs to get away from her parents and experience living with her partner before committing to buying a home together.

I really don't know what's fair so would appreciate everyone else's experience. Thanks.

I lived with a couple before. I can't say I would recommend it. You'll feel like the third wheel in your own house.

jimmycrackcorm

Spilt bills three ways. As they're sharing a bedroom then 1.5 times the room rate.

The money is the simple part, how you deal with having a couple hogging the tv room is a different issue.

Darc19

I'd look at about 33% of what he is paying + share of bills

So if he is paying €450, she's an extra €150.

This is assuming she is using the same room.

The extra is for the use of the rest of the house and also means she'd be able to have her friends drop by without feeling she is "intruding"

So I'd put it as €600 for a couple (using my example figure) rather than an individual bill for her.

athlone573

1.6 times the single rate is pretty standard I think

Are you sure you want to live with a couple, it changes the dynamic in the place, re shared areas (living /kitchen etc)

Mrs OBumble

Just make sure total from the two (inc bills) is less than 14k per year.

Bervbers

Don't live with a couple they take over the place

handlemaster

VonLuck wrote: »

At the moment I'm renting out a room in my place to a friend of me at what I think is a reasonable price compared to market rates. His long-term girlfriend is currently living at home with her parents but stays over pretty much every weekend from Friday evening to Monday morning.

My friend has suggested that she moves in permanently while they continue to save for their own place. I've no problem with that, and even suggested that she moves in for free (just pay her fair share of the bills) but he insisted on paying extra for the 'inconvenience'. It's not really an inconvenience as she's lovely, but he wants to pay extra regardless.

What I'm wondering is, what's a fair amount extra to charge for someone else living in the house? He's pretty prideful so I don't think he'd take kindly to a token say €25 extra a month. Should I suggest that she pays whatever she's paying to her parents for living at home? She's not moving in for financial reasons - she just needs to get away from her parents and experience living with her partner before committing to buying a home together.

I really don't know what's fair so would appreciate everyone else's experience. Thanks.

This really is naïve stuff. Charge the full amount. Do not mention free. It is irrelevant what she is paying at home. She will move in and then what, couples love nest and you will be felt like living in someone else's house. As some suggested 60 % more for her moving in. Keep it business like. This she is lovely etc is not living with her and you dont to be annoyed after she moves in .

Optimalprimerib

Don't do it. It is the worst feeling in the world living with a couple. You will be the stranger in your own home. Having to deal with the honeymoon period, the fights, and the fact that it will be 2 against one for everything.

sharpish

VonLuck wrote: »

Currently, I'm renting out a room in my place to a friend of me at what I think is a reasonable price compared to market rates. His long-term girlfriend is currently living at home with her parents but stays over pretty much every weekend from Friday evening to Monday morning.

My friend has suggested that she moves in permanently while they continue to save for their own place. I've no problem with that, and even suggested that she moves in for free (just pay her fair share of the bills) but he insisted on paying extra for the 'inconvenience'. It's not really an inconvenience as she's lovely, but he wants to pay extra regardless.

What I'm wondering is, what's a fair amount extra to charge for someone else living in the house? He's pretty prideful so I don't think he'd take kindly to a token say €25 extra a month. Should I suggest that she pays whatever she's paying to her parents for living at home? She's not moving in for financial reasons - she just needs to get away from her parents and experience living with her partner before committing to buying a home together.

I really don't know what's fair so would appreciate everyone else's experience. Thanks.

I'd be charging a reasonable fee for the wear n tear of the house. ( Your shower, washing machine, drier and appliances will have more people using them).

They want this to happen, so suggest they make a fair offer, it will be more than 25 euro! or
Charge the market rate for a similar room in the area for a couple
Add 50% to his rent and round down by a few euro
200euro on to his rent.

100% split the bills ⅓+ ⅔'s keeps people accountable for usage

VonLuck

Deleted User wrote: »

I lived with a couple before. I can't say I would recommend it. You'll feel like the third wheel in your own house.

I can understand why you think that, but my weekends for the guts of the past year have been spent with her over from Friday to Monday and there's been no issue at all. My housemate is one of my best friends and I know his girlfriend pretty well at this stage so I don't think it'll be an issue.

If they were strangers, that would be a completely different story.

Darc19 wrote: »

I'd look at about 33% of what he is paying + share of bills

So if he is paying €450, she's an extra €150.

This is assuming she is using the same room.

The extra is for the use of the rest of the house and also means she'd be able to have her friends drop by without feeling she is "intruding"

So I'd put it as €600 for a couple (using my example figure) rather than an individual bill for her.

That sounds pretty reasonable. I don't want to be taking advantage but at the same time don't want her to feel like she's just a guest in my home if she's paying a minimal amount.

VonLuck

VonLuck wrote: »

I can understand why you think that, but my weekends for the guts of the past year have been spent with her over from Friday to Monday and there's been no issue at all. My housemate is one of my best friends and I know his girlfriend pretty well at this stage so I don't think it'll be an issue.

If they were strangers, that would be a completely different story.



That sounds pretty reasonable. I don't want to be taking advantage but at the same time don't want her to feel like she's just a guest in my home if she's paying a minimal amount.

You've spent the past year with her staying over at weekends, as an unpaying guest. Once she formally moves in and starts paying towards rent, that dynamic will change, so you need to tread cautiously. It may be fine, but it could also sour things. TBH, if you don't need the money, I'd probably leave things as they are.

SteM

I'm sorry to say that myself and my then fiance were that couple. I was sharing a place with a friend in Dublin, my fiance moved over from London and thinking back now we took over the apartment when she moved in. My friend was so unconfortable that he moved out after a few months and it was only years later that I realised why.

Unless you're desperate for extra income there's no way I'd allow an extra person to move in full time.

Mongfinder General

Bervbers wrote: »

Don't live with a couple they take over the place

I can only agree with this. I did a favour for a friend and rented a room to his brother. He moved his girlfriend in and I let it slide. No extra rent just split bills three ways. They are from overseas. They had a two year old child back home. She was planning to bring the child here until I asked her where they were planning on living. I got a puzzled look back as if to say we’ll just set up here. I took a day off work to study one day and found out that she was bringing a young child into the house to mind during the day. On top of all of this, there was the arguments. Simply not worth the drama. I ended up telling them to leave.

VonLuck

VonLuck wrote: »

I can understand why you think that, but my weekends for the guts of the past year have been spent with her over from Friday to Monday and there's been no issue at all. My housemate is one of my best friends and I know his girlfriend pretty well at this stage so I don't think it'll be an issue.

If they were strangers, that would be a completely different story.



That sounds pretty reasonable. I don't want to be taking advantage but at the same time don't want her to feel like she's just a guest in my home if she's paying a minimal amount.

Big difference between her staying the weekend as a guest and them both living full time.

You're going to be a stranger in your own house.

sharpish

Mongfinder General wrote: »

I can only agree with this. I did a favour for a friend and rented a room to his brother. He moved his girlfriend in and I let it slide. No extra rent just split bills three ways. They are from overseas. They had a two year old child back home. She was planning to bring the child here until I asked her where they were planning on living. I got a puzzled look back as if to say we’ll just set up here. I took a day off work to study one day and found out that she was bringing a young child into the house to mind during the day. On top of all of this, there was the arguments. Simply not worth the drama. I ended up telling them to leave.

Talk about a horror story, some people give them an inch and they take a mile.