We’ve all heard the stereotypes; millennials are lazy, and entitled. While there’s a bit of reality in every stereotype, it’s real talk time: This so-called ME generation, the twenty-somethings boomerang-ing back into their parents’ homes after college, saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, and who are only just now beginning to find stable employment as the economy regains its footing aren’t the ones to be blamed.
Their parents are.
We could talk about how it was their parents’, and grandparents’ generation that created the muck of a financial climate millennials graduated into, but we won’t, as that’s a whole different animal. Please, don’t get defensive. That’s not our aim here. Just listen.
Most parents only want what’s best for their children; they want them to live comfortably, without the financial difficulty that comes along with having to come up with money for rent and bills each month. It’s understandable, and it’s generous, but it’s not doing your adult child any favors.
“But he’s only just last month found a full-time job.”
“But she only works part-time, and she’s got to pay back her student loans!”
You don’t have to charge them much, but yes, you should be charging your adult children rent. It is the consensus of several financial experts (and the property management pros— We’re forced to process far too many evictions for non-payment each year.) that young adults don’t take rental obligations seriously when they’ve been allowed to depend on their parents.
Adult children won’t live with their parents forever. Those who are taught to understand that rent and fixed living expenses come first may have less consumer debt than their non-rent-paying counterparts, and are less likely to fall behind on housing payments later in life.
“But he’s saving up to buy his own house.”
He wants to reduce his expenses, and save save save to be able to place a hefty down payment on a townhouse in Alexandria, and you want to help him. This is commendable. But just so would be expecting him to contribute a couple hundred dollars a month to, and for the space he occupies in your home.
Less commendable is allowing adult children to live rent-free so that they might spend more nights out with friends, or more money on extravagant weekend trips, or to drive a brand new car. Adults — even when they’re your children — must develop a basic sense of financial responsibility, and it’s your job to help them learn: Charge your adult children rent.