Parents Want Their Daughter To Continue Paying Rent Even After She Moves Away To College

"I currently pay a third of my monthly income as rent, and then I use a second third on bills"

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• September 13, 2023

Going from high school to college is a big deal for young adults, and it can change how families deal with money. Here's a story that shows what can happen.

OP (24F), who is getting ready to move to a new college, this is her first time living on her own, without her parents. Back when she lived with her parents, she used to pay them rent every month.

This money helped with things like food and bills at their home. But now, since she's going to live on campus at college, her dad still wants her to pay that rent, even though she won't be living with them anymore.

OP appreciates that her parents have helped her out with some things, like paying for her phone and getting her school supplies and books. Her parents even said they don't want the money back for those things. But the rent was for when she lived at home.

The tricky part is that OP doesn't have a lot of money. She gets disability benefits, which means her income is fixed and doesn't change much. Right now, she gives a big chunk of her money to her parents for rent. This doesn't leave her with much for her own needs.

So, the question is, should OP keep paying rent to her parents when she's at college, even though she won't be living with them and sharing expenses?

OP pays rent to her parents while living at home, but her dad expects her to keep paying even after she moves to college

OP's income, primarily from disability benefits is fixed, and after paying rent and personal bills, she has a limited budget of around $250 for the entire month

OP's father expects her to continue paying rent even after she moves out for college

OP needs to focus on her own life and success

It's not logical to make a "rent" payment for something OP isn't actually renting.

It's reasonable not to pay rent if you've moved out of a place

It's unreasonable to ask someone to pay rent for a place they don't live in

It is usually anticipated that parents will provide assistance to their children as they work towards becoming more self-reliant.

OP's parents are engaging in financial abuse by making unreasonable and selfish demands

OP shouldn't continue paying rent for a place they no longer live in

It's unreasonable and selfish for the father to expect rent payments when OP no longer lives at home

OP doesn't owe rent for a place she doesn't live in unless they've signed an agreement stating otherwise.

Paying rent to her parents after leaving for college doesn't seem right for OP. The money she gave them for rent was meant to help with household costs when she lived with them.

But now, she's living by herself at college and using financial aid to pay for it. So, it's a good idea to rethink this arrangement.

Damjan