‘Our teen lives like a grub at home so we charge her rent’

“If she’s going to stay under our roof and eat our food, she’s got to contribute to the family,” the money-savvy parents reveal.

Cody and Erika’s daughter just finished year 12 and the Texas couple was talking about what she should do next.

University wasn’t on the cards, so Cody thought it was high time Kylee got a job and started paying her own way.

At a reasonable rate, of course.

“Do you make your graduated high school student pay rent in your house if they aren’t going to college yet?” they asked in a TikTok.

Cody said he planned to charge Kylee US$200 or AU$300 if she was planning to stay living under their roof.

“Our thoughts are, since she graduated a couple of weeks ago, I’ve told her on June 1, your rent is due,” he said.

Erika chimed in she thought the deadline was a bit harsh.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

The parents were determined to teach their daughter a life lesson. Photo: TikTok

Parents charge teenager rent

But Cody disagreed.

“Two hundred bucks is pretty cheap to live like a grub in your parents’ house,” he said.

The rent money covered her room and utilities, but not food. If Kylee wanted part of the groceries her parents bought every week, that would cost her an extra AU$150.

“We think it teaches them a good lesson in paying bills,” Erika said.

TikTok divided over rent for teen

The practice of charging a teenager rent divided the comments on the post, with many saying they would never charge their children to live at home.

“For me it’s a no. My bills were here before them and will be there after them. Now they can pick up some TP or supplies from time to time but no for me,” one person said.

“A definite no for me… I know it’s rare, but I will forever help my kids… no matter the age,” agreed another.

RELATED: My adult child lives at home, but I’m still paying the bills

Others whose children had moved out said they didn’t charge rent so they could give their children an advantage.

“We didn’t but we were allowing him a safe place to save every penny before he was launched into this cruel world,” one person said.

While another said their parents took care of them until they moved.

“To each is their own but my parents' house was always a place I didn’t pay bills. It’s hard out here,” they said.

Other people said they agreed with the practice, and that their parents had done the same.

“I had to pay rent after I graduated until I left for the Marine Corps. I turned out all right I think,” one said.  

“Yes. It’s a great lesson. I told my 17-year-old I cannot wait till she has to buy her own groceries. She picks everything apart and wastes so much food,” one mum said.

“Good to teach children to be mature, but it needs to be in loving environment. Stop it if the child perceived it as [an] unhealthy pressure,” one person cautioned.

RELATED: I found 23 bottles of urine under my teenager’s bed

RELATED: ‘I read my teenager’s diary because I don’t trust her’

Some people thought the couple should collect the rent, but treat it as a savings account for Kylee which would be returned to her when she moved out.

“Two hundred a month and save it for her without her knowing. When she moves out she uses it towards a place,” one person said.

“I did this with my oldest and then when he moved out I gave it back to him to start out with a savings account,” said another.

Originally published as ‘Our teen lives like a grub at home so we charge her rent’