[Wichard20]

Early 2010 I moved out and got my own place. It is a 3 bedroom townhouse. My parents sold their house to move to another home they owned and my brother wanted to stay in the area so he is living with me. I have the master and he basically has the two other rooms. I been charging a flat $500, nothing additional for utilities, etc since he is family and allow him to save more towards school. My parents offered to pay for his remaining school (not much left) but he wants to pay the remainder for whatever reason. Well its been over a year, I know he has tons of money saved but there no hint of him planning to go back to school. I am paying a little over 2K for mortgage and utilities. My June amount came out to 2,059.93. I figure a 1/3 split would be fair for whatever the month amount came out to. So for example June it would be 686.65 for his share. I would give him couple months notice before bumping it up. Do you think that is fair amount especially for family? In the area we live he probably would be looking easily at 900+ to rent a 1 bedroom somewhere.

[Blake]

he gets to pay 1/3 and get 2/3 of the rooms. i want that.

[06E90Rostik]

I take it he is normal, like not retarded or handicapped? If he is normal AND has money, $700 and don't even think about it too much.

[KGB7]

If he uses same amount of utilities as you do, then i think he should pay 1/3.
If hes at home all day burning lights and A/C, then he needs to cover 3/4 of utilities plus rent per room.

But the extra room that he is using, he should pay extra for it.

[Kroy]

sounds fair

[MadDog]

Depends on how big of an asshole your brother is.

I would say to charge him half - his fair share. My .02.

[Memphis1]

If I was in your situatuion I would do half. The amount of rooms he gets is irrelevant, the fact that he uses bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room, garage and most likely driveway should be enough to cost half. If he was in a bad situation like single parent, no job because of economy or huge hospital bills then I wouldn't charge him anything.

[lauer87]

What I would do?

If it was my brother, I would try to motivate him to finish school and make something of himself.

I'd tell him he can keep paying the $500 a month (seems like you not charging him another $150/month isn't gonna be a game changer for yourself) IF he goes back to school. If he chooses not to, I'd tell him he's gotta pay half the mortgage and utilities.

[Litos]

i'd charge him a "bro job".

it's when one bro gives another bro a blow job - regardless if he's a real bro, or just a friend.

[McMuffin]

500 is good enough. You're the owner, so you benefit on taxes at the end of the year anyways. Just imagine if he wasn't living there, you would be working out that extra money anyways. I would just have him pay 500 and clean.

[fun ticket]

Originally Posted by Memphis1

If I was in your situatuion I would do half. The amount of rooms he gets is irrelevant, the fact that he uses bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room, garage and most likely driveway should be enough to cost half. If he was in a bad situation like single parent, no job because of economy or huge hospital bills then I wouldn't charge him anything.

Agreed. If he is in a tough spot, help him out and charge him zero until things improve for him; but be careful on that one.

If he has a job, etc. nothing unusual going on charge him at least half. Motivate him to move on/out. Unless you just want to live with your brother.

[Tortfeasor 335xi]

Yeah, the rent I would charge my brother would depend on his ability to pay with a cap at 1/2 monthly expenses. However, since you already set the price at $500 a month, I would probably just stick with it.

As other people said though, I think you should sit down with your brother and talk to him about his plans. What he intends to do about school and such. The emphasis being on getting him to get his degree.

Consider telling him that the $500 rate was based on his being a poor student. That if he isn't going back to school and is working full time he should be paying half. This will add incentive to his finishing school.

[Litos]

on a serious note, you're a heartless cheese dick if you're charging your brother rent.

the LEAST he could do is pay for groceries, which would be @ $300 a month - if that.

[NYCGP]

Originally Posted by Litos

on a serious note, you're a heartless cheese dick if you're charging your brother rent.

the LEAST he could do is pay for groceries, which would be @ $300 a month - if that.

A heartless cheese dick for charging his brother rent? It's his responsibility to pay for his brothers way when he is trying to build a life for himself? Shit, I love my sister, but as long as my parents are still alive and she isn't working or married, that is my parents responsibility not mine.

People who learn to be dependent on others, never learn to successfully live on their own. Why should his brother get to put away money while he pays all the bills? If he stays there rent free, why would he ever leave? Just enabling his brother to not do anything because he has a cheap place to live.

Seriously Litos, sometimes I wonder where you come from with some of these comments.

OP raise the rent on your brother. If he can't afford $175 a week then he should go back to living with your parents. Love your brother, help your brother, protect your brother. But in no way should you be funding his existence.

[Quick6EF]

Originally Posted by Litos

on a serious note, you're a heartless cheese dick if you're charging your brother rent.

the LEAST he could do is pay for groceries, which would be @ $300 a month - if that.

Everyone expects a free ride, huh.

My friend is living with his brother as well, but hes a broke dumbass. He works full-time at a call center in NYC making 32k. His brother is a few years older but doesnt charge him at all. I dont get it.


The point im trying to make is that it depends on A) Your relationship with your brother. B) His current financial state. C) YOUR current financial state.


I say tell him money is tighter blah blah and give him a heads up and increase the rent. He'll understand if he has half a brain.

[Litos]

looks like the OP is living beyond his means if he can't afford a $2000 mortgage.

at some point the OP thought it was a good idea to allow his brother to stay there for $500.

what is going to do now - kick his brother out !?!?

good luck with that - it would put OP in more of a bind.

[cloakster]

Originally Posted by Litos

what is going to do now - kick his brother out !?!?

Actually, yes, that is what he should do if the brother does not wanna pay anything more in rent. Obviously it would be in a nice way where he would help out his bro find another place to live before fully making him leave.

OP: Your brother has probably realized how easy it is to save money when paying very little for rent and this has definitely lessened his motivation to go back to school. In order to get him back on the path, you will have to make the hard choice of forcing him to pay more for rent. Have him agree to paying half (or atleast close to half) until he starts going back to school.

[Wichard20]

Hey All,

Thanks for the feedback. Believe me I have tried speaking to him very about finishing up school and usually just gets pissy about it. I do know some people who have had successful careers without a degree but it also shuts many doors for you. For example my company will not hire anyone without a degree. He seems committed to buying his own place right now and not going to school. He says he has about 60k saved up. One thing I have noticed is yes people can be nudged or motivated but at the end of the day the person needs to want it for him self to be successful.

Originally Posted by Litos

looks like the OP is living beyond his means if he can't afford a $2000 mortgage.

at some point the OP thought it was a good idea to allow his brother to stay there for $500.

what is going to do now - kick his brother out !?!?

good luck with that - it would put OP in more of a bind.

I understand people like to make assumptions but this is not the case. I can afford my expenses without the $500 for rent. Yes I am not complaining about the extra cash as it is more padding to savings or retirement but like others have said is it fair and responsible of me while he is living with me to subsidize his rent so he can pocket more away. The original intention was to give him incentive to save towards school and finish up. He is now saving up for a down payment which is still a good goal but I think school should be the priority. I spoke to him and he was not against the increase but I may just stick with $500. Like others said if he was not here I would not be getting anything but at the same time is it right/responsible of me. Someone brought up a good point, if I make it too comfortable for him will it hinder his growth in the sense of being motivated and "growing up", if he is comfortable is there an incentive to go out there and go to school to open more opportunities.

[Litos]

Originally Posted by cloakster

Actually, yes, that is what he should do if the brother does not wanna pay anything more in rent. Obviously it would be in a nice way where he would help out his bro find another place to live before fully making him leave.

his whole point is that it's getting harder for him to live there.

yes, nowhere in his post does it say that, but he wouldn't have asked if he was comfortable making those payments.

if he takes away his brother's $500, he's just digging himself deeper in financial ruin....

[Monster335]

My brother currently stays with me and my wife right now and he's got 3 bedrooms to use. He has been staying for over a year now because of problems with the wife. There's not one day that I thought to myself where I need to start making him pay for rent. Im not saying OP is doing something wrong but some people are different and see things differently. As long as he's not bringing drugs into the house, he could do what he wants. We always go out on long trips so at least I know someone is taking care of the house.

[NYCGP]

Originally Posted by Monster335

My brother currently stays with me and my wife right now and he's got 3 bedrooms to use. He has been staying for over a year now because of problems with the wife. There's not one day that I thought to myself where I need to start making him pay for rent. Im not saying OP is doing something wrong but some people are different and see things differently. As long as he's not bringing drugs into the house, he could do what he wants. We always go out on long trips so at least I know someone is taking care of the house.

One is a kid who hasn't started his life yet.. The other (Monster's Brother) is a married man with a life that he is working to hold together. You are giving him support.. What the OP is doing is enabling. Very different.

[BigDog]

he's your brother... don't charge him rent