No they should not, but this opinion stems from my cultural beliefs and upbringing so I am sure the majority will disagree. My friend's dad charged him and his brothers rent when they were home from college. I'm in my 20s and living in another country on my own but my parents would happily (actually they would love it) take me in rent free. Not that I would want that to happen as I like my independence. But if the situation called for it, I know I've got some place to go and I'm very grateful for that.

I think if the parents are having trouble staying afloat, of course the child should being paying something. Honestly, when my children are older- I think I will charge a modest rent, but put it on the side and they will get it back when they move out. It will make sure they are already accustomed to paying rent and other bills. When my father died and I was forced to move out, I was so lost!

In this economy...I probably would not. It's hard for everyone, but I mean, if your parents work and you can't find a job, there is not much you can do. However, if your parents/parent is unemployed -- I would definitely try to come up with as much money as you can to contribute to rent and food. Honestly, as an adult, you cost a lot less. But I wouldn't expect my parents to pay for my gas and my bills. That is ridiculous.

I'm torn on this one.

One part of me agrees with bigestivediscuit.

The other part thinks that a lot of young adults play the victim card and when they can't get the "perfect job" they thought they'd get right out of college, they move home and delay the inevitable (aka real life).

So I guess I'd say if a child were truly having a horrible time getting on their feet and were actually trying to get a job and being responsible, then living rent free (if the parents can afford it) would be reasonable. But I think there should be some "terms and conditions" that are set out from the beginning.

If they are living there to achieve a clear goal, with a deadline, (such as "I want to pay my student loans off by next Dec.", or "I will havw X amount saved for a down payment by...") then yes.
But, if they are living there because it's an expensive area, like a lot of people do in my area,they should pay rent.
I moved back after an injury forced me to drop out of college. I stayed to pay off loans and bills and finish my degree...but, I paid rent, helped with groceries and household project expenses, took on household chores, and completed projects such as refinishing the deck one summer. I had to force my parents to take a small rent from me, finally telling them that it was really important to my sense of responsibility that I pay rent. I love them for giving me a chance to get back on my feet, and am proud of having done it in a responsible way!

i do think that if the 'child' is living at home for a prolong period of time then YES they should contribute. here's the thing. i have 2 brothers that still live at home and they are in their 30s. one pays one doesn't and i think that it's a major problem. my mom provides EVERYTHING for both of them because she feels like it's her job since they are her kids - but the one that doesn't pay - he doesn't even really help around the house either. that bothers me .

when my husband and i moved back up to the area about 2 years ago, we didn't have a place to live yet, so we stayed at my mom's house for 1-2 months - and the first month i didn't contribute since i didn't think that i'd be there that long, but the 2nd month we did because it just didn't feel right to have more people using electricity, food, water etc.

If the adult child is jobless or currently looking for a job, I don't think s/he should have to pay rent. But once s/he gets a job and plans to stay there for a while or indefinitely, s/he can definitely pay rent and maybe a portion of household bills. I say this though I know my own parents would not charge me rent were I to move home, but as they're not doing so well financially at the moment, I would feel obligated to help out.

OMG...don't even mention this to my mom! I'm a jobless adult child and never moved. I contribute to the house by chores and buying food but I don't pay any rent fee...I don't think we "Adult Children" shouldn't pay because our parents has been doing fine when we're children now as adults they'd rather have us save up and move out. Its that goal anyway? As for me, I have my own bills that I pay myself and own a job comes around...I'm hitting the road!

I moved home after college and worked every part-time and temp job I could find. I did finally land something stable and full-time, but my parents encouraged me to continue living with them rent-free while I built my savings.

Living rent-free doesn't mean you have to be a freeloader. I contributed by doing chores around the house, volunteering to cook and chipping in for groceries. When I got married and moved out, my parents joked about missing their Laundry Fairy.

I think it's different when parents have to make huge financial sacrifices in their own lives to support an adult child living at home.

Yes, they should pay rent, at least in most situations, or after some sort of transition period. I think learning certain life skills, and one of those is paying regular bills - not just cell phone bills, but bills that you have to pay to have a roof over your head. For some people (and I've personally seen it), living rent-free means they have absolutely no motivation to get a better job, become financially independent, and eventually start a life on their own.

I think this question depends on the situation. I know I moved briefly home to help my mom with bills and whatnot. Some children who are living at home become burdens to their parents and some actually do contribute.

I would love to see the question, "Should parents pay their adult children rent?", that would be interesting to see.

I think they should pay rent if they have a job. If they don't have a job they should still contribute, like do the cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands and stuff like that.

It's just not right for a grown person to still live at home and have no job and expect their parents to take care of them.

I'm soooo sick of people saying that Gen-Y has too high expectations or that they're lazy and free-loading. Yes, we were raised to believe that the dream job is out there and we just have to find it. But the recession has probably hit this generation of workers the hardest. Most of the graduates of my program cannot find jobs in their field (architecture, one of the fields hit the hardest by the recession), so they're taking on jobs that just barely get them by. Many employers see us as expendable because we can go back and live with our parents since we don't have dependents. Many of my friends are living with their parents while they wait for things to get better and they can actually get A job.

Right now, I'm living with my sister rent free because I cannot find a job this summer. But I cook and clean and pay for groceries. Just because a family member is helping you out by living with them doesn't mean that you're freeloading.

My mom charged me rent the minute I got my first job. I think it worked out well because it taught me that in the real world, you can't just mooch off of everyone.

Adult children if they are working should contribute some money for rent...if they didn't have their parents they would HAVE to pay rent to someone somewhere. And everyone in the house should do chores/help around the house.

If you have a job you should contribute something! whether it's food, water, electric bills or rent. If you don't have job it's understandable. Although most of our parents would not make us do it...it's the least we can do for them.

If the parents own the home free and clear, then I think it's OK not to pay rent.

if the child is younger than 19 then no, older than that with a job? yes.

Ha! Don't even get me started on this subject...my mom is going thru this at the moment and I've been trying to get her to begin charging rent to my sis and adopted cousin--both with jobs and over the age of 18. They don't even pay their own cell bills!

i told my parents if they ever charged me rent, i'd move out

why would i pay to live with them? i live with them to SAVE money

if i was going to pay rent, i'd live alone

If their kid is going to school, no-- they shouldn't have to pay rent.

If they are at home sitting on their butt being a good-for-nothing, yes-- they should absolutely be forced into some form of contribution financially or otherwise (housework).

This is the way I do it- I moved home after college graduation, and I have an income. Instead of making me pay rent to them, my parents make me pay "rent" to a savings account to live home, so I'm putting money toward savings and not having to pay rent living somewhere else. It makes sense for me because I live in LA (very unaffordable) and would eventually like to afford a down payment on something for myself and boyfriend, so being able to get back all my "rent" is well worth it.

some of my employed siblings do not pay anything, and my parents let them get away with it. I couldn't handle it anymore, as i was paying more than my fair share in rent (while others couldn't cough up anything) so i moved out. parents should not enable irresponsible behavior from their kids. its not fair to themselves, or the future of their kids, who wont grow up. my 2 cents.

Someone above mentioned that "kids" may be playing the victim card, that they are not finding the perfect job. I know lots and lots of people that I graduated college with that are living at home and barely servicing their student loans on the pitiful income they make, they would take ANY full time job. I think that the way things are going, very few people can afford to wait for the perfect job,

I'd give them the first two months free then start charging rent. They need a small amount of time to get onto their feet and shake off whatever problem they had that knocked them back into the nest. After two months, get a job, pay rent, contribute to utilities/groceries. You're not helping your kid survive the real world if you never detach the nipple.

WAKE-UP !!! We have spoiled our kids rotten. I have 3 young adult children, 2 girls & one boy, all are in their 20's, my girls have each gotten married and have homes of their own ( even prior to getting married) ..
we have basically paid for their college ( on a system if they get all A's, we paid it all, B's they pay 25%, & C - 50%) ...my girls did not owe much back... my son however owes close to $30,000 because he "partied" alot and didn't take his schooling too serious...we own a second house ( a fixer upper) that we were going to let him live-in rent free in exchange for doing work on it ( we would pay for all materials)
( he would be responsible for utilities & his own bills) ... he has a job making a little over $50,000 a year that he just started 2 weeks ago...
we lent him the money to pay for his vehicle he's had now 3 years...he hasn't worked all summer , so we have lent him money for cell phone, gas, insurance & spending money. He has a friend he wants to move in with him ( it's a 3 bedroom)........that he thinks should live their for FREE too ( he would just pay 1/2 of utilities) and he does not know how too ( or doesn't) do the fixing up ... he wants us to let him do this for 2 years ... when we told him no .....my son said "no deal" ... so we said "ok" ..but if you live at home you are going to pay $75 a week ( he does not do any chores, including his own wash or pay for anything having to do with the house: electric, cable, food).........he said he is going to move out tonight and live in his car..( yeah, the one he owes us for and the insurance)
so you tell me ..... where are 'young adults' heads at? and how can kids grow up in the same house and not learn the same lessons in life? and where do we go from here? are we being UNREASONABLE and UNFAIR?

I wish that I had seen this coming. Years ago, maybe at age 14, we should have begun giving them the message that if they were still in the house at age 20 (and not attending college) they'd have to hold a job & pay a small rental sum, or else move out.

As long as my child is in college and trying to build their life no He doesn't pay rent, Now my daughter is 26 and just don't want to live alone and makes good money Yes she pays rent. It teaches them to be a responsible adult. And also who ever lives in my house cant come home drunk and partying all the time. If they want to live that way then move out and live that way.

I am 27 and living at home. I went to college for 4 years, and after I graduated I got my own place, and lived there for 2 years. I got into some financial problems (student loans, rent, utilitys, car insurance) it was to much for me to afford on my starter salary. So my parents pleaded with me to come home, after A few months I gave up and went back home. I was able to find a job, lower paying than my starter job. By this time my credit was ruined and I owed about 5k worth of old bills. It took me about 2 years to catch up with them. After the 2 years I was laid off, and found another job. Better paying than the first 2. So my parents made me to pay 500 a month plus cable. Which I was fine with. But how was I supposed to save up to move out? They 500 a mo + 140 for cable is about 35 % of what I make. Plus I have car payments and insurance.. Its a no win situation for anyone. They dont have alot of money so I dont mind. What really aggrivates me is they dont have alot of money, and they use the rent i pay them to go to the casino. I could be saving that money to move out!!!!

I moved home (across country) with my parents after leaving my husband. When I first moved, they were happy I was back home and safe. They were very accommodating. I reverted to being a teenager with virtuallyb no responsibilities, little respect for their rules and look for jobs only on line (and did a lousy job at that especially since I had zero experience and no education beyond high school). I refused to get out and hit the pavement for a job. I did not follow up. And I didn't listen to anyone. My parents were struggling. Finally, a family friend had a talk with me and told me how inconsiderate I was being. I was angry but eventually had to see that she was right. I left home declaring myself an adult and it was time I learned what that meant. I even began to see how my attitude contributed to making a bad marriage even worse. Now I'm working at a local store and contributing what I can. Parents need to give their non-performing adult children a nudge - and then maybe a good swift kick.