20-year-old daughter pays $600 for rent at her mom's house and looks after her untrained dogs for free, but when her mother increases rent to $1,300 for a single bedroom, she contemplates moving into her own place: 'I've helped my mom with loads of money'

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Oct 19, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

We can't imagine a worse feeling than believing your own mother is taking advantage of you. This 20-year-old girl just landed her first big girl job and was more than happy to contribute $600 for a single room. The catch? It's in her own home.

Maybe this is normal in some families, but having your mother more than double your rent within just a few months can easily leave you feeling financially overwhelmed. Naturally, this is bound to ruffle some feathers, especially since this young adult already covers all her personal bills on her own. If her mother is charging her $13,000 a year for rent, she might as well move out and get her own place. At least that way the rent won't spike by 60% in a single year. She's never been a spoiled kid. In fact, she's often offered her own hard-earned money to help her mother with household expenses. But instead of appreciating what she brings to the table, her mother seems more interested in running her dry…

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  • We’re not sure how this mother will react when she finds out she is no longer going to have a live-in ATM to solve her problems for her. We understand the desire for your older kids to contribute when living at home, but if they are paying far more than what is ‘due,’ it's likely they may notice and rethink your whole living situation. So if this mother wants to foster a healthier relationship with her daughter, it may be time she put her daughter before money.

  • Girl sitting with her mother while looking at her computer
    via monkeybusinessimages

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • AITA for asking my mom to lower my rent?

    I, 20F live with my mom and grandmother in a 4-bedroom house. I have my own room (about 196 sq ft) and a bathroom around 100 sq ft to myself, so about 300 sq ft total of personal space.
    via soozoobee
  • Back in the fall of last year, i got my first "real" job, and my mom started charging me $600 a month in rent.
    via soozoobee
  • I didn't complain, as i have been making $3500 a month consistently since then, and when i was paying 600 she was still paying for my internet and phone.
    via soozoobee
  • Then, in the spring of this year, she upped my rent to $900 a month, and now starting this november she says its going up again- $1300 a month.
    via soozoobee
  • For context- i live in an area where $1300 could get me my OWN 1- bedroom 1-bath apartment with over 1,000 sq ft to myself.
    via soozoobee
  • Meanwhile, im paying yhag much for a single room and bathroom in her house. I already pay for all my own personal expenses, car payment, phone bill, a third of the internet, groceries, gas, medical stuff, etc etc.
    via soozoobee
  • Woman putting money into her wallet
    via karolina-grabowska

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • i have also helped my mom with loads of money to help her improve the house, like i recently gave her $1800 to have our fence rebuilt because a large portion of it was taken out by a wind storm.
    via soozoobee
  • On top of that, my mom owns three large dogs that she refuses to train or take care of.
    via soozoobee
  • They bark nonstop starting at around 6am when she leaves for work, which sucks because i work nights at home 8pm-10am.
    via soozoobee
  • Theyre messy, sometimes aggressive with eachother and she wont do anything about it. The couches are all ruined from them and they jump all over you when you try to relax anywhere outside of your room, and they jump on counters..making it extremely tedious and stressful to try to cook anything.
    via soozoobee
  • 80% of the time i am left to take care of them all day and night because she leaves at 6am for work, comes home around 5pm, immediately leaves to the gym until 6:30, and then usually runs to her boyfriends house until 11pm or so.
    via soozoobee
  • Ive been trying to save up to move out, but this new rent hike is making it very difficult for me and i feel taken advantage of almost...i was thinking of asking her to lower my rent to the original $600 i agreed to paying for when i first got my job, for perspective- a 400 sq ft. room in my area is usually rented out for $600, i have 296sq ft of real space.
    via soozoobee
  • I dont want to seem ungrateful or like im trying to freeload, ive always tried to pay my way, and i get that costs are rising, but this feels unreasonable.
    via soozoobee
  • AITA if i ask her to lower my rent?? id appreciate some feedback or thoughts,)
    via soozoobee
  • Unfair_Category9960 Use up the $1800 that you paid for the fence repair as a rental credit so you could save money to move out
    via Unfair_Category9960
  • Builder fixing a fence
    via welcomia

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Vdavwil You can ask, but when she says no, you'll have to pay up or move out...which I would encourage you to do. If a one-bedroom near there is $1300, then you can find either a studio alone or a 2br to share for less. So go do one of those. Of course you'll have to pay all the other bills, too.
    via Vdavwil
  • RedSAuthor Just move out. Enjoy the freedom and don't let your mom mooch off you anymore. NTA but you should just leave
    via RedSAuthor
  • Apprehensivelce9026 NTA But I wouldn't even ask... I would just look for a place to rent alone and leave. Mom can deal with her dogs, her expenses and so on...
    via Apprehensivelce9026
  • Thin-Invite-666 In one year, OP's mom has raised her rent 216%. That is beyond exhorbitant!! Most rentals only go up 3 to 4% per year. OP, talk to your Mom and tell her why you want to move. Stay calm and be sure not to let her quilt you into staying. She is treating you more like a partner than a daughter. Stay strong, you can do this.
    via Thin-Invite-666
  • Great-Muffin4823 NTA but I highly encourage you to move out on your own if you're going to be paying $1300. You should respectfully ask her if she'll give you a break down of the increase in your rent and she gets offended well then you already know that you need to move out.
    via Great-Muffin4823
  • Environmental_Log344 Your mother is a cool operator. She is using the two of you to dog sit as well as to pay her mortgage,? Three dogs! Why on earth are you there? Pool your money with your grandmother to save up so you can escape this manipulation ASAP.
    via Environmental_Log344

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living at home demands one-bedroom doubled price mother studio over priced over charged parenting contribute rent bills first-job daughter type advantage Reddit increase Renters
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