Mom and stepdad force 18-year-old to pay £150 a month in rent, forbid her from watching TV without permission or eating takeout in front of her younger brother: 'I'm not allowed to lie down on the couch'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Nov 8, 2025 11:00 AM EST

Behavior is a language, and her parents are acting as if they want her to move out.

If your parents are asking you to pay rent to live in your childhood home, there's a good chance they don't even want you to pay rent and just want you to move out. Many parents are willing to be a soft place for their adult children to land when they're going through hard times, so they allow their adult kids to stay at their home rent-free as long as they need. That works well if their adult kids desire to be independent, and would only move home in the worst-case scenarios. That works less well if their kids are willing to leech off of them for their entire adult lives and don't feel a need to support themselves. 

The period between graduating from high school and attending college is usually when parents are most comfortable with their adult children living at home. After all, it takes income to support oneself, and a high school graduate is going to have a more difficult time supporting themselves on their own than a college graduate or an adult with a couple of years of work experience already under their belt. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • Blonde woman wearing a white tank top leaning against a window sill
    via Alexander Grey

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

  • The 18-year-old in this story is not ready to fully support herself, but her mom and stepdad are making it apparent that they want her to move out sooner rather than later. They're not only making her pay rent, but they're restricting her freedoms within the household.

  • Am I wrong for not agreeing with rules put in place in my house?

    Typing on my phone and first reddit post so might be a little messy. I (18f) had turned 18 in July, I knew that would come with paying keep because my mother (37f) and stepdad (37m) had told me so months before.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • I was told I'd pay £125 a month and do my own washing and make my food etc, I was fine with that made enough sense.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • I didn't have a job at the time so I had to use benefits which most of the money went towards paying keep.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Anyway around I month ago I finally got a job and I'm making a decent amount of money but, then my parents started asking for more money around £200 pounds a month and they'd do everything.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • I wasn't entirely comfortable with this because it was a big jump in money that we agreed on so we talked a kept it at what I was paying them now.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Fast foward a couple of weeks and I wake up to my mum saying that she and my step dad sat down and had a talk without me last night about the fact that apparently I'm not keeping up my part of the deal which was doing washing, keeping room tidy etc.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Context I share a room with my two sisters so it does get messy and we had a deal to only tidy our parts which I have been doing and our dog destroyed our sponge so we don't have anything to wash dishess with rn.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Closeup of dirty dishes in the sink
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

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

  • Anyway my mum hands me a list saying that I'm paying £150 pounds a month but every year I'm hear on my birthday it goes up £50 which I found a little weird but okay sure she only said on this list that she would 2 loads of my washing which I'm fine with.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Now on the other side is were I find things frustrating this side was things expected of me.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • The list had things like if I order myself food not to eat in front of my younger brother unless I get him something too, no putting my feet up on the couch, no lying down on the couch and no covers downstairs.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • I also have to ask if I want to use the tv in the living room because my keep doesn't go towards the tv.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Person holding black remote control, pointing at TV
    via Erik Mclean

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

  • | I guess these rules frustrated me because they're so nitpicking. I told my mum this and she got mad but I also wasn't haply that they had this conversation behind my back.
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Idk I am the asshole for not being happy with what I'm expected to do?
    via u/Zsozin07
  • BagOfSmallerBags NTA for disliking it. It's is a lot of rules, and the food in front of the little brother and asking to use the TV thing is really weird. But unfortunately, there really isn't anything you can do about it - by instituting a fee to continue living with them, they've made it clear you are now a tenant, and they are your landlords, rather than your relationship being daughter and parents. Under that relationship, you don't really have any recourse. IIWY I'd move out as soon as poss
    via u/BagOfSmallerBags
  • OP Zsozin07 Yeah I've been thinking about moving out for a while now due to other things that have happened. Ty for the advice!!
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Barney_Sparkles Stop paying them. Put the money in a bank account they can't access- at a totally different back then when they use. Start looking for a room to rent or roommates.
    via u/Barney_Sparkles
  • OP Zsozin07 Yeah me and my best friend have agreed to start saving up to get our own place now. Hopefully we'll find one soon
    via u/Zsozin07
  • Jazzlike_Royal5244 I think probably NTA, but for the love of everything that's good in the world go and buy a new sponge. Claiming that the dog is the reason you can't do the washing up is the weakest excuse I've ever heard. I'd be wanting you to move out too. The 50 pounds per annum increase is to encourage you to find a place of your own. Your parents are trying to get you to make a decision about your future. You can take the first step by buying a sponge.
    via u/Jazzlike_Royal5244
  • Initial_Advance8326 They want you to move out. They don't want you to be comfortable living there. It's pretty obvious that space is tight given you share a room with 2 sisters. They don't want your money, they want you to leave.
    via u/Initial_Advance8326
  • SuperKuri Personally I find this whole idea of charging your children rent at 18 ridiculous. They're not in stable employment, still finding their way around the new world of adulthood. They need parental support and even if you are struggling and need help in paying bills then have an open conversation as a family and discuss what is manageable for all concerned and move forward together. I feel this situation and these petty rules about watching the tv and not eating takeaway infront of the br
    via u/SuperKuri
  • CoffeeB4Dawn It kind of sounds like they want you to move out, but they don't want to tell you to move out. It reminds me of people who try to get their boyfriend or girlfriend to dump them so they don't have to be the bad guy.
    via u/CoffeeB4Dawn
  • illchangethislater NTA but with parents like that you will never be happy until you move out
    via u/illchangethislater
  • scariestJ And when you move out they can scratch their heads as to why you don't call them much.
    via u/scariestJ
  • cmos1138 The conflict will continue to escalate until you move out. They won't be able to see you as an adult until you are independent from them so they will keep thinking of you as a child who needs rules.
    via u/cmos1138
  • Savings Rhubarb8746 It's a lot of rules, yes, but on the other hand, the solution is in your hands. Start learning to budget and save so you can move out as soon as possible. NTA for not liking the rules, but that's almost irrelevant. It's their house, they can set the rules, and although I don't know what your local rates are for, say, a room in a shared house, it doesn't sound like they're charging you much money, especially if it includes food other than the takeout you buy yourself.
    via u/SavingsRhubarb8746

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

family drama sisters bad parenting reddit story bad parents parenting rent family stepdad reddit thread daughter Reddit mom Parenting Fail Parenting FAILS mother
Scroll Down For The Next Article