Would you ask family to pay or let them stay for free or reduced rate?

[Anonymous]

We own a Condo in Rehoboth. We charge full amount in the summer even for friends/family. In the off season we have a 50% off the nightly rate plus the cleaning fee. You save 50% plus a pet fee plus the vrbo fees. At the very minimum person B in your situation should pay the cleaning fee and enough to cover their utilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m PP. I just realized the OP is asking their sibling to use their house. Has the sibling offered it out before? I hate when people ask to use our house without being invited to use it.

It took me a minute too as at first I answered very differently. OP should offer full cost.

OP here. Neither Sibling A nor Sibling B are strapped for any cash. Not that it matters. I only mention it because some have asked.

I am neither Sibling A nor Sibling B. I am a separate/peripherally interested party related to Sibling B.

Sibling A has in the past invited Sibling B to join them while Sibling A stayed at the house. Sibling B thought it might be nice to bring their family to the house for a "B family" vacation and as far as I can tell doesn't mind paying full cost or footing the bill for their family. Either way, the arrangement Sibling A and B make with each other is not really any of my business except that they have chosen to share this information with the rest of us.

I posed the question because it is not necessarily the way I would have approached the situation and was curious how other families would approach the situation.

Sibling asking should offer full pay but sibling owning it could let them use it at an off season time for free and sibling pay for cleaning and other expenses.

[Anonymous]

I’ve owned a rental property and luckily none of the family ever asked to stay there it. It was a business and income. I don’t want to ever mix that with family.

My parents had a place and rented short term to a family member at a very reduced rate that didn’t even cover the bills. That person didn’t take as good as care of it as they should have and my parents never wanted to say anything since it was family. As others said, this is a very expensive gift. The cleaning fees alone can be a lot.

[Anonymous]

If the sibling wants the property from June 27-June 30th they can have it for free. If they're demanding it from July 2nd - July 5th they can at least pay the costs associated with the huge loss income from the most lucrative national beach holiday.

[Anonymous]

I’m an only child but if we were taking about my husband’s sister, I’d charge her family triple the price because they’d trash the house.

I think the answer to this question depends on way too many facts. For example, I’d give the house to my best friend and her family for free. But I’d definitely charge my SIL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Off season, if no one is using it, free but pay cleaning costs. In season, discounted rate and/or ask them to go on a date its not used.

We let people use our vacation house but we don’t normally rent it out otherwise so we aren’t losing income but I always pay to get it cleaned as a gift to them. They always offer to pay and I decline. This happens maybe five times a year? Possibly as many as eight max. If it happened all the time I’d feel different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d never charge a sibling. They would had to schedule around the rental weeks.

Something like that, yes. They would not get priority in the high season, but would be able to go for free at other times.

We would do something similar.

You really have to wonder about a sibling who would ask for your rental during high season, though. That seems pretty entitled.

I would rent a different property just to avoid the awkwardness of this situation. I would not want to charge my sibling but would be annoyed at the lost income...unless I was wealthy enough that it did not matter.

[Anonymous]

I would organise a date that is not going to interfere with heavy bookings such as at the start or end of the season and then I would let them go for free.

However I would ask they pay for the cleaning after. Keep in mind doing it for free may then lead to them wanting to do the same thing every year. I guess it could be a slippery slope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d never charge my sibling.

+1

[Anonymous]

Depends on relationship and responsibility. Two siblings are givers; I’d gladly return their generosity if I had the house. One -and the kids- are takers and we have been carrying their vacation expenses for years, even though they can afford what they agreed to cover/share, they never have the cash after buying a bunch of other crap on vacation. They are part of the reason I don’t want a vacation home. We don’t have the ability to afford covering everyone else’s vacation costs.

[Anonymous]

I own a beach house and have a friend-and-family rate for precisely this reason. The sibling B in my situation has a huge family and most of them act super entitled. They're poor house guests and just don't take care of things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the going rate at $5600-$8400 for a week unless they are very wealthy that a huge gift. I wouldn’t want to charge my sibling but I also wouldn’t want to be put in the position of giving up that much income. At minimum I hope you don’t expect a peak week and I hope you’re extremely grateful for any break they give you. If you cannot afford full price find a place within your budget OP. Your sibling’s investment should not be viewed as your perk.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would organise a date that is not going to interfere with heavy bookings such as at the start or end of the season and then I would let them go for free.

However I would ask they pay for the cleaning after. Keep in mind doing it for free may then lead to them wanting to do the same thing every year. I guess it could be a slippery slope.

Yes. To some people- if you do something nice for them once then it becomes a tradition.

[Anonymous]

My brother used to have a beach house. I only ever used it in the ofthe shoulder season because I do not want to cost them rental income. I also would only use it with several days notice - we would wait to see if anyone wanted to rent it and if not I would stay there some. I would pay cleaning fee, linens, and for propane if I wanted to heat the pool. My other sibling would stay there a week during the summer for free but my brother never offered that to me and I did not want to feel like I owed him anything. We don’t have the best relationship. I didn’t want that hanging over my head

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sibling A and their family own a beach adjacent property that they rent out. It normally rents for $800-$1200 per night.
Sibling B is interested in staying at the property with their children and grandchildren.

If you were Sibling A would you ask Sibling B to rent the property at full price, a reduced rate, or waive the cost of the rental?

Oh wait, if you are Sibling A, you should offer full price. You should not ask to reduce the rate or waive it. But, sibling B should be decent and let you use it if its off season/not rented but you should pay cleaning and other costs.

This is the right answer.

+1