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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

5 times a year is alot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I think there are a lot of right answers here, but I wouldn’t accept payment the first time. If it looked like they were starting to take advantage I would then set the boundary if need be. But if I was staying, I would at minimum offer to pay, and I would insist if I knew they would be taking a significant financial hit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

5 times a year is alot.

NP. The issue for me isn’t how often it happened but how much of an overall financial sacrifice I was making. I am not that close to my siblings and I would like to be closer, so if this wasn’t my main source of income or something I would be happy to do it five times a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I could afford it, I wouldn’t charge them. If I couldn’t afford it, at cost (the mortgage).

This.

[Anonymous]

Jeez, you guys. I would NEVER, EVER stay in a sibling's rental without paying full freight. I would be so embarrassed that my husband and I couldn't afford the rent that we had to get a loser discount. I would be soooooooo mortified that my sibling thought we were so unsuccessful that they felt they had to give us the rental for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I could afford it, I wouldn’t charge them. If I couldn’t afford it, at cost (the mortgage).

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeez, you guys. I would NEVER, EVER stay in a sibling's rental without paying full freight. I would be so embarrassed that my husband and I couldn't afford the rent that we had to get a loser discount. I would be soooooooo mortified that my sibling thought we were so unsuccessful that they felt they had to give us the rental for free.

you might consider getting therapy

[Anonymous]

Four pages and no one yet has brought up the tax ramifications of allowing free or reduced price use by family members. Amazing. Do you all cheat on your taxes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeez, you guys. I would NEVER, EVER stay in a sibling's rental without paying full freight. I would be so embarrassed that my husband and I couldn't afford the rent that we had to get a loser discount. I would be soooooooo mortified that my sibling thought we were so unsuccessful that they felt they had to give us the rental for free.

you might consider getting therapy

Because I would be ashamed at being a loser? LOL. You might want it though if you think that not being up to standard is okay ... Jeez. Have some pride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Four pages and no one yet has brought up the tax ramifications of allowing free or reduced price use by family members. Amazing. Do you all cheat on your taxes?

There are no tax ramifications. The government does not mandate that you charge everyone who stays at your part-time rental.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Four pages and no one yet has brought up the tax ramifications of allowing free or reduced price use by family members. Amazing. Do you all cheat on your taxes?

There are no tax ramifications. The government does not mandate that you charge everyone who stays at your part-time rental.

You’re wrong about that. Ask your accountant.

[Anonymous]

DH's father and stepmom charged us the cleaning cost anytime we stayed at their cabin in Lake Tahoe, which was only available to us in the off season. It was weird because she would never have asked her own kids to cover the cleaning cost, but it was also consistent with her character in general.

I wouldn't charge my siblings, but scenarios like this also keep me from wanting to buy a second home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d never charge my sibling.

I would never expect my sibling to give it for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Four pages and no one yet has brought up the tax ramifications of allowing free or reduced price use by family members. Amazing. Do you all cheat on your taxes?

There are no tax ramifications. The government does not mandate that you charge everyone who stays at your part-time rental.

You’re wrong about that. Ask your accountant.

To clarify, you’re right that the government doesn’t “mandate” that you charge rent, but if you don’t then the free use counts as “personal use” and there ARE tax ramifications. See link:

https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc415

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeez, you guys. I would NEVER, EVER stay in a sibling's rental without paying full freight. I would be so embarrassed that my husband and I couldn't afford the rent that we had to get a loser discount. I would be soooooooo mortified that my sibling thought we were so unsuccessful that they felt they had to give us the rental for free.

My sister owns a gorgeous house in the USVI that I could never afford to rent, and she lets me stay there for free whenever I ask provided it hasn't been rented out yet for that week. Even in the high season!! I only ask once every 1-2 years. I have no shame in asking, and she is happy to let my family use it because she is clearly about a million times wealthier than I am! Maybe rethink your relationships.