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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it was in the off season and it wouldn’t be rented out anyway, I would let them stay for free. If I relied on the income during high season, then I would charge them full price or tell them it’s fully booked.

+1

No high time free for friends or relatives. Plus, they might come to expect it, or others might.

[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. Please explain what you think they would be.

[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.

Do you own a second house and rent it out? We do. There are no tax ramifications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it was in the off season and it wouldn’t be rented out anyway, I would let them stay for free. If I relied on the income during high season, then I would charge them full price or tell them it’s fully booked.

Agree

[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.

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.

I'm with the first poster. I would never use a sibling/cousin/parent's rental property for free. We would insist on paying the market rent for that time period, even if it was off season. Gosh, it makes me cringe to even think about not paying. It would be horribly embarrassing.

[Anonymous]

I likely would not charge as long as sibling + I had a good relationship.

I would only request that sibling paid for professional house cleaners prior to leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d never charge my sibling.

+100, and I own a lake house rental property, so I don’t just say that with no experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would charge at least something to prevent my sibling from abusing the privilege. If it were off-season, I'd charge a nominal amount to cover utilities and cleaning fees. In-season I'd give about a 20% discount. This is coming from the perspective of someone who is not wealthy and who has siblings who tend to take advantage financially.

also, if you have a big family, like 6 siblings each married and with kids plus close first cousins, you can’t just give it out for free the whole summer long. Then you make no money and can’t even use it yourself. If you only have 1 sibling, it’s easier to accommodate.

[Anonymous]

There are some basic and simple rules here.

1. The host has to offer it. It s rude and not acceptable to ask or expect to use it. Being invited to stay with the owner is NOT an opening to ask to use it for your own personal use.

2. If the hosts offers and you know that they rent it out, you offer to pay. You only stay for free if the host insists. In this case, you accept but you insist on paying for cleaning AND you send the host a nice thank you gift afterwards.

Anything else is horribly rude and obnoxious.

[Anonymous]

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?

You rent, you pay going rate. Always keep business with family the same as with any one else. If you give her a discount then every other family member would expect the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d never charge my sibling.

That's an incredibly expensive gift. To ask someone to give up thousands of dollars of income that someone counts on isn't any different than asking for a gift that costs thousands of dollars.

What a crock. Sibling A should get a real job.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the financial situations of all parties.

We are looking into buying a beach house. I would not charge family but we are in a financial position to do this. I would tell family to use the house off or shoulder season. We would use peak rental income to pay the mortgage.

[Anonymous]

would never charge my brother. Never.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

+1

And if I could afford it, I'd offer full price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are some basic and simple rules here.

1. The host has to offer it. It s rude and not acceptable to ask or expect to use it. Being invited to stay with the owner is NOT an opening to ask to use it for your own personal use.

2. If the hosts offers and you know that they rent it out, you offer to pay. You only stay for free if the host insists. In this case, you accept but you insist on paying for cleaning AND you send the host a nice thank you gift afterwards.

Anything else is horribly rude and obnoxious.

+1 exactly