Rose Beaugeard of Dee Why is happy to pay 15 per cent of her income to her parents for the privilege of living at home.
The Beaugeard household is one of about 660,000 households in NSW with children over the age of 15 living at home, according to the 2021 census. Beaugeard’s two younger sisters also pay board, but her brother, 16, is yet to start working. “We’re trying to educate them about real life rather than just letting them live off the bank of mum and dad,” Nick Beaugeard said.
Browne believes charging board is a good way to teach young people financial responsibility and help them transition to independence. But if the board is set too high or not communicated well, the child could become resentful or start to “treat the home like a hotel and the parents like staff because they’re a paying customer now”.
The Australian Taxation Office confirmed there were no tax implications when children and other close relatives pay board or contribute to shared expenses in the family home. Liu said his research also found that children were more likely to stay at home if their parents had separated.