Your adult child calls with a familiar request: Can I move back home for a while? With housing costs still elevated, returning to the family home can be a practical way to rebuild savings, pay down debt, or recover from a job change. But once the boxes arrive, another question can become surprisingly uncomfortable: Should parents charge adult child rent? The answer depends on the family’s finances, the child’s circumstances, and what everyone expects from the arrangement. Treating the decision like a financial agreement rather than an emotional test can prevent resentment later.
