SINGAPORE – Since she started working full time as a restaurant manager two years ago, Ms Suchitra Manogaran has been paying her parents $1,000 a month for rent.

The 26-year-old, who lives with her parents in a four-room flat in Bishan, started paying rent about seven years ago. Her father had asked for it since she began working part-time while studying. Back then, she paid her parents a nominal sum of $200.

The practice of parents charging their working children rent, while not common in Singapore, came under the spotlight this week when former MP Teo Ser Luck wrote on Facebook that he planned to do just that with his eldest son.

He wrote that he wanted to charge his son rent once the young man started working, and said he took some time to come up with a rental rate.

In his post, Mr Teo said he had mixed feelings about doing so, but when he broached the topic with his son, he found out that the youngster had been a step ahead of him. The son had already been putting a large portion of his income into a bank account set up in his parents’ name.

Mr Teo wrote that he was “thankful and grateful” that his son had done so, knowing that the young man had used his savings for his education, needing it for things like further studies or buying a flat.

He later told The Straits Times that he wants to teach his children financial independence, and charging them rent is part of this process.

Mr Teo, who left politics in 2020 and now runs his own businesses, said he plans to save and invest the rental money – similar to what his son has already done with his earnings – if he starts charging his son for rent.

Like Mr Teo, Mr Manogaran Tharmalingam, Ms Suchitra’s father, is charging his daughter rent to teach her to be independent and appreciate the home that she has.

“My friends don’t charge their children rent. I know it is not a norm in Asian culture for parents to get rent from children, but it is a necessary step to prepare my kids for the high cost of living in the real world,” said the 60-year-old.

Mr Manogaran, who drove a taxi for nearly two decades before becoming a travel consultant five years ago, said the money is not for his personal use, but is being saved for his children’s future expenses, such as weddings and education.

Other young Singaporeans told ST that while they might not pay their parents “rent”, they give them a sum of money each month.

Ms Sarah Tan, 28, who lives with her parents, gives them a few hundred dollars each month.

“My parents are not considered well-to-do. Despite that, they do not charge me for rent,” she said.

“Not paying rent to parents is a cultural norm in Singapore.”