‘Is Water Free Here?’ Woman Charges Boyfriend Rent For Staying Over On Weekends

Recently, a woman sparked a heated discussion for taking rent from her boyfriend. Her justification? "Water isn't free." Colombian social media celebrity Marystella "Malle" Gomez revealed details about her personal life on a podcast. Her disclosure about how much she charges her partner was one of the most unexpected. Even though he doesn't live with her full-time, the Mirror reports that she still wants him to help with the utility costs.

On the podcast, this revelation generated a lot of controversy. Malle, though, stood by her decision. Since their utilities aren't free, she argued it's only right that her partner pay his fair amount. Malle explained, "He stays over on weekends, and I still charge my fee. I mean are the services here free? Is the water here free? I don't see anything wrong with it."

This viewpoint didn't sit well with podcast host Ana María Cardona and fellow influencer Isabela Rivera who was also on the show. It led to a disagreement between the three but Malle stuck to her opinion. She argued, "If a man is not helping you have a better financial life, then what are you doing?"

However, the other women countered that they would be upset if the situation were reversed and their partners asked them to pay for staying over. Ana María said, "If a guy ever charges me a fee, forget it" while Isabela added, "I couldn't be maintained, I'd get bored."

When the podcast spread to social media, opinions were divided on whether Malle was right or not. Some agreed with the other women with one person calling Malle an "extreme miser." Another said, "No, it's like if my boyfriend charged me every time he picked me up and took me home." On the other hand, some supported Malle, saying it's similar to sharing expenses with a roommate or a partner when you live together. Someone shared their experience, "Before we lived together, mine would always stay from Thursday to Monday. One day I told him he had to pay for utilities, and so it was done."

The younger generation has been grappling with high rent prices and housing market challenges for quite some time. According to a recent Redfield & Wilton Strategies Newsweek study with 1,500 participants across several age groups, over 50% of millennials think their parents should help with rent so they can save for a house. In particular, 43% of respondents said that parents who could afford it ought to help with the rent expense. With 50% in favor, millennials had the strongest support for this proposition, closely followed by Gen Z at 48%. Conversely, the agreement percentage among Gen Xers was 37% whereas Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation showed lower levels of inclination with 40% agreeing.

Recently, a couple went viral on TikTok when they mentioned they would be charging rent from their daughter. The couple demanded that her 16-year-old children pay $100 toward their rent each month. Cody and Erika Archie of Bar 7 Ranch in Texas had a similar plan for their daughter after she graduated from high school so it wasn't something new. They charged her $200 a month for rent or $300 if she also wanted food. The parents felt it instilled a sense of accountability. After Cody and Erika posted their game plan on TikTok, it attracted attention and sparked conversations about charging rent to young people who have graduated from high school but aren't planning to attend college right away.