While one in eight parents who have grown-up children living at home have started asking for more rent and 35% have considered increasing the rent but are yet to broach the subject with their children.

On average adults said they receive £197 a month in rent from children living at home, but the children asked in the Aviva study said they paid an average of £318 per month. Just 6% of adult children said they didn’t contribute in any way.

In comparison the average rent in England is £795, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

More than a quarter of those who receive rent from a child say it is not enough, according to the study of 1,500 parents and 1,500 children.

Around 4.8million adults between the ages of 18 and 34 live with their parents in the UK, according to the ONS.

Cost of living causes conflict

Moving in together can benefit both the parent and the child in some cases. Around half (53%) of adults said their children either pay rent or contribute in other ways such as paying for food or other household bills.

The UK is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis with inflation soaring at 9.9% and the price of everything we buy going up. Notably food and energy bills have rocketed leading to many people struggling to meet higher costs.

Moving back in with parents may be a good way to save money but it can also cause issues.

Two fifths of parents (42%) who have adult children living with them said the cost of living has caused conflict in their household.

But 43% of parents say the family is happy with the living arrangement and one parent in eight (12%) said it would be ‘ideal’ if their child never left. Of the children, 24% said they were happy with the living arrangement.

Two fifths of parents said having their children at home was more common now than it would have been previously and there was no longer a taboo associated with it. A quarter of children said they felt the same.

Rising costs are the main reason for moving back home

The majority of people asked said financial considerations were the primary reason for adult children to return home.

Around 40% are trying to save for their own house, 28% said rent was too expensive in the area they live in, and 26% said the rising cost of living had forced them to move back home.

When it comes to home insurance, if the number of people at a property changes you need to contact your insurer as it might affect the policy. If you are making any structural changes to your home, such as turning a garage into a home office or a bathroom, you will also need to tell your home insurer.

Kelly Whittington, Aviva UK Property Claims Director, says: “The ‘boomerang children’ trend has been around for some time now, but our research suggests the UK could see a new spike. As people count the rising cost of living, young adults may be even more likely to return home to mum and dad.

“Financial factors are a key consideration, leading to people staying in the family home for longer – but it is reassuring that many parents and children are happy with the arrangement too.”