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Contrary to the assumptions behind this question, most royal family members (whether working royals or not) pay rent on any Crown Estate or publicly-owned properties. However, most only contribute to the portion of renovation costs that involve internal fittings/fixtures or additional requests beyond long-term maintenance and safety. In that respect, Harry and Meghan pay rent much like all other royals, but it was an unusual (but reasonable) arrangement for them to refund the renovation costs.The accommodation arrangements of British royal family accounting, who is given what residence, who is allowed to rent something else, how the rents are paid, which royals are remunerated are all very complex, sometimes inconsistent and sometimes involve complicated accounting. Much of the arrangements extend from historical ones as well as contemporary practices, and many change over time as they become subject to various pressures including from both government and the public.Frogmore Cottage, rented by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the Crown Estate in an arrangement that is similar to the rental of country properties by the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, Princess Alexandra of Kent and many other royal family members.There are a few factors at play:Working royalsThe system of working royals in its present form was instituted by The Queen in the 1950s, to ensure that she could draw upon other royal family members to share the burden of the increasing need for her presence in the community and across the Commonwealth. This involved sitting on various boards and committees, taking on some of the royal patronages (as opposed to privately-chosen charities, etc), standing in for the sovereign at ceremonial events, openings, inaugurations, etc., and representing the sovereign overseas on foreign visits.At the time, the Queen drew upon several of her cousins—those who by virtue of being grandchildren of George V were HRHs. They included the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and on a casual/informal basis, Prince Michael of Kent. THis was in addition to her husband Prince Philip, her recently-widowed mother Elizabeth, and her sister Margaret.In exchange for devoting themselves to supporting the sovereign in her formal duties, the participants in the new, modern system of working royals received certain benefits:For those who were not on the civil list (i.e., receiving a parliamentary annuity, such as the Queen Mother, Philip and Margaret), a stipend was to be provided to cover living costs. The Queen paid this out of the revenue she earns from the Duchy of Lancaster.A country home.Sometimes this has been the use of a crown estate property. For example, the Queen Mother was given the use of the Royal Lodge at Windsor, Princess Alexandra of Kent was leased Thatched House Lodge.Other times this has been a gift purchased by the Queen, often as a wedding gift. For example, Gatcombe Park was purchased by the Queen for Princess Anne; Sunninghill Park was purchased for Prince Andrew although it has now been sold and he instead rents Royal Lodge in Windsor.Other times it has been the use of a house on one of the Queen’s private estates. For example, William was given the use of Anmer Hall, which forms part of the Queen’s private Sandringham estate.And other working royals have received nothing at all, as the arrangement has been based primarily on need. For example, the Duke of Gloucester, had already inherited Barnwell Manor, his father’s country home, and so no crown property in the country was offered.A grace-and-favour London apartment, often at Kensington Palace (historically the complex of homes, flats, apartments and other buildings that since the reign of George III was not used by sovereigns but primarily to house relatives and minor royals, as well as senior courtiers and Buckingham Palace bureaucrats).This practice worked for most of the twentieth century, although there was closer scrutiny on the arrangements from the late 1990s, partly from the government of John Major (at the time at which the Queen agreed to pay taxes on her personal income), partly from the government of Tony Blair (at the time reforms on funding were first discussed), and partly from the tabloid media (always on the lookout for something that could be written up as scandal).Bagshot Park, Prince Edward’s residence rented from the Crown Estate.Non-working royalsOther royal family members, including several who carry the style and titular dignity of HRH and Prince, do not undertake duties on behalf of the Queen but carry on their own careers and other interests.Prior to the present generation, many minor royals were people of leisure. Those who were not engaged in the military often lived like many other aristocrats of the 18th, 19th and early 20th century: dividing their time between country estates (their own or others), London social life, casual involvement in charitable work, artistic pursuits, etc.As family members of the sovereign, many enjoyed the privilege of a flat at Kensington Palace, St James’ Palace or elsewhere, as well as occasional handouts or a stipend (especially for unmarried or widowed princesses). This was prior to the the system of ‘working royals’ and was not considered unusual among the wealthy of elite of the United Kingdom.Anmer Hall, a gift from the Queen to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, it is a house on her privately-owned Sandringham Estate.Paying rent for propertyThe arrangements for renting have changed over time, particularly for the next generation of royals (the Queen’s children and grandchildren) but also affecting her cousins. As often happens, some changes to practice come before others. So even though a system of working royals sought to tap the extended family and make use of them as a resource, other non-working royals continued to receive handouts and accommodation by virtue of being family members.Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are a case-in-point. Prince Michael is the grandson of George V (making him an HRH), the son of the first Duke of Kent, and younger brother to the present Duke of Kent. Subsequent to a military career, Prince Michael ran a consultancy and only undertook very occasional reprsentative duties for the Queen (at no pay). But as a family member, he was given a grace-and-favour apartment at Kensington Palace after his marriage in 1978.Newspaper reports in 2008 attempted to scandalise the arrangement, claiming that Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were paying only £70 weekly for the lavish aparment despite not undertaking any public duties. Part of the ‘concern’ was that as a crown estate building located in London it could attract a much higher commercial rent.Buckingham Palace responded by announcing that “The Queen is paying the rent for Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's apartment at a commercial rate of £120,000 annually from her own private funds,” and that the “rent payment by The Queen is in recognition of the Royal engagements and work for various charities which Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have undertaken at their own expense, and without any public funding.”This began the process of much greater public (media) scrutiny over which royals paid how much for what quality of accommodation, and what value the British public received from them. So while the arrangements did not actually change for Prince and Princess Michael, the Queen began ensuring that rent was paid for any buildings owned publicly and held in trust by her and that the amounts were comparable to commercial rates.As a result, many royals now rent the publicly-owned buildings in which they live:Prince Edward rents Bagshot Park at £90,000 a year subject to 15-year rent reviewsPrince Andrew was given a 75-year lease on the Royal Lodge at Windsor. An agreed annual rent was bought out for the period by Andrew in exchange for him paying the £7.5 million cost of renovation and refurbishment.Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank pay rent for Ivy Cottage, a three bedroom home at Kensington Palace. Previously, the Duke of York paid approximately £20,000 annually for the apartment at St James’ Palace used by Eugenie and her older sister Princess Beatrice.How rents of country estates and London Palace apartments are actually paid has to do with the complex accounting at Buckingham Palace. In some cases, a working royal’s rent might be drawn directly from the Privy Purse (the revenue of the Duchy of Lancaster, used by the Queen to fund working royals), or they might pay for it themselves from other earnings (e.g., from their private investment income). Non-working royals may have the rent paid as a gift by the Queen who has substantial private income at her disposal. In other words, we do not always know if the individual pays or the Queen pays, but what we do know is that the most fair arrangement for all parties (the royals, the Queen and the taxpaper) is the typical outcome.RenovationsRenovations to Crown Estate properties have often involved some complex funding. Naturally, long-term maintenance of historically-significant buildings form part of public expenditure. Crown Estate funds are set aside for various buildings managed as Crown Estate properties, and part of the purpose of the Sovereign Grant is to fund the maintenance of the occupied royal residences. Indeed, the Sovereign Grant was increased significantly so that the Queen could manage the long-needed maintenance on Buckingham Palace to ensure its survival into the future. Such expenditure is not, of course, simply redecoration to accommodate changing tastes, but is the necessary work to ensure all long-standing buildings are maintained and remain safe.Other work, however, is funded by those who live in them, and this often involves some added extras—reorganisation of rooms to suit individual tastes, or the cost of preferential decor. For example, when Bagshot Park was renovated for Prince Edward, the costs were shared by the Crown Estate and Edward himself. Andrew’s extensive renovations on the Royal Lodge were deemed by the Crown Estate to be an investment and undertaken in exchange for paying annual rent.Kensington Palace, originally a royal residence used by William III and Mary II, Queen Anne, George I and George II, it became a complex of both large and small apartments for extended royal family members and coutiers. Famously referred to by Edward VIII as “the aunt heap” for the number of elderly royal cousins and widows of princes living there from the Victorian into the early twentieth century. Royals living there pay rent.Prince Harry and Frogmore CottageMuch like many other minor royals (e.g., Princess Alexandra), Harry rejected the offer of a home at Kensington Palace subsequent to marriage. The reasons have never been disclosed but it is of course a place closely associated with his mother and the building in which he spent much of his unhappy childhood.Frogmore Cottage, part of the Frogmore House Estate which itself is part of the Windsor Estate, was due for renovation and renewal and after some consideration was agreed as a suitable location for Harry and Meghan, who appeared content to maintain a single household in the UK (rather than the country/city model adopted by most senior royals, i.e., the Queen, Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward and William).A scheduled cost of £2.4 million for renovation and long-term maintenance was attributed to the sovereign grant, since Frogmore Cottage was an occupied royal residence. The funds were principally used to return the cottage to a single-family dwelling (it had been divided in the past) and to update outdated infrastructure. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex themselves paid for internal fittings and fixtures which they chose according to their own taste. The arrangement mirrors the same, therefore, for the cost of renovations of other crown estate buildings inhabited by royal family members.The rent was an agreed amount, and has been variously reported as around the £300,000 annual mark. Whether the Duke and Duchess are living there full-time (as the original arrangement) or maintaining the lease to provide accommodation when spending time in the United Kingdom (as they intend subsequent to the transition) they are paying rent—there is nothing particularly unusual about renting a residence that is only used part of the year. The rental arrangement is therefore in keeping with all royals paying rent for Crown Estate properties, even though the funding for that rent may come from the Queen’s privy purse (for working royals) as a private gift from the Queen’s private income (for non-working royals) or other sources.The renovations were paid for from the Sovereign Grant (excluding fittings and fixtures). As part of the arrangements for stepping down as working royals, Harry and Meghan agreed to refund the £2.4 million to the Sovereign Grant as a goodwill gesture. This was primarily on the basis that the public/media view was that the renovation expense was mis-spent if they were not intending to live there for the majority of the year and serve as working royals. It appears all parties agreed to the repayment and it was a suitable arrangement.Frogmore Cottage. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are maintaining their lease and rent payments on this crown estate property to use as a residence for whenever they are in the United Kingdom. Unusually, they agreed to repay the full cost of renovation themselves.

As others mentioned, this depends on your circumstance, and what standard of living you're looking to have. For me, it absolutely was not enough, but I have a few extenuating circumstances:Single parentNo family nearbyPetsThose three circumstances cost me more $ in overhead as well as time and logistical situations that ALSO play into more money.In order for me to go to work, I must pay someone to watch my child. This may be the norm for many families- but remember, I am doing this on one income. Average cost = $1,200/moIf I need to travel for business, I must kennel my dogs. This costs $35-40 per day, per dog. A typical business trip is 3 days. Additionally, I must pay for extra overnight care & school or daycare pickup for my child. Babysitters in Seattle cost $12-15/hr, on the low end. Better prices overnight, which is why I mention this average. A "nightly" babysitter (eg to go out on a date) is actually higher on the hourly average, but this is my average cost for business needs.My dogs are large, and no apartment in Seattle allows them. As such, I must rent a house, $2,500/mo. This is "cheap" in the area. This time last year I could've rented a house for $500-700 less in the same area. Costs are skyrocketing, and based on $/sf in the real estate market. These prices are mostly driven up by these mini apartments ("aPODments"), new Google employees and the Capital Hill area, as well as supply & demand. In other words- a new in town Google employee may be renting a 400sf studio for $1,500/mo, which drives up the $/sf averages, which is how realtors price homes for rent. On top of all this, the Seattle population is growing, and there just isn't enough housing.In the last year I've seen the housing market go crazy. Some recent examples of sales in the area, not rentals- I live next to some small townhomes- one was on the market less than a day before an offer came in and it closed a few days later. 800sf $450k purchase price. Several weeks later a similar model went on the market, closed in under a week for $525k. Across the street is a little public park. A 600sf mother in law cottage was posted for sale no bedroom, small kitchen/living/bedroom combo area, 1 bath, sold for $325k in less than 2 weeks. The same townhomes next to me had a gal who was renting for 4 years and the landlord increased her rent, so she moved out, and the very next day a young couple moved in next door. Less than 24hr turn over, my friends. Their rent? $2,850/mo 800sf townhome + 1 car garage. They told me they saw the ad online and were staying with friends for a few weeks as they hadn't been able to find a place to rent after their last lease was up. That's right- this place next door rented in under 24hrs.(Something to note about traditional Seattle home and apartment leases- in most of them the landlord can raise your rent with 30 or 60 days notice- at any time, not just the end of your lease. You do not get to break your lease if this happens, but some will let you.)And finally, if you're a renter you'll oftentimes spend almost as much money as a deposit on an FHA loan. First months rent, last months rent, security deposit for the first home I rented when I came to Seattle was $7k. In addition, there was a $500 non-refundable cleaning deposit (normally $150-500, from what I have seen), $500 per pet non refundable deposit (some places half is refundable), and a $35 application fee. So be ready to empty about $5-12k out of your bank account just to move in to your rental. That's of course not including u-haul, gasoline, movers (I didn't use any), and incidentals- like a lock for your trailer, boxes, tape, moving blankets, etc.Utilities at a home are more expensive (larger space), and there are usually more deposits for utilities than if I were to be at an apartment. Adding gas, water, sewer, trash/recycle/yard waste, & electric is approximately $375-500/mo depending on the time of year. Deposits & fees to turn on each service averaged about $150. This is a one time cost, but obviously affects your savings.Taxes & Medicare/social security take approximately $35,000/yr of my income and I am withholding at a "5". I will still likely owe taxes at the end of the year.As a house within the city is more expensive, I'm in a more suburban area. I also need consistent transportation for my child. As such, I "need" a car (I could get away with one but life would take so much longer to get anything done). Insurance & car payment $400/mo. Gasoline = 1 tank every week or so, about $200/mo.Other things that come off the top of my paycheck- insurance. I pay for "family" insurance (most providers don't offer a parent + child option), which is about $675/mo after my employer pays a portion of it. I'm paying the same as a couple with up to 3 children, so for 5 people, even though we are 2. My deductible is also at the family rate- $4,500/year.My cell phone bill is receiving a corporate discount. I pay $89/mo (taxes included) for unlimited data (grandfathered into AT&T).Groceries cost approximately $275/mo. This is food/supplies for two people as well as the pets. When my son was in diapers & supplementing formula with nursing the groceries were around $500/mo.By now you're probably thinking- I should make different choices as to where to live, and yes, I agree.Seattle is a good city for a low six figure income in the following situations:2 income family (with or without 1-3 children)1 income family (1-3 children), 1 parent staying at home, and apartment dwelling.1 single person, apartment. Yes you could save $ for a future and enjoy your time here! Do it!If you have children, I really encouage you to either have lots of money or family nearby. I've found my career, personal life, and ability to parent all are negatively impacted- mostly by my choice to live in Seattle versus somewhere less expensive or closer to family.The problem? I originally moved here FOR a good job. These tech industry six figure jobs don't exist everywhere. Now that I am telecommuting, I am leaving at the first opportunity when my lease is up.For you? I don't know your circumstances, but I suggest you live as cheaply as possible and save save save save before moving to a place you LOVE. If you don't love a city/town, don't move there - all the money, free time, or good jobs in the world won't offset disliking where you live for the rest of your life.Good luck!

It’s safest to invest in something you know or are at least somewhat familiar. We are all familiar with a house. So for a beginner, a single family dwelling is the best to deal with. You could buy one needing improvement, and then fix it up and sell it. Or you could fix it up, and keep it and rent it. The problem with buying and fixing it to sell, is that you have to be very careful about what the value will be after the improvement; then you need to have a fairly accurate idea of the cost of the renos; add the cost of carrying and the time you’ll need to carry, ie for the reno, and then for listing and selling it, and until closing; mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, insurance. Then you need to build in a margin for error, and room for a profit. After those calculation, you’ll know what the maximum is that you can pay for the house. Often you’ll be outbid by someone who wants to move into the house and live there. They don’t need room for a profit. They don’t need as much time as you do—they might move in and make the repairs afterwards while they’re living there. So you can always be outbid by end users. YOu need to be careful not to get carried away by bidding too high. If you can’t see yourself having lots of “spread”, lots of “room” to make a profit after paying for all those things, then pass and look for something else. When buying, do not deal with a seller who isn’t motivated. ONLY BUY FROM MOTIVATED SELLERS. Otherwise they’ll frustrate you and waste your time and money.Owning a house and renting it has its shortcomings. It’s good in that the tenant will pay all utilities, heat hydro and water. You can stipulate he pays for minor repairs. YOu’ll be responsible for insurance and realty taxes, and for major repairs. Also, the mortgage payements. I like to get a furnace contract, so that if the furnace goes, it will be repaired or even replaced. It’s for peace of mind. As far as the roof goes, they generally last a long time, so get it inspected before you waive your conditions, along with a home inspection on everything.A problem with renting a house is that you have only one tenant. Therefore, if it goes vacant,you have 100% vacancy. Now you don’t just have no revenue, you have a loss, a running expense of paying for utilities, taxes, insurance and mortgage payements.The really big problem with single family rentals, is the ratio between price and the going rents in that neighborhood. Often, the price is so high, that the rent you get will give you a very poor return on your investment. You may need to look out of town for lower priced houses for which the price bears a better ratio to the rents you can get. A condo usually doesn’t work because of the condo fees. A semi-detached home will be a lower price than a detached, and yet it may have as much “house”, ie square feet of liveable space. So for rental purposes, a semi is usually a better deal than a detached. A house that needs fixing up may be the only way you can have the price + fixup still be reasonable compared to the going rate for monthly rents for a comparable house.You should try to get rent that is 1% of the purchase price per month. So if you pay $100,000., for the house, you want to try to get $1,000. per month rent, plus the tenant pays utilities. That’s $12,000 gross income. You aim for taxes and insurance to cost say, $2,000. That leaves you $10,000 as your NOI, net operating income (not counting mortgage payments, ie income minus expenses, before considering interest or mortgage payments). That means you have a 10% capitalization rate, or cap rate. Then when you make mortgage payments, you’ll pay say 3% on an $80,000 mortgage, but the principal and interest payment combined will cost you say 6% per annum, or $4,800. From the $10,000 NOI, your mortgage costs of $4,800 leaves you with a cash on cash residue of $5,200. On your $20,000 down payment, that’s 26% per annum cash return plus amortization of the mortgage. That’s a great return.In reality, you’ll have some unexpected expenses that will reduce your income from $5,200 to perhaps $4,000. That will still give you a 20% per annum return. But since you bought for $100,000 and got an $80,000 mortgage, you’ll need more thatn $20,000 to close. Legal fees, appraisal, land transfer tax, title insurance, other escrow fees, etc. Say it’s $5,000. So your real out of pocket is $25,000. The $4,000 we talked about above will be a 16% return per annum on your $25,000 down payment and closing costs. Pretty good.An even better situation is if you can add a furnished rental unit. If zoning allows, and there’s a high ceiling basement with a side entrance, perhaps you can finish the basement into a basement apartment. It could cost $10,000. Put in used furniture. The rental could be $800 per month all in. Take off utility cost, and say $700 per month, ie $8,400 extra income. Now your income is $8,400 + $4,000=$12,400 on your down payment, your closing costs, and your basement finishing totalling $35,000. Now you’re getting 35% per annum. Plus mortgage amortization. That’s big bucks.Another good way to go is the buy it, and sell it on a rent-to-own basis. You give them a lease with an option to buy. A family may want to own but can’t qualify for a mortgage or come up with a complete down payment. So you take a deposit from them, non-refundable. Then you charge them an extra $200, $250 or even $300 per month, for say 3 years. They get a credit of those extra payments against their option to buy, at a purchase price of say, $125,000.They make all repairs except for major ones. YOu set them up with a credit repair consultant, and they have 3 years to get ready to qualify for a mortgage. At the end of the 3 years, if they don’t qualify, they lose out. Their option to buy expires. They move out. YOu’ve kept the extra money they’ve paid each month plus the deposit they gave you. 90%of lease option deals don’t close. The tenant-optionee doesn’t qualify. The landlord optionor who gave out the option, keeps the extra money.Tenants who lease with an option to buy tend to take better care of the house. They feel that it’s their home. The lawn gets cut and watered. They may do little improvements themselves, like paint, etc. So that is another benefit of this model.There are variations on the rent-to-own model. One is to find a house for rent, and get a lease plus an option to buy. Then you simply sell the two contracts to someone for a profit, such as $5,000.Another is a “sandwich” lease/option. YOu rent a house for say, $1,000 per month with an option to buy at $100,000. YOu sublet the house for $1,200 per month with an option to buy for $115,000.But I like simplicity. For a beginner, buy keep and rent to own with an option to buy, is fairly simple. It gives a good return. If the option is exercised, you made the extra rent money monthly and then make a profit on the option sale.If the option is never exercised, you got the deposit and the extra monthly payments, all non-refundable, and you seek a different tenant with option to buy, at a higher price.