Guide
How to split rent with roommates fairly
If the rooms are about the same, split the rent equally. If they differ, split part of the rent equally for the shared spaces and the rest by room size. Bills like internet are usually split equally; what matters most is agreeing on it in writing before anyone moves in.
Equal split: the default
An equal split is the easiest to explain and the hardest to argue with when rooms are similar. Three roommates paying $1,500 in rent pay $500 each.
It starts to feel unfair when one room is clearly better: bigger, with its own bathroom, a balcony or more light. Then whoever has the smallest room is subsidizing the biggest one.
Split by room size
Measure each bedroom, add the areas up and give each person the percentage of their room. Say three rooms measure 16, 12 and 12 square meters (or 170, 130 and 130 square feet): together that's 40, so the shares are 40%, 30% and 30%.
With $1,500 in rent, that's $600, $450 and $450.
The weakness of a pure size split is that it ignores the shared space everyone uses equally: kitchen, living room, hallway. That's why many households prefer a hybrid.
The hybrid method: shared spaces plus private rooms
Split part of the rent equally, for the shared spaces, and the rest by room size. Half and half is a common starting point.
- Half of $1,500 is $750, split equally: $250 each.
- The other $750 is split 40/30/30 by room size: $300, $225 and $225.
- Total per person: $550, $475 and $475.
You can adjust the split if the shared spaces are especially large or small, and add a small premium for features like a private bathroom. Whatever you choose, write the percentages down.
Which method should you use?
| Method | How it works | Fair when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equal | Same amount each | Rooms are similar | Feels unfair when one room is clearly better |
| By room size | Percentage of total bedroom area | Rooms differ a lot | Ignores shared spaces everyone uses |
| Hybrid | Shared part equally, the rest by size | Most shared homes | Needs one agreement on the shared part |
| By income | Percentage of each person's income | Couples or close family | Rare among roommates; it shares private information |
Bills, groceries and supplies
Rent is the big number, but the friction usually comes from small recurring costs.
- Internet and streaming: split equally among everyone who uses them.
- Electricity, water and gas: equally, unless someone uses far more, for example working from home with a heater all day. Agree on that case explicitly.
- Shared groceries and cleaning supplies: record each shop and split it between the people who share food. Personal food stays personal.
- One-off purchases like a vacuum cleaner: decide upfront whether it belongs to the house or to whoever paid for it, so nobody argues about it on moving day.
Put it in writing
A one-page house agreement settles most arguments before they start. It doesn't need to be formal; a shared note everyone has read is enough. Cover at least:
- The rent split, as percentages or amounts, and who pays the landlord and when.
- How each bill is split, and who sets up and pays each account.
- What counts as shared groceries and supplies.
- Partners or friends who stay over often: from how many nights a week they contribute to bills.
- How much notice someone gives before moving out, and how their room is filled.
- What happens to the deposit when someone leaves.
Review it when someone moves in or out, or when the rent changes. A new roommate should agree to it before they sign.
The deposit and moving out
Write down who paid how much of the deposit. When someone leaves, the person who takes their room usually pays them back their part, and the deposit stays with the landlord.
Before anyone moves out, settle every outstanding bill. The final electricity bill often arrives weeks later, so agree on an estimate or keep an amount aside.
