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Rent & Housing

How to divide rent, deposits and household bills between people who share a home — with the arithmetic, the scripts and the edge cases.

The short answer

Most households split rent one of four ways: equally, by room size, by income, or a hybrid of room size and amenities. Room size is the most defensible when bedrooms differ; income-proportional is standard for couples. The guides below cover each method, plus utilities, deposits and mid-lease changes.

9 guides in this topic

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Rent & Housing FAQ

What is the fairest way to split rent?

By room size when bedrooms differ, by income when earnings differ by more than about 30%, and equally when both are similar. The method matters less than agreeing on it in writing before the first payment.

Should utilities be split the same way as rent?

Split flat-rate services like internet equally, and usage-driven bills like heating and electricity on the same percentages as rent. Anything one person chose alone stays with that person.

How do we handle a roommate moving out mid-lease?

Pro-rate the final month by day, settle any outstanding shared bills on the existing percentages, and recalculate everyone’s share from the day the replacement moves in.

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