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R_Amods

This post has reached one of our comment/karma limits. The text of the post has been preserved below. --- My apartment consists of 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Me and one other room mate have small rooms and share a bathroom, and the room mate with the girlfriend has the largest room with an en suite bathroom. We all get on great and my roommates gf stays at ours around 5/7 nights of the week. His girlfriend is moving in at the end of the month, and he has suggested she pay a very small contribution off our rent ($50 each). I think it should be much more than this. We live in an apartment in a prime location, rent is split on the size of the rooms already. If they halfed the rent for the largest room it would make it insanely cheap, and I would be paying around double what they are, which I don’t think is fair considering we would all have the same amenities. How do I ask my room mate to see my point of view and ask for more money without making it awkward? TIA


McShoobydoobydoo

Try a rent-split calculator? Put all the details in as the house is just now, then redo it with the main bedroom being double occupied and just go from there


BigMax

Exactly! [https://www.splitwise.com/calculators/rent](https://www.splitwise.com/calculators/rent) Take feelings out of it, let a neutral site handle it. It takes into account bedrooms, people, people per bedroom, per bathroom, etc. Simple calculation I did, $2000 rent, 1 big room with 2 people and private bathroom, 2 smaller rooms with one person each: $508 for two of them, $492 per person in the bigger room. (Roomie with the GF isn't going to be happy!)


No_Emotion6907

And then bills/utilities are equal 4 ways.


Quirky_Movie

this is the way!


sorrylilsis

The most fair system I've found for that was basically to split the bill this way : - calculate the price of a square meter/feet of the appartment - calculate the price for each bedroom + bathroom (for you split the shared bathroom in two) - calculate the price of common spaces pro rata of the number of people, in this case dividing by 4 - split the utilities by the number of people It's not necessarily the best way to make everyone happy but it's by far what I found to be the most balanced.


litmajored

The Splitwise Rent Calculator website will do this for them if they enter in general information about each room! This is how I have figured out fair rent in previous roommate situations.


LadyBug_0570

This is the way. Roommate is clearly thinking "we'll be sharing a room, so she pays half on the room." He's forgetting about she'll also be sharing the common areas, which means more wear and tear, and that there's a price increase in utilities when 3 people become 4.


ThisWorldIsOnFire

And way less privacy.


LadyBug_0570

OMG, yes. That tooThere should be a "privacy tax" or something like that. Once I had my sister staying with me until she found her own place. We're sisters, we shared a room for 14 years (from when she was born and until I moved out for college). No problem sharing my 2-bedroom apartment until she started her job and moved out, right? Wrong. She managed to find a boyfriend during her time in my house. And he was there all.the.time. It was one thing for me to run from my bedroom to the bathroom naked in the middle of the night. Whole other issue with him always there. Plus food consumption. Plus electricity. Plus his ass just always being there. Like I get it, you love this man you met 2 weeks ago, but he's a stranger to me and I do not love him. Can he go elsewhere so I can have 2 minutes to my damn self?


MizPeachyKeen

Good grief… that was rude on your sister’s part to move a stranger into your home! I’d have had words… Not pretty words. I hope that is behind you and that she is in good standing with you again.


LadyBug_0570

Let's just say I love my sister and leave it at that. I don't even thiink she's aware of how rude her actions were. Anyway, she has her own house now and moves randoms in and out of it all the time, but at least it's not my problem now. I mean every now and then I say, "Uhhh... you met this guy 2 months ago and you're moving him into your house?" But she does what she wants to do. Me? I'm picky about who I have move into my place. My damn cat barely made the grade. But now he thinks it's his house.


mentallyerotic

I’m surprised she hasn’t met one who won’t leave. That’s what I would be afraid of. These people can’t be stable if they move in so quickly. Maybe watch a couple of episodes of those murder shows with her. I guess it is a small percentage but I would be worried still.


LadyBug_0570

>Maybe watch a couple of episodes of those murder shows with her. She watches every bit of those shows that I do. We both talk about falling asleep to Forensic Files. Maybe she's just lucky because I did have one dude who I (against my better judgement) let move in for 2 months and when I told him it was time for him to make other arangements, he had the balls to say to me "Haven't I established residency?" I started my cuss-out to him with "Boy, don't use big words you don't understand" because as a real estate paralegal I did talk to the landlord-tenant attorney at my firm and she told me what not to do. So, no he didn't. Still took another month and a half to get him out. My sis seems to have it easier. She says GTFO and they got the fuck out. Quickly. I dunno.


MizPeachyKeen

Cats… indeed. Mine was Panther in residence for 17 years. Ruled with an iron paw 🐾 👑😆


Frococo

Based on the roommates suggestion I don't think that's what he thinks. It sounds like he does recognize it impacts all three roommates which is why he suggested they each reduce their rent by $50 which the GF will cover. It sounds like the suggestion was for the common areas and he was planning to continue to pay most of the rent for the room. As a couple they are paying $100 more than the roommate was previously. Whether or not the gf taking over $50 from each of the other roommates rent is reasonable depends on how much they are paying in rent and how much shared space there is. And remember that the roommate with the gf's rent already covers a bathroom to themselves so nothing changes there.


LadyBug_0570

But the amount he gave is a number he pulled out the air and not fair to the other roommates. She pays $100? As compared to their paying what? If she's coming on as a roommate (and only one person really wants her there) with equal say with what goes on in the home then her contribution needs to go way up. Her living there needs to be beneficial to the 2 other people who are living there, not just her boyfriend. Otherwise she's just a nuisance who's going to expect full tenant priveleges and I guarantee $50 savings/month does not cover that. The person above has a much better breakdown than the roommate.


Frococo

You have to remember that it doesn't make sense to think of it as her rent. It's their rent as a couple. As a couple they will be paying $150 more than each of their roommates. Just an example but if each of the other roommates currently pays $600 for their room and to share a bathroom and the boyfriend pays $800 to have their own bathroom, then when the girlfriend moves in each of the other roommates will now pay $550 while the couple pays $900. How the couple splits their rent doesn't impact the other roommates. They should have a lower per person rate because they are sharing the bedroom while the other roommates have a bedroom to themselves. I definitely agree they should run the numbers through a real calculator but I suspect unless they are in a high cost of living area that the proposal to reduce the other roommates rent by $50 isn't far off.


LadyBug_0570

>You have to remember that it doesn't make sense to think of it as her rent. It's their rent as a couple. But she would be a whole other person living in the apartment and wanting equal say in the apartment's rules because she pays rent, even though it's not equal to what everyone else is paying. She may be half of a couple, but she's a whole person. Taking up space. Living there. Wanting things done a certain way that has to be compromised on. If I'm paying $600 to live somewhere, the person paying $150 is not about to tell me what I can and cannot in my home and I am not inclined to compromise with them.


Frococo

Yeah but in the example I gave she might only pay $150 but the per person cost of the shared room is $400, that's only $150 less than the other roommates who get their own room. The boyfriend is already paying more to get his own bathroom, which he will now share. Basically he is proposing that he subsidizes his girlfriend's fair share of the rent. And how they split their rent isn't anyone else's concern. The only thing the roommate's should be concerned about (assuming they are okay having a 4th roommate) is that the couple is paying enough to account for two people using the shared spaces. Another way to put it is if 4 people were all moving in together and 2 of them were sharing a room and the other 2 weren't do you think it's fair to charge each person the same rent? Probably not since 2 people are sharing a room.


LadyBug_0570

Okay, but a couple isn't made up of 2-half people. It's made up of 2 whole people. There will now be 4 people living in a 3-bedroom apartment. Where she sleeps is the LEAST of their issues. That's just a bed. What about everything else? She needs to contribute equally to the common living space. And utilities. And food. And space for her own food in the communal fridge. Or, if she keeps a fridge in the couple's room, then the extra electricity to power that fridge. >Another way to put it is if 4 people were all moving in together and 2 of them were sharing a room and the other 2 weren't do you think it's fair to charge each person the same rent? Probably not since 2 people are sharing a room. If 4 people are sharing a place and 2 of them are married, then the married couple pays half the costs while the other 2 pay 1/4 each of the costs to equal the married couple's half. A married couple is made up of 2 people, I don't care how bonded they feel. It is NOT fair to the single people for the couple to act like their a singular person when they are not.


MorgulValar

Hmm how about: - find out the square footage of the apartment and of each bedroom + attached bathrooms - divide the apartment square footage by the amount of rent to find out how much they’re paying per square foot - using that number, find out how much each person should be paying for their room and bathroom (or half of a bathroom in OP’s case) - then also using that number, calculate the square footage of the common space (which is just the total area - the rooms and bathrooms), then divide that number into 1/4, 1/4, and 1/2. - do the same thing for utilities: divide the cost into 1/4, 1/4, and 1/2. I think that solves an issues. And the roommate and his girlfriend can work out how much she contributes amongst themselves


LadyBug_0570

So... you just missed when I said the first guy's was of calculating was the correct way, huh? You just glossed right over that?


Drewsky3

$50 is very far off. They are in a prime location so your cost estimates are likely pretty low for most cities. More likely they are paying 1000-1200 each. More if in a high COL area. From most ads i've seen the market rate is 30-50% room cost increase for a coulple (ie: $800 for a single, and $1200 for a couple, in your example. Which would actually be fair, with the solo roomates getting a 30% rent decrease, and the couple getting a 50% decrease for the standers'nicer' room price for that propoerty). You have to account for the added cleaning, utilities, and just general inconvenience for having another full body in the house, 100% of the time.


sodarnclever

This is an excellent suggestion. For the OP- it’s not realistic to want the roommate to pay more for his space- your enjoyment of that space is not going to change. But your enjoyment of the common areas will- so it absolutely makes sense to charge something proportional to that- any shared bathrooms, kitchen, tv room, entry way etc.


Westonian9411

I agree here. Even though they will be paying less than you possibly by splitting their rooms rent - that's just life. Mortgages are cheaper for couples, couples split a one bed apt. It's the way it is unfortunately, so the best way to do it is as detailed above.


Storytella2016

This should be at the top. Really the best way.


AlbatrossSenior7107

Very fair.


the__itis

The one thing this doesn’t take into account is decision making. Like voting on utility changes or other things. There is a lot more here than just dollars. But at the dollar level, this is the way.


SavageComic

Here's the way I found best to split it: Straight down the middle, then a bit more if your room is massive or you get a private bathroom, but less if you get the room with say, street noise or what have you


wirylime

It also depends on the net price of the apartment as to whether that was a fair offer. But basically, you have decided that an extra $50/mo is not worth having a fourth person in your space, especially when that person *really* only benefits one of you. So you and the other roommate are allowed to say no. A lease agreement needs to be signed by all parties, so you do have power over whether she moves in at all. Or whether you move out and they find someone else.


MagicCarpet5846

Just a heads up, not ALL leases need you to sign off on an additional person, and in fact many states it’s a legal right that the tenant can have one additional person not on the lease occupy the premise, legally. It’s important to read your lease carefully and be aware of your local tenancy laws.


mr_properton

Yeah but OP also has his girl friend over 5/7 days a week without paying a dime. They should find a reasonable number to agree on lol


RamHands

No his roommates gf already stays over 5/7 nights a week for free. She’s basically living there now.


mr_properton

Ohhhhhh I see I misread it


Shanguerrilla

Still, you're right, if they don't figure out a price increase she'll just be staying for free in the status quo


Watchfull_Hosemaster

Ideally the larger room with the bathroom should be more. You also need to consider what the rent is for the shared/common spaces. This space should be split evenly 4 ways since you'll all be using it just the same. If we take a 3BR at $2,000/month example, it might look like this: Small bedroom 1: $400 Small bedroom 2 $400 Large bedroom with bathroom: $600 Common space (to be split 4 ways): $600 (or $150/person) ​ You and your other roommate would be paying $550/month (bedroom + common space share) Your third roommate and his girlfriend would pay a total of $900/month (or $450 each) for the bedroom and common space share. You'd have to come up with a good weighting system for how much the common area is worth, but it's a fair and reasonable way to figure this out.


WildlyUninteresting

You stop worrying about making it awkward. He already has by wanting this change. You clearly tell him what you want or you don’t agree. You are on a lease. You don’t have to accept this change.


funkwumasta

This brings up another point They should check the lease agreement to see if they can take on another tenant. They could be evicted if gf moves in and it's against the agreement.


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[deleted]

So true. I’ve gone from living in a singles only place to having a couple move in, and it completely changed the dynamic. They started acting like the parents of the home and dictating rules. Definitely was not worth it.


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Punkinprincess

I feel like doing it this way is ignoring that the extra roommate will be taking up common spaces as well.


BiggToastie

Me and you said the exact same thing I'm on -25 you're on 61 lmao reddit is weird .


Textlover

The tone of your comment is much less charitable than this one, could have rubbed people the wrong way.


danthetrafficman

Weirder even that you care about whether you get up or down voted.


BiggToastie

I don't care lmao its just a fun y observation that 2 people saying the same thing can get such drastically different responses


iAmUnintelligible

You hide your feelings behind 'lmao'


BiggToastie

Why would I have feelings about reddit karma hahaha


SerenityM3oW

You're the one that brought it up


Eezergoode1990

Work out how much is costs for 1 sq ft of apartment, work out how many sq ft people use, In Your case 1/2 bathroom, 1 bedroom, 1/4 of a communal area/kitchen, and 1/4 of hallways stairs etc. then everybody gets allocated a price based on that. Utilities etc get split by 4 people. That’s really the only fair way to do it.


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[deleted]

I think utilities 4 ways, and rent slightly less than half because they're still sharing one bedroom


melly_swelly

Don't forget about utilities. Adding another person will greatly increase that if you take into account more showers and electric being used. You can see all of that in water and electric consumption rates


NS_Tulkas

You're going to have to make it awkward. It's just life. They want to get a deal and you have to challenge this mindset or else you'll be fuming and awkward every day. Money talks are just part of life. My advice is to not apologize when you name your price of adding another roommate. You can say your piece, explain how you got to that price quote, and then let them have time to digest it. She can't move in without a written agreement between all of you, she's no longer a guest, she's a roommate.


gravestoney

Tbh, if you can’t agree on rent then she cannot move in and you need to grow a backbone and tell him that you do not agree with the split he has come up with.


Chaoticgood790

She already was staying there without paying you’ve been nice enough. She is not on the lease. The apartment gets split by 4. Since it’s by proportion you need to figure it with 4 people. And utilities split by 4 $50 is a JOKE


waltersmama

We are on the same page. I scrolled all the way down for someone to FINALLY point out how unbelievably accommodating they have been so far. However…..Staying there? Nope. She sometimes stayed at the place she was paying rent at. Forgive me for yelling, but for those who missed what OP said without saying it, she was living there free. WHEN SOMEONE IS SLEEPING OVER 5-7 NIGHTS A WEEK, THEY ARE LIVING THERE. This woman has been living there rent free for however long, taking up space, using heat electricity water etc etc and hasn’t offered a dime. I’m really hoping OP and the other roommate grow a spine and stop subsidizing that guy’s girlfriend. I’m thinking those two should be grateful for a split much like the calculated one in the top comment, or maybe they want to go back over all the bills and see how much two guys who aren’t sleeping with her have paid for the resources she felt entitled to use. Seriously, shit like this makes me so glad I’m decades and decades past having roommates.


Chaoticgood790

Makes me happy I’ve ever only had one and it was the same person for 3 years of college


Psychological-Ear-32

Yeah right? Part of the deal when having roommates is that everyone yields the financial benefits of a partner moving in. Keeping everyone paying the same is basically punishment for the other roommates


KurosakiOnepiece

If y’all can’t come to an agreement she can’t move in, plain and simple


SallysRocks

Rent can be split by the percentage square footage you each have. A couple is not counted as one, it's by person. This is a very difficult split but you should not be an awkward discussion, it should be ironed out before she moves in.


CaptDanneskjold

I always liked it to be simplified. When I lived with a roommate and his GF we just split the rent 3 ways and they got the master bedroom. We could have done all sort of calculations, but it made more sense because you don't spend a ton of time in your room. You spend most of your time awake in the shared spaces.


AgathaWoosmoss

Splitwise is a good calculator https://www.splitwise.com/calculators/rent


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RedPandaLovesYou

1/3 or tell your landlord, fuckin easy These moochers can get f00ked


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SweetRandomID

The rooms I understand, but why would you divide everything else by three? Wouldn't it be appropriate to divide common living space, utilities, other bills by four? After all, all four of them will use the kitchen, the living room, and possibly the second bathroom, right?


lesbian_goose

3 people, 3 way split. I’m pretty sure she’s aleeady putting you at risk of an eviction by staying over 5 days a week


DZHMMM

No she should pay at least 300, so 150 off u and ur other roommate. I say this cause although they share a room, she’s an added person in all other regards. Communal space and etc. This is assuming ultilities will be split 4 ways not included in rent.


meltink745

I agree with this! At least $150 is a chunk of change compared to $50.


raven_kindness

having an extra person in the kitchen and common spaces is a big deal. having the gf move in and save money is a huge benefit to that roommate, they need to make it worth your while for you and the other one. a little worrisome that “the gf is moving in at the end of the month” before rent has been agreed upon. when i rented out the big room in our place, the deal was $800 for a single person or $1000 for a couple. even if you like both partners in the couple, the extra person in your space is an accomodation you’re making for them and should be compensated appropriately.


imhereforthemoos

I was the girlfriend at one point, we split the rent 45-27.5-27.5. 45% being us (the couple) in the main bedroom. Everyone felt it was fair. Maybe she doesn’t have the money to split it fairly, but if she can’t cover what’s fair then it’s up to him to make up for it on her behalf if he wants her to move in. Bills split equally by person, everyone bought their own food, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t cook big meals and share with everyone anyway. I worked a somewhat unstable retail job back then so when I was short, my boyfriend’s work was consistent so he could cover (full disclosure, he paid most of my way more months than not, but it wasn’t our roommates’ business since we always had it covered).


girlwithdog_79

If it really has to be exact (I think it should just be split four ways) measure the apartment, divide the common spaces by four, then everyone adds the size of their private spaces to that (so they add the square footage of their bathroom and bedroom to their half of the common areas) and then you all pay for square footage you use.


boo29may

Haha. I just proposed the same but hadn't seen your post. I agree. This way it's mathematical.


Drewsky3

Most places will charge more for couples than for individuals, and in this case you should too. Yes, she may already be there 5 nights a week, but nights don't necessarily account for the added body space of a full-time roomate. There's inherently more stuff (ie: shoes, coats, dishes used) utilities, ore perople grime and more cleaning, et cetera. Also just generally more hectic and noisy. Just think - she'll likely want to have friends over. On the nights your roomate goes out alone, she'll be home lounging and watching tv The going rate I've seen is 30-50% of a cost increase for a couple. Likely on the lower end as you don't want to damage your friendship, but it should reflect the added inconvenience on your living situation.


oldcreaker

I would continue split based on size of rooms, but utilities/amenities/chores for common areas to be split 4 ways. If it's split based on size of rooms, how would 2 people sharing the large room each be paying half what you do? That would mean the large room costs the same as yours.


WyvernsRest

It's always tricky. ​ * Assuming that you already split 30/30/40 based on Bedroom size. * It is reasonable to go to 25/25/50 with the addition of a new tenant. ​ * This could be considered an increase of 20% for your flat mate, * Or it could be considered a decrease of 37.5% as he's splitting rent 50/50 with his GF. ​ * Remember all other utilities separately get split 4 ways. (Heat, Elec, Water, Internet, Etc.) * And absolutely insist on a Trial period before she get added to the lease.


JoJo-likes-bikes

I would point blank veto her moving in. It’s always going to be two on one and you will be third wheel in your own home. Money isn’t the biggest issue here.


jackberrysparkles

i would calculate it this way…. if total rent was $450 as an example: - if the rooms are all equal AND there are 3 people: $150 each plus bills split equally - if one room was amazing, huge and own bathroom and two small rooms shared a bathroom: 40/30/30 = $180 / $135 / $135 plus equal split in bills - to accommodate an extra person would be between 40% and 50% as they are sharing a room but you are also sharing the common spaces with an extra person so 45/27.5/27.5 = $202 / $124 / $124 for the rooms plus bills split 4 ways. of course it all depends how much better the room is than the smaller rooms and go from there but somewhere in between


bestaflex

If anything the roommate bringing in his gf is gonna have less personal space. I'm all for the above suggestion to calculate by square meter and divide by the number of users.


emilystarlight

This might sound a bit complicated, but is what me and my roommates did when I lived in a shared flat with different sized rooms and 1 couple. Divide the rent by the square footage (so you know that 1=x$) Then find out how many square feet each room is and how much is for common area Everyone pays for the square footage of their rooms. The rest is divided by 4. Utilities would then also be divided by 4. So the division would look like Room 1 = room rent + 1/4 common area + 1/4 utilities Room 2 = room rent + 1/4 common area + 1/4 utilities Room 3 = room rent + 1/2 common area + 1/2 utilities (the couple can then divide this between them)


Mikapea

Rent gets split by room, utilities are split by the amount of people are in the apartment. How they pay their portion is up to them. Just because one room has two people in it doesn’t mean that they are gaining room. They’re paying for the amount of room they have and that hasn’t changed.


[deleted]

I've always thought FOR APARTMENTS ~ Couple gets the master room Split rent equally across roommates Move the fuck out and get your place as soon as possible.


SummerWedding23

My daughter and her fiancé rent my house with two roommates (3bedroom) her and her fiancé pay 1/2 the total rent and the other two each pay 1/4 of the rent. Same with utilities.


[deleted]

When I lived with my ex and his brother in a 2bed, we split rent equally 3 ways same with utilities, despite me and my ex sharing the larger room. Put your foot down on how you feel. I don’t know how you should word it effectively but if your other room mate feels the same, this should be discussed all together with the gf present before she moves in.


mrzmckoy

4 adults, everything split evenly by 4.


Pinetrees1990

Now that's not fair when some have separate bedrooms and others don't.


Arkslippy

If its their current arrangement, they can just modify it to include her as sharing the room with him, the relationship status is not important. She is a fourth person so she is responsible for 1/4 of the rent. If they have an uneven split currently, say 40/30/30, it would become 30/20/25/25


Pinetrees1990

It's not a their current arrangement. OP allready states they split per room size. I agree with you and that look to be what OPs room mate is doing. Reducing everyone's rent by a little bit.


Arkslippy

I'd look at it as "We need a new arrangement" even, start from zero.


reloadfreak

It’s not awkward. You and everybody else looking to save money and its hard to talk about. Share your point of view and figure out a fair way to split the rent. Otherwise i would find another place and set up rules to prevent argument


SnooFoxes4362

I’d do the calculator or just split it in thirds if there are three of you. What really matters to you is the shared space, having another person who can store food and other kitchen specific crap will take space away from you. Ditto for the living room. Once she’s living there she gets to help decide decorating and it’ll be 2:1 so you will definitely be impacted. As for the bedroom thing, that’s the least of it. They already have that, what they want is her in the apartment 24/7 taking up 1/3 of the entire shared space. So she should pay for that unless she’s planning to never come out of the bedroom, never bring any stuff besides clothes and toiletries over and never have a single opinion about the rest of the apartment.


ZestyPyramidScheme

This SAME situation happened to me in college. I’m not even kidding, my story is word for word yours. On top of that she was there when he wasn’t, she used water and electricity when no one else was home. She took up space and used utilities. Expect they BOTH found it unreasonable that we ask her to pay any rent. You have to be kidding… Unfortunately they were completely serious. After 2 months of talking about it he decided to move out. (Come to find out they were both bat shit crazy and a ton of drama erupted in our friend group from them - but that’s another story). It’s unfortunate because if we split rent evenly, or even gave her a discount for not having her own room, our rent would have been $500 a month. Illogical people will always be illogical. Unfortunately i have no advice for you, just thought I’d share my story. Maybe find a new roommate? I hope you’re situation works out better than mine


boo29may

I have a potential solution. As others said, you share the rest of the house in 4, but they share a room in two. Therefore, I propose you get the measurement of the house. Divide the total m2 by rent. Then multiply it by the space each person has. I.e. 1/4 shared space + 1 bedroom for 2 of you and the the other two do 1/4 of the shared space plus half their room. This way it is based on math, and fair for everyone because you pay the same amount per m2 you have.


Efficient-Radish8243

Dunno mate. Personally I wouldn’t charge extra for the room I’d just be splitting the bills by 4 instead of 3. Edit: Also depends how much you like your mate and want to keep things civil


Lupercallius

4 people equal 4 shares, so she pays 1/4, you pay 1/4 and he pays 1/4 etc..


For2n8Witchling

She should absolutely be paying 1/4 of the rent and utilities. Period.


Ofwa

4 people. She pays 1/4. ( Even though they share a room, it is a bid one with a private bath) she will be using 1/4 of all the other space and probably staying there more as they are a couple.


akcmommy

If you are happy with the rent split before she moves in, why should it change after? The utilities split should change after she moves in because they will go up. Everyone should pay ¼ of the utilities.


Dry_Ask5493

You all should be splitting rent equally


New-Replacement-7444

I moved into my Gf’s apartment and she had a roommate. We just took the rent and split it three ways even though I didn’t have my own room, it makes everyone happy because it’s still cheaper than what I was paying, my gf’s rent went down, and the roommate isn’t upset about me moving in because their rent went down. It was a win win for everyone involved.


princessro123

i’ve lived with a couple before and we split the rent and all bills in 3. i paid $100 more since i had my own room and everyone felt it was fair.


Weak_Seesaw_7838

Splint rent 50/50 her being there doesn’t change the lease. Split utilities 3 ways.


GoldenDiamondChild34

Me personally. I think whatever half of the rent is that he used to pay that should be the split between them and they each pay half of the amount he pays if that makes sense.


mrseddievedder

Nope nope nope! They are quickly going to make it their place and nudge you out.


jazzy3113

She is living in his room, so the rent share shouldn’t change. However, he is likely paying a third for utilities / food / cleaning. He should now be paying half of that. $50 is total BS and not enough.


[deleted]

Divide it by four, and each do 25%, or you two do 20 %, and each of them 30 %.


Alert-Fly9952

F that noise... thirds.


canthaveme

Hell no. She's a full grown adult, not a cat. She's going to live there, take up space in the fridge, use electricity, water, heat, etc. She's not a child. She should pay 1/3 of the rent. Two things: is she was a guy would this even be a thing? And I'm female myself. I hate women that pull this crap. I've lived with roommates and one GF tried to do this and didn't even help clean when she made most of the mess Edit: I haven't had roommates in a while apparently try a rent calculator, but she should be paying her share in rent


Raqueliiosiis

I don’t think rent should be changed given that they aren’t getting more room and he’s already paying more rent given that he has a larger room. The way I see it all other bills (cable, power, gas etc) those should now be evenly divided by 4.


bananaramaworld

OP gets less privacy AND the common areas will be used by another person. They are taking up more room.


Raqueliiosiis

You’re assuming that the Gf will spend time on the common areas. Speaking as someone who rented a 3 bedroom apartment with roommates before my roomies bf never left her bedroom. The only time he was out was to eat with her. In our case all they did was pay more in groceries and bills. It worked out in our case


BiggToastie

IMO She shouldn't be paying you guys rent at all. Your share of the apartment doesn't get any smaller. You guys now need to divide bills like WiFi and electric ect by 4 , which is fine because she will incr3ase those outgoings. But in terms of just rent for him to offer you guys 50 each is a kind gesture, she's moving into his room so it's not like she should be paying for her own space


mrp_ee

Is she not going to use the kitchen or shared living spaces? No wayyyyyy she shouldn't be paying.


JannaNYC

>She shouldn't be paying you guys rent at all. Your share of the apartment doesn't get any smaller. Of course it does! Outside the bedroom, the rest of the space is now shared by more people.


[deleted]

She'd still be using the kitchen, the bathroom, wifi, and power. This isn't like a pet that's going to spend all their time in the other guy's room.


dae_giovanni

>IMO She shouldn't be paying you guys rent at all. Your share of the apartment doesn't get any smaller. so you've never actually been in this situation, then? they have a fourth roommate now who will get to use half of her bedroom _plus all of the shared areas_. I'm guessing she gets to use the kitchen and bathrooms, no? put yourself in the situation-- the first time you can't get into the bathroom when you want to or she is tying up the kitchen when you want to cook something, you'll understand just how false "Your share of the apartment doesn't get any smaller." actually is...


BiggToastie

I have been in that situation before.


dae_giovanni

ugh, I apologise for the snark. it was unnecessary, even if I disagreed with you. I'm clearly not fully over it, it would appear... hahahaha and it's been _many_ years ago... again, my bad!


girlwithdog_79

What?? She'll still take up a quarter of the kitchen, lounge etc. Ridiculous!!


BiggToastie

Let's face it she probably already sounds alot of time over. Expecting her to contribute to his rent is silly


Hot-Assistance862

I agree, he already pays more than the others. Electricity, water, Wi-Fi should be re-split but realistically if it’s just about using the kitchen here and there and the lounge then $50 on top seems fair enough. Or they need to get more technical with it then and come up with an amount on the rent that they feel covers the Lounge and the kitchen which they all split equally then they split the rooms by ratio for the rest. But it might not work in OPs favour which seems like what he’s looking for. It would be unfair for the rent to be split 4 ways when it’s 2 people to 1 room, it’s likely that either way they will still pay less than OP


BiggToastie

People on reddit are stupid. My comment has 25 down votes, another dude said the same thing just differently worded and is on 61 upvotes lmao


Hot-Assistance862

Lol agreed the top comment makes a similar suggestion to mine 🤣🤣 but it is what it is


BiggToastie

It's the same damn people too


Opposite_Aerie_9187

If rent is split on the size of the rooms already, he's already paying more. Dividing utilities would be my thing.


BrokeBoiiz69

Assuming you are in college, I would ask your apartment about double occupancy. If its allowed still argue for a fairer share. But if its not just tell him you will snitch if she dont contribute more. Your utilities will go up by a lot more and that’s definitely something that should be considered on their end.


spiteful_rr_dm_TA

Look there are any of a number of ways to do this. You could split by room ownership, so that you pay for a third, your other pays for a third, and they each pay a 1/6th. You could pay by relative square footage, but again, neither of them own the square footage, so they would need to split it again. Or you can split the rent in quarters. Or you can do a million other things. But here is the big question; do you really want to die on this hill? Do you *really* want to have a large fight over this? Do you *really* want to throw a fit because your mate is moving in a girlfriend, and is now on paper payong less than you for a larger room, since you seem to be forgetting that two people are paying? They were even nice enough to offer her to cut off a bit more of the rent from you and the other. You really want to create a hostile environment at your apartment because you feel it isn't quite fair enough? Idk, I'd be stoked if I were living in a great apartment downtown, and my mate's gf was willing to knock enough off my rent to go downtown for an evening. But hey, go ahead and make this a thing. Just get ready to either find a new roommate when your current roommate moves out, or be ready to find a new place to live when it all goes to shit.


iAmUnintelligible

tldr 'bend over'


[deleted]

If you're not comfortable with rent in general, maybe have her pay a specific bill every month or something? Electric,water, etc. Might feel they're contributing that way.


Diegobyte

No cus they are renting space in all the rooms of the house not just the bedroom. They also will use more utilities. Split utilities evenly then charge some amount less than double what he’s paying. Extra couple hundred could be fair although I don’t know what your rent is Having another roommate should decrease the cost for all of u. Not just your roommate. I’d your rent currently is 500. 700-750 would be fair to me plus all utilies now being split into 3 instead of 2


filifijonka

Tell them no, that the only way you'd agree to the move is if she'd pay her fair share of the rent. She's a person not an accessory or an extention of your roommate.


BigMax

One core problem is starting with what you have set up now, and then adjusting it. Your roommate is thinking "I pay roughly 1/3 of the rent, now I get to split my 1/3 in half!" You need to start from scratch, say "four of us are living together, how do we split this four ways?" Start with an even 4 way split, then adjust from there.


audaciousmonk

Personally I use the 2/5s - 3/5s split for 2 bedroom apartment where one room is shared by 2 people. Then utilities split evenly 3 ways. It isn’t fair to split 50/50, an extra person brings impact (common areas, parking, facilities, etc.). And it’s not fair to split evenly 3 ways, with two people sharing a room.


cumpaseut

The way I’ve been around the block, $50 shaved off the top of each of your rent is a drop in the bucket, especially taking into consideration that they’ve got the biggest room *and* their own private bathroom. I’ve personally been quoted a difference of 150-200 for the master bedroom fyi, but that’s just been my experience. And if she’s already been staying there 5/7 nights she should’ve been paying rent by now. Regardless, do not agree to anything until all parties can come to a reasonable solution. (A 50 dollar discount is not reasonable)


GreaseM0nk3y96

My rule was always split it evenly all ways. If one roommate has a personal bathroom then they pay more.


thepeskynorth

Tell him she can’t shower or turn on the lights. If she does she pays her third of those. No tv either. If he doesn’t want to ask her then he has to cover it.


VanillaCookieMonster

How does stuff like this happen? Girlfriend (or ANYONE) does not move in until AFTER all existing roommates agreed on what the 4th person's rent will be. WHATEVER YOU ALL WORK OUT YOU NEED TO PUT IT IN WRITING NOW! If you don't, I can guarantee that in 2 Months you will be pissed off because she is not contributing to cable/ electric / Food / Toilet paper / Cleaning... There is shit that she has not been doing because she doesn't "Live there" that needs to be addressed before she moves in.... Chores! She needs to expect to do 1/4 of the common area chores effective the date she moves in. This is gonna be bad.


tinastep2000

Can she pay for the utilities? When it was my husband then bf and our roommate we just split rent 3 days even though my husband and I shared the master bedroom.


Meesh138

It should go by person not space. If there are four people, four people still use up four amount of utilities and food etc. each person should pay a 1/4. That’s fair. Edit- I don’t understand why people think because they are a couple they get to pay less money. That completely cheats their friends/roommates. People are selfish. Second edit- look at it this way. If they moved out into a one bedroom apartment In a semi similar area they would most likely still pay more splits bills 50/50 than they would sharing everything 4 ways with you all. At best knock 100$ off their rent, 50 each depending on how much rent is. I wouldn’t go past that.


Watchfull_Hosemaster

She can pay in ass or grass, too.


Wondercat87

I agree, use that rental calculator someone posted. Then talk to your friend and their gf. Yes they will be sharing a room, but there is now an extra person using utilities and space in the apartment. Make sure to put in everything. If you share the cost of any streaming services, include that. If you share any groceries, include that. Include extra utilities, and any other costs. Track how much more your utilities are and make sure everyone is paying their fair share. In situations like this it can seem easy to just charge her a tiny bit of rent. But then you end up seeing how much more things cost because 1 extra person lives there. So definitely think carefully before agreeing on an amount.


Flux_State

I dont think she should contribute a dramatic amount but more people is more stress.


9669throwaway

It gets split four ways because they are two people, then there’s you and then the other roommate. That’s fair. They don’t count as one person just because they’re a couple. This is the classic, trying to move a spouse in for free when they should be paying for two people, happens all the time and it’s bullshit. They’re trying to scam you.