3 bedroom apt. with 4 people. 2 rooms are the same size and share a bathroom and the third is slightly bigger with its own bathroom. If a couple lives in the biggest room and 1 person lives in each other room how would you split the rent? Just curious here.

12/14/2010 2:58:35 PM

Between all people living there.

12/14/2010 3:00:31 PM

2/7, 2/7, 3/7

I would do it that way. 3/7 being the largest bedroom of course.

What's the total rent? It would be easier that way.

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:01 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 3:00:57 PM

25% per person. No need to make it complicated. If anyone doesn't like it they can GIT OUT!

12/14/2010 3:01:46 PM

2/7, 2/7, 3/7 for rent

and 25% each for utilities, cable etc..

12/14/2010 3:03:05 PM

^this

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:03 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 3:03:14 PM

^^

12/14/2010 3:05:59 PM

^^^that was my thought, but apparently one roommate thinks it's absurd to do it any way other than 25% per person.

How would you convince someone that this is the proper way to do it???

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:07 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 3:06:33 PM

^ You tell them if they don't want to do it that way then they're under no obligation to rent a room in the house. Unless of course, it's their name on the lease, then you have to play by their rules

12/14/2010 3:08:57 PM

Why refer them to this thread of course.

12/14/2010 3:09:21 PM

explain that it is by square footage. consider each person in the largest bedroom to get half of the sq footage of the room, and the others get the sq footage of their rooms. If they don't understand that, then tell them to shut up and let the adults handle the financial decisions.

12/14/2010 3:11:01 PM

in one ear and out the other, that's why I feel like there's nothing I can do, both people are on the lease.

12/14/2010 3:13:36 PM

blacks only have to pay 3/5 rent

12/14/2010 3:14:38 PM

Well in that case just let them settle it like men.

12/14/2010 3:16:27 PM

We originally had 3 living in our 3BR - total rent of $1100/mo. One of the rooms was a bit larger and had its own bathroom, which we agreed justified that roommate paying a bit more. The split worked out to:

$320/mo. for both rooms that had to share a bathroom (in reality we only share use of the shower b/c the room downstairs is next to a 1/2 BR).

$360/mo. for the larger room.

Quote :

"the third is slightly bigger with its own bathroom."

Explain that the extra space plus private bathroom is worth a bit extra. If that person doesn't want to pay it, they're welcome to one of the other rooms.

12/14/2010 3:17:19 PM

Quote :

"Explain that the extra space plus private bathroom is worth a bit extra"

I agree that it's worth more, but it's not 50% of the space so should I pay 50% of the rent? I completely agree with splitting utilities equally.

12/14/2010 3:19:39 PM

Quote :

"2/7, 2/7, 3/7 for rent and 25% each for utilities, cable etc.."

Agreed

It's not even about the size of the room imo, but rather private bathroom vs sharing bathroom.

12/14/2010 3:22:15 PM

Quote :

"but apparently one roommate thinks it's absurd to do it any way other than 25% per person"

is this the roommate that will be in the larger bedroom with private bathroom?

12/14/2010 3:30:46 PM

Split the rent evenly 4 ways and rotate rooms ever 3 months.

12/14/2010 3:32:31 PM

Quote :

"but apparently one roommate thinks it's absurd to do it any way other than 25% per person"

that roommate is sehr stupido. at least the couple would be paying for a larger portion of the rent...just one of them could move in and the other could just 'visit' 24/7. this stubborn roommate must be terrible at relationships.

12/14/2010 3:33:52 PM

the fact that there will be 2 people sharing the big room makes it even more reasonable to charge more for that room

12/14/2010 3:39:08 PM

completely agree, but are you saying 50% of the total rent. I'm not saying you're wrong, I've just never been in this situation and don't really know the norm. or any course of action I have.

12/14/2010 3:40:24 PM

If you don't have a written lease with the amount of rent spelled out for each room then legally speaking you don't really have any course of action.

12/14/2010 3:42:19 PM

the 2/7, 2/7, 3/7 split should work perfect in this situation

12/14/2010 3:42:44 PM

Quote :

"2/7, 2/7, 3/7 for rent and 25% each for utilities, cable etc."

The couple in the large bedroom should pay more in rent, but not half.

12/14/2010 3:43:30 PM

Is there any way we can get the total rent figure in all of this so we don't have to do it by fractions?

12/14/2010 3:48:28 PM

It would be super easy if the rent was $700

lol

12/14/2010 3:49:12 PM

$830 total rent, which is another reason why I feel this is really ridiculous b/c it is very cheap.

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:52 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 3:51:35 PM

$250
$250
$330

12/14/2010 3:52:54 PM

Apparently my arithmetic leaves something to be desired



Also, I would hate to live with another couple. You'd always feel like the 3rd wheel when they were doing couple stuff. Living with someone who has their girl over 24/7 is bad enough.

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:54 PM. Reason : x]

12/14/2010 3:52:59 PM

Quote :

"$250 $250 $330"

^idiot

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:54 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 3:54:08 PM

^^lol, I was just about to ask you who would get stuck with the other $100

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:54 PM. Reason : a]

12/14/2010 3:54:34 PM

^^that's what I had come up with

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:55 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 3:55:03 PM

Damn this makes me miss the days of $250 rent

12/14/2010 3:55:35 PM

Quote :

"Damn this makes me miss the days of $250 rent"

True. It would be coke and whores every night if I was still paying $250 rent.

12/14/2010 3:56:26 PM

Sounds like a shithole

12/14/2010 3:56:30 PM

Total number of renters = N
Rent/month = R ($/month)
Utilities/month = U ($/month)
Total area of apartment = A (sf)
Total shared area = Y (sf)

Cost per square foot, P = R/A ($/sf/month)

Renter 1's room size (sf) = A1
Renter 2's room size (sf) = A2
Renter 3 and 4's room size (sf) = A3

Cost for Renter 1:
P*A1+P*(Y/N)+(1/N)*U = $/month

Cost for Renter 2:
P*A2+P*(Y/N)+(1/N)*U = $/month

Cost for Renter 3:
P*(A3/2)+P*(Y/N)+(1/N)*U = $/month

Cost for Renter 4:
P*(A3/2)+P*(Y/N)+(1/N)*U = $/month

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 3:59 PM. Reason : -]

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 4:01 PM. Reason : You'll need to add some more stuff for bathrooms and what not]

12/14/2010 3:58:25 PM

also don't forget the asshole tax

12/14/2010 3:58:53 PM

Whats your policy on using someone elses John if you clog yours?

I'd charge a 3 dollar convenience fee every time that happened?

12/14/2010 3:59:47 PM

Quote :

"If you don't have a written lease with the amount of rent spelled out for each room then legally speaking you don't really have any course of action."

Hopefully it won't come to that.

As far as the cheap rent goes, I lived in a pretty cheap place for two years (3BR, $960/mo). One of the guys' dads owned the place, which meant that he got the larger room with the private BR.

At first I didn't think it would be that big a deal, but after having to run outside to piss a couple times because my shared bathroom was in use (the other roommate was a dick about using his), or being late because the BR was in use, it started to rub me the wrong way that I was paying the same amount, but getting less.

If they're reasonable people, they should understand.

12/14/2010 4:00:32 PM

"You can't use MY bathroom...go outside!"


Hahaha, what an asshole

12/14/2010 4:04:29 PM

I feel like the only fair way to do this (if it can't be solved any other way) is to split it up by square footage and make distinction for common areas. So just to pull numbers out of my ass: say there is 600 sq feet of common area (living room, kitchen, laundry, etc) and each smaller bedroom is 275 sq feet, the shared bath is 75 sq feet, the larger bedroom is 300 sq feet and that bath is also 75 sq feet. So you are looking at 1600 sq feet total with 37.5% being common. So to calculate the large bedroom/private bath rent would be (37.5%/4)*2 + 375/1600 = 42.2%. The other 2 would split the rest down the middle (28.9%). Which is crazy close to 2/7 2/7 3/7. So the only way you should be paying closer to 50% total rent is if the bedroom/private bath is a good chunk of the square footage since you all should have equal access to the common areas.

12/14/2010 4:04:46 PM

THIS IS THE BEST METHOD:

Measure each room and calculate square footage

Do not include communal spaces.

Since you have shared and private bathrooms include them in the square footage of each room. Split the shared bathroom between the 2 rooms.

Each measurement represents a percentage of the total private (non-communal) space. This percentage constitutes the percentage of the total rent owed by each party. The couple that shares the room splits the cost between them.

For some reason no roommates will ever do this with me though - they say it is impractical but I think it is the most fair.

12/14/2010 4:05:48 PM

I am so glad I don't deal with roommates anymore.

12/14/2010 4:06:55 PM

this thread has confirmed what I basically thought, thank you tww....I just fear the other roommate is going to continue to pitch a fit in the face of reason

12/14/2010 4:07:07 PM

Tell them they are free to find living arrangements somewhere else.

12/14/2010 4:07:58 PM

even split if the dumb couple shares the bathroom

you shit in there every day

12/14/2010 4:10:42 PM

Is the girl yours? If not then demand she be shared equally just like the rent is.

12/14/2010 4:11:22 PM

^^^^^^ i did that with my old roommates but we did include the communal area split equally.

lots of fun measuring exact dimensions.

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 4:11 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 4:11:34 PM

If a couple is sharing the room with the private bathroom, then it is still 2 people per bathroom and shouldn't factor in (unless having to walk outside your room to get to the bathroom is a big deal, which it shouldn't be).

I like to divide it up by space used. Lets say you have 800 sq ft of public space (living room, kitchen, etc) and 700 sq ft of bedroom space (no idea how much a room actually has, this is just making up even numbers)

Room 1 - 200
Room 2 - 200
Room 3 - 300

Roommate 1 - 400 sq ft
Roommate 2 - 400 sq ft
Roommate 3 - 350 sq ft
R3's partner - 350 sq ft

This would mean:
1 & 2 = 26.67% of the rent each
3 & P = 23.33% of the rent each

Or, if you consider the couple as one person,
26.67% per single roommate
46.67% for the roommate with the larger room

That actually gives you a good median between making the other roommate pay 25% vs 2/7 (28.5%), but these numbers are entirely based on the area divisions.

12/14/2010 4:16:08 PM