to ask her to pay more than us

[inneedofgoodideas]

My bf and I are planning on moving into a flatshare with a friend and trying to work out the fairest way to split the rent. We currently live in a houseshare and pay £100 more a month for our room as it is slightly bigger - this rent was decided by landlord.

However, if we move into a 2 bed flat where the bedrooms are the same size, should we split the rent down the middle?

I don't think it is fair for my bf and I to pay 1/3 of the rent each, when we are sharing a room and the friend has a room to themselves. However I realise we take up more room in the kitchen/living room, so am happy to keep paying £100 more (this would be approx almost 10% of total rent if that makes sense). I think this is more than enough (too much?)

what do you think? AIBU to expect to only pay half the rent when I'm only using half the bedrooms?

Obviously if our room ends up being much bigger then i understand we would pay more but most flats we have looked at have equal-sized bedrooms which basically means we are paying more so that the friend can get a cheap, big room.

we will split all bills between 3.

opinions pls!!

Yes but your friend is single. Of course she shouldn't pay more. It's weird that you think otherwise.

To be honest she should have a nice big room. She'll probably be spending a lot of time in it as the couple will probably take over the kitchen and TV room all the time...

If there is shared living space ie bathroom and living room, I think it should be 3 ways.

You guys pay 60% she pays 40%

Bills split 3 ways

Split 3 ways.

We already live together and get on very well - we do not 'take over' the living room! we often cook all together and have film nights - in fact none of us spend much time in our rooms.

my point is that if the rooms are the same size, i'm essentially paying the same as my friend to have half a room/half the wardrobe space etc.

but interesting to know that people think otherwise - thanks so far.

I suggest you and your boyfriend pay 60% of the rent and your friend pays 40% so if the rents £1000 pcm you pay £300 boyfriend pays £300 and friend pays £400.

As you rightly say you're not just paying for bedrooms it's kitchen and bathroom facilities etc also.

May be worth discussing what would happen in the event if you and your boyfriend separated though, as in would your friend expect you to continue paying more than her? Also what would happen if your friend wanted to move their boyfriend in? Agreeing all this beforehand may stop issues further down the road.

I don't think a 50/50 split is fair as that means you're paying half as much for the rooms you do share with your flat mate i.e. most of them. It's only the bedroom that is a different situation, and as you've said you don't spend much time in your rooms anyway.

I would split things 3 ways myself on that basis but if you really don't want to do that I would make the split 60/40 (i.e. You and your partner paying 60% of rent and her paying 40%).

But surely you're using 2 lots of gas, electric and water whereas she's using 1 lot.

You're right. If you think about it, if it was three women sharing, but two had to share a room, the rental wouldn't be split in 3, would it?

Perhaps a 60:40 split, as another poster has suggested, would be better.

They are splitting the bills three ways, @ems137. It's the rent she's concerned about.

thanks all - @ems137 bills would be split equally between us 3, this is just rent

Split it three ways, that’s the only fair way

Rent should be split 3 ways, your friend may have one room to themselves but in return they have to put up with living with a couple whose domestic situation will dominate the dynamic of the house. Also the whole of the rest of the flat will be between the 3 of you, unless your boyfriend is going to confine himself to your bedroom only. Plus as a PP said your friend will need their room to escape to so they're not playing gooseberry every night. YABU.

in fact none of us spend much time in our rooms

This is why it shouldn't be divided by bedroom use.

I agree with the 60-40 suggestion above

Sharing with a couple - it will end on tears.

So as an example
Rent £1000 pcm
5 rooms in flat each room worth £200pcm
Kitchen split between 3 of you £66.66 each
Bathroom split between 3 of you £66.66 each
Living room split between 3 of you £66.66 each
Bedroom 1 (friend) solo cost £200
Bedroom 2 (couple) split between 2 of you £100 each.

Friend pays £400 (figures rounded up)
You pay £300
Boyfriend pays £300

And yes all bills split 3 ways

60 40. Your friend has 1/3 of the living space.

Agree with the 40/30/30 split for rent and equal for rent to be reviewed if she ever moves a partner in.
Presumably all your names are on the contact so if you break up he is still responsible and told me to break the tenancy anyway

thanks everyone. I'm sensing a vibe that people think the friend should get compensation for living with a couple/being banished to their room - just want to point out we are not very coupley around friends, and currently already live with this person in a different situation - it was their decision to move in with us.

Think about it square footage wise then if you are aggrieved you have half the bedroom space.
So say the whole square footage of the flat is 1500ft, both bedrooms are 500ft and the shared space is 500ft, you therefore have 750ft, your partner has 750ft and flat mate 1000ft, which equals the 60:40 ratio other posters have already mentioned. Everyone is paying for their ‘space’ fairly.

It's a little unfair to split the bill down the middle. I assume you're all working?
So, if your rent is £1000pcm. Split it down the middle and your friend is paying £500pcm, you're paying £250pcm and your boyfriend is paying £250pcm.
I think the 60/40 split is a good idea

Sorry, missed the bill splitting part.

I do think you still need to split 3 ways though. If she were to have a boyfriend move in would you expect your share of the rent to go down?

Has your flat mate said anything?

I don't think that she should be compensated for living with a couple - only one PP suggested that! I've lived with a couple before and it was fine.

The issue is that you're suggesting you should get a discount over the whole flat for there being 2 of you when that's only relevant in respect of the bedroom. You and your BF count as one person for the bedroom but still as two people for the other rooms. That's why a 60/40 split is more fair than 50/50.

I was your friend in this situation - sharing a flat with a couple. We split it 3 ways equally. BUT - they got the room with the en-suite bathroom and built in wardrobes, and I used the shower room (was also the toilet used by all visitors to the flat as not attached to a bedroom) and had a slightly smaller bedroom. This seemed fair - they had more space and nicer washing facilities in return for paying 66% of rent.

I felt a bit cheesed off when the couple split and I ended up paying half the rent while still having the smaller room and shared shower room!

It isn't about punishing you for being in a couple. It's about the fact that rent is more than sleeping space.
If rent is 1500:
Bedrooms cost 600 so 300 each split two ways, living room costs 450 split 3 ways, kitchen costs 300 split 3 ways, bathroom costs 150 split three ways

So she pays 600, you pay 450 and partner pays 450. That's 600/900 which is 40/60,split.