How do you split bills with your partner?

[EmilyAlice19]

My partner has just recently moved in with me and I am really undecided of how to split the bills fairly.
To give some context:
Both me and my partner own our own houses - we live in mine and partner rents his out.

I have no children and he has two children from a previous relationship that stay will us every weekend (Fri until Sun)

I pay my mortgage and he pays his.

Our finances are very much kept separate.

How would you split the house bills - council tax, water, gas, electric, wifi etc and then how would you split the food bills?

Do you both earn approx the same?

@Bromptotoo salary wise we are around the same but with overtime he earns slightly more.

When we first got together we worked out what we'd need for fuel, food, rates and in our case rent. We then set up a joint account and paid an amount into there. I was on quite a bit more than she was so I suspect our contributions were 60/40 or thereabouts.

He will be getting rent for his house and you will not. I think he should pay more. His children will be costing extra, with bills and food. So maybe be should give you half the rent he is getting plus pay half of everything else and a bit extra when his kids are staying.

My thoughts:

All house bills should be split 50/50

Food - he should pay marginally more to reflect a contribution for the children.

I then think you should both make your own house/ mortgage payments.

But then he gets rental income which he may pay tax on, 50% of this value (after tax) should come to you as "rent" since he's only able to rent his house out by staying at yours.

Surely he should be paying you rent, as well as half of the costs of running the house.

So he is saving a lot of money by renting his house and moving in with you.
Has there been a discussion about that disparity ?

Is he paying you rent?

He needs to pay rent. If he lives there full time should it not be 50/50 everything? Have you discussed whether your home is going to stay as only yours, or whether he shared the mortgage etc?

He's really benefitting as the rent from his property presumably cover the mortgage there, so he has much lower outgoings. Definitely consider that, plus extra wear and tear of having him in your house, and the kids.

Will the rent on his property just cover the mortgage payments or is he going to make a profit on the rental? If he’s making a profit you need to consider how that affects the split.

I’d generally suggest 50/50 on all bills, food etc assuming you earn around the same, and he should pay some kind of rent to you otherwise he’s just getting a free ride by renting out his house, that he still owns but isn’t needing to pay for.