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News & General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: wolf39us on February 16, 2013, 11:23:47 AM

Poll
Question: How should this be done fairly?
Option 1: 50/50 (by bedroom) votes: 7
Option 2: 60/40 votes: 0
Option 3: 33/33/33 votes: 4
Option 4: Other (please explain) votes: 1
Title: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: wolf39us on February 16, 2013, 11:23:47 AM
Okay so I have a fairly new situation... And I can't mathematically work it out in my head the fairest way to split expenses.

Here it goes:

2 br / 2 bath (dual master) same size.  

New roommate will be in his own room while my girlfriend and I will be in the other.  Now technically, only he and I are "on the lease" and she is just living with me.

How to split this?  

Rent: 955

Utilities: 1/3 (I don't think I could imagine doing utilities any other way)
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Bibliofagus on February 16, 2013, 11:27:47 AM
50/50

There's no way to make a contract covering him getting a girlfriend as well... So it's not smart to factor you having a girl right now into any contracts about rent.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: wolf39us on February 16, 2013, 11:30:44 AM
See I could argue this both ways.  Because I have her here, we will be 2/3 voting power.  We will probably take over the living room and she would be living here almost effectively "free"... How is that fair?

If he does have someone living here, the rent would then be split into 1/4 each.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Bibliofagus on February 16, 2013, 11:37:19 AM
Let's say your girl doesn't contibute on the cost of your space at all.
Why should you pay for him as well?
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: PopeyesPappy on February 16, 2013, 11:45:14 AM
Kill the roommate. Eat the evidence. Keep the place for yourselves.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: WantingSoul on February 16, 2013, 11:47:42 AM
50/50.  He is not getting any less living space by her being there.  The only exception might be common areas (kitchen, living room, etc.) but one extra body should be a big deal.  IF you think about it, YOU are getting less living space.  Divide the utilities 3 ways; and if you share chores, divide that three ways as well.  Your roommate is still getting a deal.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: WantingSoul on February 16, 2013, 11:53:27 AM
Additionally, if you are concerned about "voting power", leave the girlfriend out of it. She can sway -your- vote, but only you and your flatmate have a vote.  If the two of you don't agree on something, you can leave it up to a flip of a coin or some roshambo.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: SGOS on February 16, 2013, 12:29:40 PM
For three people living in the same apartment, I would split it 3 ways, and each person would pay a share.  I wouldn't factor in you having to give up some of your space.  Having your girlfriend there isn't really an encumbrance for you.  It may be for your roommate.  This is where you have a discussion with your roommate about her living there.

But maybe I'm missing something.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Icarus on February 16, 2013, 12:44:46 PM
You could consider the bedrooms representing 1/4 of the rent each and the common areas as 1/2. Now because you are both sharing a bedroom you and your girlfriend pay that 1/4 together, while the other roommate pays the 1/4 for his room. Now the 1/2 should be split 3 ways because 3 of you will be using it equally. That gives you and your girlfriend paying 7/12 and the new roommate paying 5/12 of the rent. That's 557 to you and 398 to your new roommate.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: WantingSoul on February 16, 2013, 01:01:59 PM
A landlord doesn't change the rent on an apartment if you rent it on your own, have a spouse/significant other or a family.  They rent the space.  You and your roommate are splitting that rented space evenly (i.e. one bedroom each and shared living space).  What you do with your half is your business a he, his.

Does your roommate have a problem paying half the rent for half the space?
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: SilentFutility on February 16, 2013, 01:13:00 PM
Utilities should definitely be 1/3 each as you are all contributing to their usage.

As for rent I'd probably say that you pay per room, as you would if the apartment was legally multi-occupancy rather than one whole residence with one figure for rent. You and your gf would then split your room. Make sure he's okay with your gf living there though, and obviously she has to contribute to cleaning and other household tasks equally as well.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: SGOS on February 16, 2013, 01:42:46 PM
I don't see this a pure mathematical problem.  Your roommate is giving up a large portion of his privacy, whereas you are not.  I think it will be a bigger burden on your roommate, and I don't know how you can assign a mathematical value to that, but I would be reluctant to reduce the problem to one of pure numbers.  If you have any doubts about what is fair, I would give the financial benefit of the doubt to your roommate.

If I were in your situation, it would just make me feel better about myself, and I would never make my roommate feel like I had done him some kind of favor.  In the end, I would call an agreement fair, if both of you agree that it's fair.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: SilentFutility on February 16, 2013, 02:00:33 PM
Quote from: "SGOS"I don't see this a pure mathematical problem.  Your roommate is giving up a large portion of his privacy, whereas you are not.  I think it will be a bigger burden on your roommate, and I don't know how you can assign a mathematical value to that, but I would be reluctant to reduce the problem to one of pure numbers.  If you have any doubts about what is fair, I would give the financial benefit of the doubt to your roommate.

If I were in your situation, it would just make me feel better about myself, and I would never make my roommate feel like I had done him some kind of favor.  In the end, I would call an agreement fair, if both of you agree that it's fair.
This as well.

What does your roomate deem to be fair?
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Icarus on February 16, 2013, 02:02:54 PM
Quote from: "SGOS"I don't see this a pure mathematical problem.

But, but.... Math! :P
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Mermaid on February 16, 2013, 02:07:16 PM
Quote from: "PopeyesPappy"Kill the roommate. Eat the evidence. Keep the place for yourselves.
This.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Nonsensei on February 16, 2013, 02:09:14 PM
I would be very worried if I were your roommate and you suggested some sort of arrangement in which you ended up paying more than I did. I would make me feel like I had less of a stake in the apartment than you, less of a say in household decisions, and it would make me feel like I might have less standing to object if you wanted to push me out and have her take over my portion of the apartment in the future.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Aroura33 on February 16, 2013, 02:10:27 PM
50/50.  My dad lives in a home where they rent out 5 rooms.  In the case where a couple moves in (childless couples of course), they pay the same rent as a single person.  You and your GF are paying for the living space, which is equal with your other roommate.

As far as utilities go, if you want to pay 2/3 that seems fair, as she will, of course, use up more of that.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: SvZurich on February 16, 2013, 04:02:24 PM
50/50 and only 2 votes between the payees.  You and your girl could break up tomorrow and nothing would change.  Split utilities by the number of parties, but rent is solely between the two on the lease, so 50/50.

Remember, he can get a girl, or you could lose yours.  That randomness should not effect the rent.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: Mermaid on February 16, 2013, 04:32:24 PM
Quote from: "SvZurich"50/50 and only 2 votes between the payees.  You and your girl could break up tomorrow and nothing would change.  Split utilities by the number of parties, but rent is solely between the two on the lease, so 50/50.

Remember, he can get a girl, or you could lose yours.  That randomness should not effect the rent.
This is a good point.
Title: Re: Splitting Rent Fairly
Post by: SGOS on February 16, 2013, 04:53:41 PM
Quote from: "Icarus"
Quote from: "SGOS"I don't see this a pure mathematical problem.

But, but.... Math! :P
Yeah, I know.  And it is an interesting math problem, for sure.