Money Moral Dilemma: My housemate has a bigger room - how should we split the rent?

MSE_Kelvin

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I'm renting a shared house and recently found out my housemate is paying less than me for a bigger room. We recently signed a new contract and they've agreed to discuss splitting it in a fairer way. What is the best way to go about this?

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AndyTails

I need more information on the contract (or contracts!?) that have been signed in order to suggest how to go about it.

It sounds likely to me that the two housemates signed separate contracts for individual rooms, and the Moneysaver negotiated badly! In which case, as they're on seperate contracts, negotiate better when the next contract comes around.

And you've just signed a new one. So it's too late. You'll have to wait for the next one then...

moneyistooshorttomention

Assuming all else being equal - the rooms are just as nice (or otherwise), private, etc, etc = go by square footage I'd say.

Work out a price per square foot, see how many square feet in your room, how many in theirs and go from there.

Though I have to admit I'd be surprised at anyone being willing to give up any of a "better deal" they personally had.

jonnygee2

I'm renting a shared house and recently found out my housemate is paying less than me for a bigger room.

Assuming your contract is individual, and direct with landlord? (otherwise you'd know his rent already!). In this case, your rent and his are not related. If you aren't happy with what you are paying, try to renegotiate with the landlord. You don't have to try and negotiate your mates rent upwards in the process!

Work out a price per square foot, see how many square feet in your room, how many in theirs and go from there.

I don't know if that works because they would all have access to the same communal facilities, which is a large part of the rent, so a room that's double the size isn't really worth double the rent.

I used to live in a HMO where rent was about £500 / month. The large double room at the front of the house was £550 and the poky little room at the back was £400, other two rooms £500 each.

I guess the question is - if you were looking round this place for the first time, how much extra would you pay for the bigger room?

Pixie5740

This week's money saver says....

MSE_Kelvin wrote: »

We recently signed a new contract and they've agreed to discuss splitting it in a fairer way.

That sounds like two people signing a single contract to me otherwise it would say, "I signed a new contract," or "we signed new contracts."

It depends on how much larger the other room is and if it comes with an en suite or some other significant feature that this week's money saver's room does not have.

This week's money saver and the flatmate could continue to split the rent as they have done in the past and swap rooms for the same time period. Alternatively the flatmate could propose what he thinks is fair and then the OP could propose tossing a coin for the larger room.

jonnygee2

That sounds like two people signing a single contract to me otherwise it would say, "I signed a new contract," or "we signed new contracts."

True, but that doesn't explain how the OP didn't actually know what rent the other person was paying?

thegrifter

Work out the square footage of the whole house and the total rent paid by all tenants, deduct from the total rent the relevant percentage for communal areas and then split what's left accordingly.

For argument sake, let's say the total rent is £2000pm and the communal areas cover 30% of the total, that's an equal split of £600 and let's assume there are 3 bedrooms, 2 at 25% (£500) and the last 20% (£400) of the total area that would result in rents of
2@£700 and 1@£600 inc £200 each for communal split. I suspect however that you've come in to the property with existing tenants who sublet rooms or you simply rent a room individually from a landlord and in either instance you've been happy to pay the rent until you found out there was an imbalance in which case, I'd say.....suck it up!

Nebulous2

I'm with swapping rooms. The only time I've come across situations like this it has been student flats. I've never known differential payments, just everything split each way.

My son was in a flat with two others and one room was substantially smaller. They swapped every 4 months, so had each room over the year.

My daughter was in a flat with one darker basement room. They had agreed to swap, but somehow never got round to it. She was in the worst room, but decided she liked the fact it was right next to the shower room.

lookstraightahead

So is everyone going to also split how many times they use the loo/ put the lights on / spend time in the kitchen?

lookstraightahead

My daughter too has smallest room at uni. She took a hit this time as had the best accommodation last year. She's fine - they have better things to do than keep swapping about.

nikkie

When I was renting a shared flat in London with my 2 friends, we had one contract at a set rate and exactly how we split it was up to us. As long as the total the landlord received came to that value, he didn't care.
I willingly took the smallest room because I was also earning the least, so the cheaper I could get my rent, the better.
The differences between the other 2 rooms wasn't that much, but my room was tiny. very much the 'box' room.
I can't remember the exact amounts (it was a while ago!). Rough estimates were- total was about 360 a week. I paid 100, the others paid 125 and 135.
I just talked to my flatmates honestly and frankly about the issue. They were also my friends (we'd been to uni together), which may have made it easier... but the fact still remains that, whatever the circumstances, you should TALK to them about it.