How to split rent fairly
There are three common ways to split rent: equally, by room size, or by income.
The formula
Share by room size = your room’s square feet ÷ total bedroom square feet × rent
Worked example
Rent is $2,400. One bedroom is 150 square feet and the other is 100. The shares are 60% and 40%: $1,440 and $960.
How to use this calculator
Enter the total monthly rent and choose a method: equal shares, by room size or by income. For room size, enter the square feet of each bedroom. For income, enter what each person earns. The rent split calculator handles up to four roommates and shows each person’s share.
More examples
Splitting by income
Rent is $2,400. One roommate earns $70,000 a year and the other earns $50,000, for $120,000 combined. The first pays $2,400 × 70,000 ÷ 120,000 = $1,400. The second pays $1,000.
Three roommates by room size
Rent is $3,000. The bedrooms are 160, 120 and 120 square feet, or 400 in total. The shares are 40%, 30% and 30%: $1,200, $900 and $900.
The same two roommates, three methods
| Method | Roommate A | Roommate B |
|---|---|---|
| Equal shares | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| By room size (150 and 100 sq ft) | $1,440 | $960 |
| By income ($70,000 and $50,000) | $1,400 | $1,000 |
Each row adds up to the full $2,400. Only the way it is divided changes.
What the result means
- Equal shares suit rooms of similar size and quality. It is the simplest split to agree on.
- By room size suits homes where one bedroom is clearly bigger. It treats the shared rooms as free, so the gap between shares can feel large.
- By income suits couples and close friends who want housing to take the same portion of each paycheck. It needs everyone to share what they earn.
What changes the result
With the room-size method, only the bedroom sizes matter. Adding 10 square feet to one room moves that person’s share up and everyone else’s down. With the income method, a raise for one person raises that person’s share even though the home has not changed, so agree on how often you will update the numbers. Extras such as a private bathroom, a balcony or a parking space are not in the formula. Price them as a fixed premium first. For example, on $2,400 rent with a $100 premium for the private bathroom, the remaining $2,300 splits into $1,150 each, so the shares are $1,250 and $1,150.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the whole apartment. The formula uses bedroom square feet only.
- Mixing gross and net income. Use the same kind of income for every person.
- Forgetting utilities and internet. Decide whether they follow the rent split or are divided equally.
- Not writing it down. A short written note of the shares and the method avoids arguments later.
- Assuming the landlord follows your split. It is an agreement between roommates. What each of you owes the landlord is set by the lease.
Related calculators
If someone moves in mid-month, work out the partial month with the prorated rent calculator. To see whether your combined income meets a landlord’s requirement, use the 3x rent calculator. The rent affordability calculator shows what rent fits your own budget.
Frequently asked questions
How do we split by income?
Each person pays rent × their income ÷ combined income.
What about a private bathroom or parking?
Agree on a fixed premium for the extra, then split the rest.
How should couples sharing a room pay?
A common approach is to split shared space per person and bedrooms per room.
How do I measure a bedroom?
Multiply the length by the width in feet. For an L-shaped room, split it into rectangles and add them. The square footage calculator does this for you.
Should closets count toward room size?
That is up to you. Count them for every room or for none, so the comparison stays even.
Can we combine two methods?
Yes. One approach is to split half the rent equally for the shared space and the other half by bedroom size. On $2,400 with rooms of 150 and 100 square feet, that gives $600 + $720 = $1,320 and $600 + $480 = $1,080.
Is the split legally binding?
The calculator only does the math. What each person owes the landlord is set by the lease, and rules vary by state.