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Rent is the biggest shared cost in most flats, and the one most likely to cause quiet resentment. Splitting it equally is the default because it is simple, but it only feels fair when the rooms are basically the same. This guide goes through the main ways to split rent, when each one works, and how to agree on it without making things awkward.
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How to split
Shared spaces: 20% of the rent is split equally, the rest by room size.
Keep this in Splitido: add the expenses once and everyone's balance is worked out for you.
Start freeBefore choosing a method, list what actually differs: the size of each room, a private bathroom, a balcony, how much light and noise each one gets, and how much storage comes with it. If the differences are small, an equal split is fine and the rest of this guide is optional. If one room is clearly better, someone will be paying for it without being asked, and that is where resentment starts.
Equal shares are the simplest approach: total rent divided by the number of people. It works well for similar rooms, for couples sharing a room, and for friends who would rather not negotiate. Its weakness is that the person in the smallest room pays the same as the person in the biggest one, so if you go this way, say so out loud and make sure nobody is quietly unhappy.
If the rooms differ, put a price on the difference. One simple way is to set aside part of the rent for shared spaces and split that equally, then divide the rest by room size. For example, with a rent of 1,000 € and rooms of 20, 15 and 15 square metres, you could take 20% (200 €) as shared and split it three ways, and share the remaining 800 € by area. That gives about 387 €, 307 € and 306 €. A fixed gap works just as well: agree that the biggest room pays, say, 50 to 100 € more, and write down why.
When incomes are very uneven, a percentage split can keep the flat sustainable for everyone. If two people earn 3,000 € and 2,000 € and the rent is 1,000 €, a 60/40 split means 600 € and 400 €. This is most common between couples and close friends, and it only works with an honest conversation and real trust. Nobody should be pushed into revealing what they earn, so treat it as an offer, not a rule.
Decide the deposit in the same proportions as the rent, so the person who pays more of the rent also puts in more of the deposit and gets that share back. Utilities usually follow a different logic, since everyone uses roughly the same amount, so they are often split equally even when rent is not. Also remember that whoever signed the lease usually carries the legal risk, so agree in writing that everyone pays their part on time. This is general information, not legal advice.
Raise the topic before anyone moves in, or at least before the first rent is due. Come with numbers and one or two options instead of a demand, and let people choose. Say clearly that nothing is permanent, and agree to look at it again after three months. Talking about money early feels uncomfortable for ten minutes, while avoiding it can sour a flat for a year.
Whatever you agree, record it: who pays what, when it is due and what the deposit is. Memory is unreliable after the third month, and a written record ends most arguments before they start. A shared note works, and so does an app: in Splitido you can add rent as a recurring expense, so it appears by itself every month and everyone can see who has paid and who owes what.
General, practical tips — not financial or legal advice.
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