Rent split calculator
Work out who pays what for rent and utilities. Split it equally, by income, or by room size and square footage. Free, instant, and nothing to sign up for.
Struggling to agree on a fair split with your roommates? Read how to split rent with roommates fairly, including what to do when someone doesn't pay.
Costs
Everyone pays the same share, whatever their room or salary.
Roommates
Who owes what
Total: $1,950.00 across 2 people
- Roommate 1 50% $975.00
- Roommate 2 50% $975.00
Which split method should you use?
There are three fair ways to split rent: equally, by room size, or by income. Which one fits depends on how similar the bedrooms and the roommates' salaries are.
Splitting rent equally
Split rent equally when the bedrooms and everyone's income are broadly similar. Divide the total rent by the number of roommates and each person pays the same amount, regardless of room size or salary. It's the simplest method and the easiest to explain when nobody minds a bit of give and take.
your share = total rent ÷ number of roommates
Splitting rent by room size (square footage)
Split rent by room size and square footage when one bedroom is clearly bigger, has more storage, or comes with a private bathroom. Divide each bedroom's square footage by the total square footage of all bedrooms, then apply that percentage to the rent. A 140 sq ft room in a flat with 250 sq ft of bedrooms pays 56 percent of the rent. Add a flat premium of 5 to 10 percent on top for an ensuite or private bathroom.
your share = (your sq ft ÷ total sq ft of all bedrooms) × total rent
Splitting rent by income
Split rent by income when earnings differ enough that an equal split would take a much bigger bite out of one person's pay. Add up everyone's monthly take-home pay, divide each person's income by that total, then apply the resulting percentage to the rent. For example, if Person A takes home $4,000 a month and Person B takes home $2,000, Person A earns 67 percent of the combined income and pays 67 percent of the rent, while Person B pays 33 percent. This keeps rent at roughly the same share of pay for everyone in the household.
your share = (your income ÷ total household income) × total rent
For the longer version, including how to handle shared spaces and couples sharing one room, read how roommates typically split rent. If you are comparing tools rather than doing the maths once, we also compared apps that split rent automatically. Splitting rent with a partner rather than a roommate? See how couples split bills. Splitting something other than rent? See all our free split calculators.
Common questions
How do you split rent based on income?
To split rent by income, add up everyone's monthly take-home pay, then divide each person's income by that total to get their percentage. Multiply the rent by each percentage. Someone earning 60 percent of the household income pays 60 percent of the rent. Formula: your share = (your income ÷ total household income) × total rent.
How do you split rent by room size?
Divide each bedroom's square footage by the total bedroom square footage, then apply those percentages to the rent. A 140 square foot room in a flat with 250 square feet of bedrooms pays 56 percent. Adjust further if one room has a private bathroom. Formula: your share = (your room's sq ft ÷ total sq ft of all bedrooms) × total rent.
Is it fairer to split rent equally or by income?
Splitting equally is fairer when rooms and salaries are similar. Splitting by income is fairer when earnings differ a lot, because it keeps rent at the same share of each person's pay. Couples sharing one room often use a hybrid: split by room first, then by income within the couple.
How should a couple split rent with roommates?
Treat the couple as one unit for the room, then split their share between them. If a couple shares one of three bedrooms, the room may take 40 to 50 percent of the rent rather than a third, since two people are using the shared spaces.
How do you split rent with roommates?
Most roommates split rent equally, by room size, or by income. Choose equally if the bedrooms and salaries are similar, by room size if one bedroom is bigger or has an ensuite, and by income if earnings differ enough that an even split would strain one person's budget. Add utilities and other shared costs before dividing, not after.
How much should a roommate pay for rent?
A roommate's fair share depends on the split method: an equal split means the total rent divided by the number of roommates, a room-size split means their bedroom's percentage of total square footage, and an income split means their percentage of combined household income. As a rough guide, rent shouldn't take up more than 30 percent of a roommate's gross income.
How do you calculate rent per room?
Measure each bedroom's square footage, add them together for a total, then divide each room's square footage by that total to get a percentage. Multiply the rent by each percentage to get what that room's occupant owes. Use the "By room size" mode in the calculator above to do this automatically. Formula: room's rent = (room's sq ft ÷ total sq ft of all bedrooms) × total rent.
How do you split rent based on square footage?
Splitting rent by square footage means dividing each bedroom's floor area by the combined square footage of all bedrooms, then applying that percentage to the total rent. A bigger room pays a bigger share. It's the fairest method when bedrooms differ noticeably in size but incomes are similar. Formula: your share = (your sq ft ÷ total sq ft) × total rent.
How do you split utilities with roommates?
Utilities can be split the same way as rent (equally, by room, or by income), or split by usage, which is fairer for bills like electricity if one roommate works from home. For most households, splitting utilities the same way as rent is simplest. Add the utilities total to the rent field above to split both at once.
Is this the same as splitting a rent payment into installments?
No. This calculator splits rent between roommates who share a home. If you're looking to break your own rent bill into smaller installment payments instead, that's a different kind of service (a rent-payment app), not roommate expense splitting.
What if a roommate moves in or out partway through the month?
They pay a prorated share for the days they were actually there, not a full month. Use the prorated rent calculator to work out that partial-month amount, then split whatever is left among the roommates staying the whole month.