Rent split calculator
Split the rent for a shared house or apartment between up to four rooms. Split it equally, or by room size with the shared space split evenly, and add each room's share of the utilities. It works for roommates dividing one lease and for a property owner pricing rooms in a shared unit.
Your results
EstimateRoom 1 pays each month: $834.00
- Room 2 pays each month
- $750.00
- Room 3 pays each month
- $666.00
- Room 4 pays each month
- $750.00
- Shared space rent per room
- $280.00
- Rent per square foot of room space
- $2.80
- Utilities per room
- $50.00
- Rent and utilities, all rooms
- $3,000.00
- Room 1: $784.00 of rent and $50.00 of utilities. Room 2: $700.00 of rent and $50.00 of utilities. Room 3: $616.00 of rent and $50.00 of utilities. Room 4: $700.00 of rent and $50.00 of utilities.
- An estimate for planning, rounded to the cent. On a joint lease, each tenant is often responsible for the whole rent, whatever split the roommates agree among themselves, so put the split in writing. It is general information and is not legal advice. Rules vary by state and city. Check your local law or an attorney.
Results are estimates for planning only. They are not legal, tax or investment advice, and they apply no state or local rules. Check your lease, your local laws and a qualified professional before you rely on a number.
How the rent split is calculated
Room's rent = (rent x shared space share / rooms) + (room size x rent per square foot of room space); rent per square foot = (rent - shared space part) / total room size
An equal split divides the rent by the number of rooms. It suits rooms of a similar size, with the same access to bathrooms and parking.
A split by room size starts with the shared space. Everyone uses the kitchen, the living room and the hallways, so the part of the rent that pays for them is split equally. The rest of the rent pays for the private rooms, and each room pays for its floor area at the same rate per square foot. A room with its own bathroom or a large closet can count that space in its size.
The share of rent for shared space is a choice the household makes together. A larger share brings the rooms' rents closer to an equal split; a share of 0% splits the whole rent by room size. Utilities and services that everyone uses, such as power, water and internet, are split equally here.
The result is an estimate for planning. On a joint lease, each tenant is often responsible for the whole rent, whatever split the roommates agree among themselves, so put the split in writing. It is general information and is not legal advice. Rules vary by state and city. Check your local law or an attorney.
Worked example
Four roommates share a $2,800 a month apartment with $200 a month of shared utilities. The rooms measure 180, 150, 120 and 150 square feet, and the household agrees that 40% of the rent pays for the shared space.
- Shared space: $2,800 x 40% = $1,120, split four ways: $1,120 / 4 = $280 per room.
- Room space: $2,800 - $1,120 = $1,680 over 180 + 150 + 120 + 150 = 600 square feet: $1,680 / 600 = $2.80 per square foot.
- Room 1: $280 + 180 x $2.80 = $784. Room 2: $280 + 150 x $2.80 = $700. Room 3: $280 + 120 x $2.80 = $616. Room 4: $280 + 150 x $2.80 = $700.
- Utilities: $200 / 4 = $50 per room.
- Each month: Room 1 pays $784 + $50 = $834, Room 2 pays $750, Room 3 pays $666 and Room 4 pays $750, for $3,000 in all.
Room 1 pays $834.00 a month, Room 2 $750.00, Room 3 $666.00 and Room 4 $750.00: $3,000.00 of rent and utilities in all.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fairest way to split rent?
When the rooms are about the same, an equal split is simple and easy to agree on. When they differ in size or one has a private bathroom, a split by room size is usually seen as fairer: the shared space is split equally and each room pays for its own floor area. In the example, an equal split gives every room $750 a month, while the split by size runs from $666 for the smallest room to $834 for the largest.
How do you split rent by room size?
Choose the share of the rent that pays for the shared space and split it equally. Divide the rest of the rent by the total room area to get a rate per square foot, and multiply each room's size by it. In the example, $1,120 of shared space rent gives each room $280, and $1,680 over 600 square feet is $2.80 per square foot, so a 180 square foot room pays $280 + $504 = $784 of rent.
How should a couple sharing one room split the rent?
A couple in one room usually pays that room's share, and some households also count them twice for the utilities, since two people use more power and water. Agree on it before the lease starts and write it down.
Is each roommate responsible only for their share?
It depends on the lease. On a joint lease, each tenant is often responsible for the whole rent, so if one roommate stops paying, the others may have to cover it. A separate lease for each room usually limits each tenant to their own room's rent. Rules vary by state and city. Check your local law or an attorney.
Can a property owner use this to price rooms?
Yes. A property owner who rents a house by the room can enter the rent the whole unit should bring in and the room sizes, and use the results as a starting point for each room's rent. Check the results against what similar rooms nearby rent for.
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