Moving · 2 min read
Sharing a house: how to do it without falling out
Splitting rent is the easy part. These are the conversations to have first.
The short answer
Splitting rent is the easy part. These are the conversations to have first.
Sharing makes better housing affordable. It also ends more friendships than it should, almost always over things that could have been settled in one conversation at the start.
Agree these before you move in
- Who pays what, and by which date each month
- Whose name is on the agreement, and what happens if they leave
- How electricity and water are split
- Who buys shared items, and who keeps them at the end
- Guests — how often, how long, and whether anyone can move a partner in
- Cleaning, specifically, not 'we will sort it out'
- How much notice someone gives before leaving
Write it down
One page, signed by everyone, kept by everyone. It feels excessive on day one and settles every argument thereafter.
On the tenancy itself
If only one name is on the landlord's agreement, that person carries the whole liability. Either get everyone named, or have a clear written arrangement between yourselves about what happens if someone leaves mid-term.
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