Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A room with a private will be worth more that one without. Will guests use your bathroom? Is she providing all the common area furniture? Maybe that would even out the "fairness".
Maybe start the "sharing" by talking about the new place. Will you only be looking for places with two masters? If not how will the decision be made? Seems it should be addressed now instead of later.
We actually did not discuss what bathroom guests will use. It is highly likely they will use mine as it is the detached one and not inside of her bedroom. Also, it is right there as soon as you walk into the apartment.
She is providing all the common area furniture. I believe this, along with the fact that I won't have to pay any deposits associated with setting up the utilities, makes it only fair we split it 50/50 so I have decided against the discount idea.
I lived with roommates who were friends and the one with the master and in-suite bath paid $75 more monthly. I find it to be a legitimate ask, even if she doesn't agree. However, do you think that money is worth building bad blood if she doesn't agree? Only you know her and how her reaction may be.
We actually did not discuss what bathroom guests will use. It is highly likely they will use mine as it is the detached one and not inside of her bedroom. Also, it is right there as soon as you walk into the apartment.
She is providing all the common area furniture. I believe this, along with the fact that I won't have to pay any deposits associated with setting up the utilities, makes it only fair we split it 50/50 so I have decided against the discount idea.
If this had been 3 room mates in a 3BR / 2 BA situation, and you were one of the ones sharing the hall bath, I think it is a bigger deal to get a fair splitting of the rent. Considering she has more responsibilities with regard to the arrangements in the house (as you have mentioned in the above quoted post), I think splitting the bill 50/50 is OK. Make your move work out well, and settle down. Good luck!
Contractually all persons named on lease are equally culpable.
No lease has a split per person...based on square footage.
I ran a boarding house... each tenant paid based on term not on privilege or footage.
Guess what ? These were college grads...so they were more concerned with a roof over their heads then who got the bigger room. They still couldn't have " friends" bunk there. We had a "guest room" for family visiting...that was the freebie...but they had to reserve it.
It is okay to ask, and it's ok for the person to say no.
I lived with roommates for many years while going to college and grad school. I would say NO do not ask to pay less rent. You are the second to arrive, so you get second choice of the bedroom. Even if you are worried about square footage of the bedroom, you do share all of the rest of the living space, so the square footage difference is not much overall. Who is supplying the furniture you share? Who usually sits on the couch and who in the uncomfortable chair? Who cleans the kitchen counter after they cook and who is a little less tidy? etc. etc. It gets really complicated when you start trying to put a dollar value on every tiny thing.
You should have gone with the "I cut, you choose" method.
One of you create a 'fair' split of rent
X gets master bedroom, etc. for $$$some amount
Y gets other bedroom, etc. for $$$some lesser amount
The one who decides the amount is NOT the one who picks the room. That's the easiest way to make it 'fair'.
I recall a roommate situation some years ago where a house I was moving into had a master suite with kitchen and full bath, roughly 300 square feet (seriously). The guy who found the house thought that meant he got to pick room and set rent (we had not signed anything or moved in yet), thought he should pay $950, and that my room should be $700 for about 60 square feet of only bedroom.
I backed out of that situation. I could see what was about to happen.
For 7 months and where both bedrooms have queen beds, no. That's assuming the master bath and guest bathroom are comparable. If the guest bath is a tiny 3/4 bath with a miniature corner shower stall and the master has a big tub and big walk-in shower, maybe.
I'd be more concerned about HVAC and electric/water heater costs. If you're used to 66F in the winter, 78F in the summer, adjusting the thermostat to save energy any time you leave, and a two minute shower, somebody who leaves the thermostat at 72F 24x7 and takes 20 minute showers is going to double your normal utility bill.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
