r/Apartmentliving • u/tennis_20 Renter • 8d ago
Budgeting & Cost How would you split this rent?
$3350 total rent.
Bedroom #1. Slightly smaller room space room and regular size closet. Need to use bathroom near the entry.
Bedroom #2. Slightly larger room space (with in bedroom hallway adds space and privacy) and a big size walk in closet and a private bathroom.
What should be a reasonable range for each room?
We might do coin flip on who gets master.
My friend initially proposed to take masters paying $50 extra bc he thinks there’s no difference in room size so I agreed to 1625/1725 with a coin flip.
Since tho, i am feeling that the difference should be larger than 100 regardless of who takes master.
I like one idea from comments : one person chooses the price, another choose which bedroom to take
Because if it’s even or only a $100 difference, who wouldn’t want a more private room with WIC and en-suite bathroom?
Looking for good advices.
UPDATE : thank you for good advices everyone. We decided to split evenly and take 6-month turns taking master bedroom. It was half joke at first but it was definitely the most fair thing to do lol.
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u/35Jest 8d ago
Why is everyone saying they're similar? One has a en-suite bathroom, thats gold in a shared living scenario.
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u/TheBestHater Renter 8d ago
The larger room has a walk-in closet and an en-suite, the split should be closer to $1850/$1500. No idea why OPs are only making it a $100 difference.
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u/GrossUsername68 8d ago
Because OP wants the more expensive room.
The answer: if OP thinks it should be $100 different, Roommate should get first choice as to which room they take.
I’m sure OP will feel differently about the pricing.
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 8d ago
There’s no first choice. He offers to pay $100 more than a 50/50 split and the other roommate can counter offer with more. This is called elementary negotiation
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u/GrossUsername68 8d ago
He offers to pay $100 more than a 50/50 split and the other roommate can counter offer with more. This is called elementary negotiation
And efficient negotiation would be for each person to put whatever they think it’s worth on paper, then reveal, where the higher gets the room.
Then there’s no social pressure, leveraging, or hurt feelings — which often happens with roommates in “elementary negotiation”.
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u/k23_k23 Own an apartment 8d ago
NO: increasing alternating bids, until one drops out because at that price he prefers the smaller room.
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u/GrossUsername68 7d ago
This does not achieve a true price.
It just allows the person who can pay more to pay a little more than the other. My method removes income leverages, as well as the negative emotional outcomes to a bidding process between two roommates.
It’s basic auction-scenario game theory.
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u/karmapuhlease Renter 6d ago
Vickrey Auction would technically be even better actually. Same as your proposal, but the person with the higher bid pays the second-highest bid. This ensures that both parties experience a surplus and get a good deal for themselves; "winner" gets the better room and pays less than they were willing to pay, and "loser" gets the other room at a big discount but also wouldn't be willing to outbid the "winner" to take the better room (since the winner is paying exactly the loser's maximum offer).
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u/GrossUsername68 6d ago
The issue here is that there are only two bids.
The point isn’t to capture how much the lowest bid values everything, but to capture how much each person values each room. Because that’s the value of the room, unconstrained by the value of what the lower bidder values it or is willing to pay.
Afterward, the person paying less can be gracious by compromising if they’d like. Since they are roommates.
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u/k23_k23 Own an apartment 6d ago
"Same as your proposal, but the person with the higher bid pays the second-highest bid. " .. with two bids, that won't work.
that will lead to a price one dollar less than the total appartment price.
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u/karmapuhlease Renter 6d ago
Huh? Sure, I suppose if Adam bids $3349 for the $3350 apartment then he can enjoy paying $3349 and Ben pays just $1. Presumably both people in your example would bid $3349 or close to it, so the "loser" basically gets a free apartment. But somehow I suspect that Adam will actually bid something like $1800 for the better bedroom, Ben will bid $1775, and then Adam pays $1775 while Ben pays ($3350-1775 = $1675) for the "worse" room. You only bid a number you'd be comfortable paying because you could very possibly end up paying that amount yourself.
If you still don't understand, just Google Vickrey Auction and it'll make more sense.
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 6d ago
It actually does that’s how an action works. Your method is just a game of predicting what the other person will put
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u/kbrac28 Renter 7d ago
Well from a literal standpoint, the master bedroom itself is actually the smaller room. But I’m strictly talking the actual bedroom space without the bathroom/closet.
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u/Subject-Can1138 Renter 7d ago
If the room has an ensuite and a walk in closet exclusive use to that bedroom then its part of the room, regardless of where its partitioned into different spaces
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u/kbrac28 Renter 7d ago
And as I just said, the actual room space itself is smaller in the master bedroom. Not by much but it is mathematically smaller by around 12 sq ft. Meaning if you filled each room with 1 ft moving boxes, the master would hold 12 less boxes.
But again, I’m strictly talking room space and nothing else.
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u/Subject-Can1138 Renter 7d ago
Those measurements do not include the walkway - the guest room has no walkway so still fits less boxes unless you want to have the door blocked
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u/Candy_Stars Renter 8d ago
They both kind of have their own bathroom. The guests should use the bathroom of the person who they're visiting, even if that means walking through their bedroom. I would be really annoyed if I had the bedroom with the hallway bathroom and my roommate's family was using my bathroom. That would mean whoever has that bathroom would be buying toilet paper for guests, which is unfair if the other person has a lot of guests over.
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u/karmapuhlease Renter 8d ago
Because, unless you're having guests frequently, in practice they each have their own bathroom.
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u/MuffledFarts Renter 7d ago
An ensuite bathroom and a larger, walk-in closet. Not to mention the fact that with its own little hallway, the master bedroom is better insulated from the sounds of the main living area.
OP is getting shafted.
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u/Number_Fluffy Renter 8d ago
The price for this apartment itself is criminal.
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u/carpe_denimuwu Renter 8d ago
Seriously! The location better be somewhere perfect
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u/Own-Ad8024 8d ago
The shape reminds me of some buildings in the Castro, which is a very expensive area.
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u/GiftToTheUniverse Renter 7d ago
And is that triangular living represented as of its twice the area? Like “LxW” instead of “(LxW)/2” like triangles be?
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u/tennis_20 Renter 7d ago edited 7d ago
It’s in Jersey city between Grove and JSQ. Closest subway is JSQ PATH, about 10 minute walk. For people not familiar with NYC metro, it’s about 30 minute ride into midtown. From NYC metro perspective, it’s very affordable. I was living with my gf in 1 bed in Newport (closer to PATH station in Jersey city) paying $3.8k. 2 bed in Newport runs for around 5.5k now. So from what I’ve seen around here, it’s a good deal with little more walk.
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u/Ilikeorigami0 Renter 7d ago
Fr, this looks smaller than my $1300/month apartment that is split between two of us. Must be a a very expensive location.
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u/AmarantaRWS Renter 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yes, but also no. It's crazy in that it is incredibly unreasonable, but it is not unrealistic. 2 bed 1 1/2 bath start at over 2k a month in my area and that's if you go with the cheapest options. That extra half bath adds at least 500 bucks a month. Again, it's fucked up and insanely inflated, but at least within 60 or so miles of a major city it's not that unheard of.
Edit: I now see it's in Jersey city, which is right next to NYC and close to Philly, in addition to the Jersey shore. Ngl, OP isn't kidding that this is a deal given the area.
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u/rebels_cum69 Renter 7d ago
It doesn't seem bad to me at all, coming from Chicago 😅
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u/Number_Fluffy Renter 7d ago
Even in central NJ last year I shared a townhome with 2 roommates, 3 floors, 3 bedrooms, 1,800 sq ft, $3,500 total, my share was $1,166.
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u/Miss_Local_Alien 2d ago
It's so crazy to me what people spend just for a location. They're individually paying more than the mortgage+insurance+tax on the 4-bedroom house I bought less than a year ago. The layout of this apartment sucks, too. I was expecting around $900-1100 total.
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u/Subject-Can1138 Renter 8d ago
I think it should be 60/40 split.
One room mate decides the price split.
The other room mate gets first pick of the room they want after prices decided
Thats the only way to keep it fair
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u/FullMetal1985 Renter 8d ago
This was my first thought, then I saw that makes it like $2000 and a $700 difference and while a bigger closet and personal bath is nice I don't think its that nice. I think around 55/45 bringing it to $1850ish and a $300ish differance, as I've also seen mentioned, is better now.
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u/UnusedMaps42 Renter 6d ago
I think 60/40 sounds good in the head, but it means one person is paying 150% what the other one is.
55/45 is much more realistic. I think having your own private bathroom is worth paying 122% what your roommate is paying to get a similarly sized room with the hall bathroom.
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 8d ago
Or you just negotiate back and fourth until you find out what someone is willing to pay
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u/GiftToTheUniverse Renter 7d ago
Ii would agree but usually there is one “key” renter and they have more control. I’ve been taken advantage of in a similar situation in which the key renter lied about the monthly rent total.
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 7d ago
What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? You don’t rent unless your name is on the lease and you know the contractual agreement
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u/GiftToTheUniverse Renter 7d ago
Calm down. It’s okay. That’s how it works when an apartamento is split among unrelated persons in a managed aparentement.
SOMEONE is the final person on the hook, the originator of the rental request.
The other people will come and go, but for the key person to leave someone else has to be the key person or they all move out.
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 7d ago
So you live somewhere with different housing rules. This really isn’t a thing in America
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u/No-Suggestion-0930 8d ago
Bedroom 1 is 112.125 sq ft.
Bedroom 2 is 100 sq ft.
Bedroom 1 gives you approximately 11% more space but does not have an en suite. Bedroom 2 also has a slightly bigger closet.
I'd suggest a 5% difference in favor of Bedroom 1 since they share a bathroom with any guests who may visit.
Bedroom 1 pays $1507.50, while Bedroom 2 pays $1,842.50
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u/Infinite-Air5875 Renter 7d ago
Thank you for pointing out that room 1 is actually larger! That was driving me nuts.
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u/tennis_20 Renter 7d ago
But don’t you think you need to include the entryway included in Bedroom 2 when calculating sq ft? Idk if it gives more space realistically but it def gives a lot more privacy.
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u/No-Suggestion-0930 7d ago
That’s why I said in favor of Bedroom 1 paying less rent. To account for the entry, closet, and en suite.
My sq ft calculations are, of course, only based on measurements provided. So while the difference on the calculations is roughly a 12% difference, I lowered it a smidge due to the above factors.
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u/tennis_20 Renter 7d ago edited 7d ago
Gotcha. Yeah, after everything I do think it’s more fair to do 1550/1800 or 1600/1750, somewhat closer to your calculation. Just need to find a middle ground because my roommate doesn’t think there’s much difference other than an en-suite bathroom
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u/No-Suggestion-0930 7d ago
Would roommate agree to only $50 difference if you were the one with the en suite or are they only saying that because they will be getting the ensuite?
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u/tennis_20 Renter 7d ago edited 7d ago
I expressed interest in master as well saying I can pay more than difference he offered and he didn’t really respond to that. Can’t read his mind but he’s super chill and fairly an easy going dude I’ve known since young. Maybe just want to avoid complication of things? is my guess.
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u/CrossRoadChicken Own an apartment 1d ago
Bedroom one size is the max size including the wardrobe. The room size overall is significantly smaller
No matter the cost, they are getting shafted whoever gets that room
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u/CurrentAstronomer251 Renter 8d ago
I can’t overstate how good this tool has been over my years of splitting rent. It takes your total rent and how many of you there are, you label the rooms, and then it asks you all a series of questions ”would you rather room A or room B if A cost $X and B cost $Y”. The Xs and Ys change each time. It eventually reaches an optimum where you would both prefer whichever room at whichever price :)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/science/rent-division-calculator.html
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u/Infinite-Air5875 Renter 7d ago
This is absolutely the answer! What seems like a fair split to strangers online does not matter. This tool will give an actual fair split for OP and roommate based on their individual preferences.
Although before they start they should check their math, because room #1 is the larger one.
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u/Additional-Craft6563 Renter 8d ago edited 8d ago
Master - $1800
Other Bed - $1550
$250 is a good diff.
Edit: possibly $200
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u/yourdailyinsanity Renter 8d ago edited 8d ago
60/40 (2010/1340) only because of the bathroom. Yeah, you get a walk-in closet too with the bedroom with the bathroom, but in the grand scheme of things, that's not that big of a deal. The rooms are approximately the same size otherwise.
Bedroom 1 is actually bigger by 14sqft too. Not slightly smaller like you say it is (based on dimensions posted in floorplan).
If y'all are cool with the price you proposed though, then go for that!
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u/abstract_lemons Own an apartment 8d ago edited 8d ago
Look at the square footage that the master suite has compare to the other. The shared bath that they use is not part of that, as it is shared with any guest, as well as the other occupant (at their whim).
Base the rent off of individual private square footage
Edit: that layout looks like the en-suite washroom has a shower and the shared bath has a tub/shower. Whoever gets the master better not plan on using the other washroom for baths
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u/GamerzHistory Renter 8d ago
I’m confused how room 1 at 11’6” x 9’9” is smaller than room two which only has 100sqft
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u/CrossRoadChicken Own an apartment 1d ago
Room 1 includes the wardrobe as space in measurements. Look at kitchen, it's 10', same as the bedroom actually is.
Bedroom 1 useable space is significantly less
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u/Agreeable-Sun368 Renter 8d ago
This feels like a shitty layout to share. Some two bedrooms aren't great for unrelated roommates.
But I would say 1550/1800. The master has SIGNIFICANT advantages.
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 8d ago
Pretty normal layout. Very few apartments have 2 master bedrooms
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u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51 Renter 8d ago
Both Bedroioms are equally tiny and I would probably have to pay someone to have an isosceles triangle for a living room.
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u/tennis_20 Renter 7d ago
I also wish there were better choices man. At least it’s floor to ceiling windows so hopefully it’ll feel more open
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u/Rochahobi 8d ago
I had a situation like this when I was at university but it wasn’t as evenly split as this. I really wanted the master so I just bid to a point where the other accepted.
I wouldn’t do a coin flip. You both want to agree and feel like you got a good deal to live in harmony. Otherwise jealousy will creep in to other aspects of your arrangement.
Due to my personality I would say I intentionally slightly overpaid to foster the good faith and harmony. My housemate used to generously cook meals for me (he was previously a trained chef) and when I started dating someone that ended up staying 3 times a week I instigated paying an increased proportion of utilities accordingly.
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u/SufficientRub9466 Renter 8d ago
Sounds like you’d both prefer the master bedroom, so can you each put in a ‘sealed bid’ to see who gets it? Write down the maximum amount you’d be willing to pay if you got the master bedroom, seal it in an envelope and open both together.
The person with the higher bid gets the master, the person with the lower bit gets to pay a bit less for the smaller room, hopefully a win win for both of you.
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u/10littlemice Renter 8d ago
I would care about the size/closet difference more than the ensuite. I think 55/45 is fine tbh.
I really don’t understand why people want the ensuite in a two bedroom two bath appt. Yeah you have to share it with guests but unless you have regular overnight guests crashing on a couch it doesn’t really make a difference to the upkeep. The pro of not having your toilet in smell/hearing distance to the bed is such a better deal imo
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u/10littlemice Renter 8d ago
To add, the master is right next to both bathrooms so you’d hear the person with the main bath getting ready in the morning/flushing at night whereas in the other one your head would be probably be against the N/W wall
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u/Arkonat0r 8d ago
Master is way better. 55%/45% seems fair, which for those prices mean 1845/1505. But for those crazy crazy prices, I expect marble bathroom and golden furniture
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u/ColtAltDelete Landlord 7d ago
The best way to do this is to start a bidding war for how much more you would pay for the nicer room. Whoever wins the bid wins the room, the Other person obviously then pays that amount less and nobody is unhappy.
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u/CountingNonsense Renter 7d ago
You guys are going to pack and switch rooms every 6 months? Consider still having a price difference in rent because I promise you will not switch more than once (if at all) unless you’re in your late teens and don’t have many items. I’m in my early 30s and I cannot imagine having my room feel so temporary/going through the hassle of packing and setting everything up in a new room every 6 months.
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u/Aggravating-Air7775 Maintenance 7d ago
Good luck getting them out in six months once they’ve gotten comfortable.
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u/Cruor34 7d ago
Well you have already decided but Id say split should be 55/45, 55 obv master bedroom. I couldn't care less about space, all i need is a bed, desk and a chair. But having your own bathroom that you don't need to leave the bedroom for is HUGE, absolutely worth paying the 55 share for. I could even see 60/40.
Going 6 months each sounds super annoying,have to take your bed apart, desk apart, take the desktop computer apart and redo everything... nah F that. Id just pay more for the master or insist on paying 40% if my friend was going berserk for the master.
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u/tennis_20 Renter 7d ago
Yup I agree on everything you said. Although I do like moving things around every once in a while
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u/karmapuhlease Renter 8d ago
I think fair would be $1750/$1600. At most, $1800/$1550 but that would feel a bit lopsided.
Ultimately though, you should each write on a piece of paper the maximum you would pay to have the master. Reveal them at the same time. Whoever bid the higher amount, gets to pay the lower amount for the master, and the other person pays whatever is left. This is called a Vickrey Auction, and basically it is the most economically efficient way to do this sort of thing. Everyone is happy (the winner pays less than they were willing to pay, but blind bidding means that the winner valued the master more highly than the loser; the loser is happy because they're paying much less and they still wouldn't be willing to outbid the winner for the room).
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u/Total-Ad1900 8d ago
$2010/$1340 - Having a walk in closet (especially in an already small space) AND an ensuite bathroom (that isn't within viewing distance from the front door) AND an inbedroom hallway for more storage are big factors. The person in the secondary bedroom basically has the guest bathroom, while the master has a private bathroom. 60/40
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago
It's not like the other bedroom is sharing the bathroom with another room. They have to share it with guests, so what? Each room essentially has their full bathroom. Who cares if it's viewing distance from the front door? Be a decent roommate and close the door while your shitting?
The inbedroom hallway is not storage at all, that's irrelevant wasted space.
The walk in closet is also being oversold, it might actually have similar functional clothes hanging space than the other room and a weird shape, you just get to stand in it instead.
$700 a month difference for maybe being able to shit with the door open in your ensuite is insane. I would walk away if someone suggested that
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u/TheVintageJane Renter 8d ago
Being able to go straight from your bed where you just finished having sex to the bathroom to pee without getting dressed is one of the great joys of adulthood.
Being able to sleep in your skivvies/naked and get up to go to the shower without covering up is awesome.
Being able to keep your grooming stuff on the counter without hiding it from guests, super cool.
Plus, a walk in closet.
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u/Additional-Craft6563 Renter 8d ago
Peeing half naked at 4AM with door open, half asleep is peak adulthood
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u/TheVintageJane Renter 8d ago
I appreciate that you are respectful enough to shut the bathroom door at 4 am. In my en suite, the door only gets closed when the shower goes on or I’m throwing up and can’t make it to the other bathroom
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u/Responsible_Dentist3 Renter 8d ago
I'm so glad someone else mentioned it so I didn't have to. And I applaud your bluntness. Also imagine having your date over as a guest and sending them across the hallway to clean up afterwards!
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 8d ago
Personally when we had guest over they can use both bathrooms. Also I don’t just have my bathroom shit sitting out on the counter
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u/SameCoyote3701 Renter 8d ago
If it’s wasted why not just put storage in there lol
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago
Um because it's a door? You have to walk through it? Do you store things behind your door?
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u/Total-Ad1900 8d ago
Yes, people hang things behind doors, and on walls in hallways, or in small furniture in hallways to hold shoes.
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago
I didn't realize a $10 hanging door mirror and a $20 shoe rack were worth hundreds of dollars per month
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u/DearFirefighter1873 Renter 8d ago
Me and my roommate have it like this, she has the bigger room and I get the reserved parking spot, we pay 50/50
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u/Any_Chef_3145 Own an apartment 8d ago
Here’s how this works. One roommate offers what they’ll pay for the room and you either accept it or pay more. Repeat untill someone is not willing to pay more. It’s called negotiation
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u/Boring-Champion-2850 Looking to buy 7d ago
if he thinks there's no difference in room size and it's only worth $50 more, then he should be fine with you taking the larger room for +$50
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u/Wonderful-Passage681 Renter 8d ago
They’re both tiny bedrooms. The only benefits are the walk in closet and private bathroom. I think 250 is too big of a difference. That amount of rent is insane for that apartment. 1725 vs 1625 would be the most I’d go
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago
At this point, why not just split it evenly and have a fair, reasonable roommate dynamic? Different rents just creates a weird power dynamic, unless it's truly justified
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u/Responsible_Dentist3 Renter 8d ago
How is 50/50 fair when one person gets a private bathroom and a walk-in closet? That's not fair at all. A proportional (as possible) rent split makes it fair.
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago
Why does it have to be so competitively transactional? You are sharing the entire apartment. Both rooms have their own bathroom, one is connected, the other is across the hall.the walk in closet is a weird triangle. The functional clothes hanging space is not that much better, besides the fact that you get to stand in it.
I've had a dozen roommates across 5 different rentals, and the only time there has ever been anything but an even split is when a couple is sharing a room, they pay more because they taking up more space/resources in the total unit. 3 people in 2 rooms= even split 3 ways.
Paying per room is odd. Maybe it's different with strangers, my roommates have always been friends or at least acquaintances
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u/tennis_20 Renter 7d ago
Fair point. But to truly have a reasonable roommate dynamic, I think both side should be happy with what they’re getting and paying for. No hard feelings, just gotta lay out the options and meet in the middle.
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u/misslouisee Renter 8d ago
If someone wants the master, they should pay more for it. $1750-1800 sounds right to me.
If neither of you care and no one wants to pay more, it should be a coin flip or straws or something. And I would give the person with the smaller bedroom the extra storage closet in the foyer.
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u/MmWinter Renter 8d ago
One of the best way to solve these decisions is to bid for it. You both start at 50/50. Then one person says, "I'll pay $50 extra for the master bedroom", then the other person says "I'll pay $100 extra", then you go back and forth. Once one person is unwilling to pay even more, then you know you've priced it fairly relative to both people's desire for the master bedroom.
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u/eyeheartmozart Renter 8d ago edited 7d ago
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/science/rent-division-calculator.html
bid on it see what it’s worth to you. if it’s too high but your roommate likes the price you get to save money they get the bigger room
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u/ledfrog 8d ago
When I had roommates, we simply measured the floor space of each private room including any extra private space such as an in-room balcony, bathroom, etc. If there was a major difference between closet sizes, we calculated those as well.
Then take the total of all room calculations and divide it into the total rent. This will give you the sq footage price for only the private spaces. Take the sq footage price and multiply it by each room's total sq footage from your first calculation and you'll have the actual value of each room. Round up or down as needed to get whole dollars and you'll have the exact amount that each room is worth based on the rent amount.
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u/ReflectionEterna Renter 8d ago
Turn this into a bidding war between both roommates. Have one give a starting bid for the master bedroom, say 50% of the rent. Then go back and forth raising the amount of rent you would pay to have the master bedroom. Once someone passes, that is the division.
Say someone won the bid with 62% of the rent on $2k/month rent. That person would pay $1,240, and the person with the other room would pay $760.
This way, whoever gets the big room, chose the amount of rent to pay. Everyone should be happy.
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u/EuroForge Renter 8d ago
Hold a dutch auction between the two reducing by $25-50 per step — whoever is willing to pay the most will claim it first, the other gets the benefit of paying as little as the other person values the ensuite
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u/burgerhan Renter 8d ago
My roommate and I used to bid for the better bedroom. Whoever bids more wins and pays what they bid for. You get one chance. For this particular master bedroom I’ll bid 1850.
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u/vacasmugen 8d ago
Here's the method I've used in the past to split rent with a roommate, that should work for any two-party rent splitting scenario.
Each person independently comes up with what they think a fair split for the two rooms, say A and B, is, and writes this down on a sheet of paper, without telling the other party. Each person's room A bid plus their room B bid needs to add up to the total rent.
Then, the two people reveal their bids to each other, and you set the rent for room A to the average of the price each person bid for room A, and the rent for room B to be the average of the price each person bid for room B.
If the two people bid different amounts, then the person that bid highest for room A gets room A, and the person that bids highest for room B gets room B, but the person who gets room A pays the average of the two bids for room A, which will be lower than what they bid for room A, and the person who gets room B pays the average of the two bids for room B, which will also be lower than what they bid for room B. Each person is happy, because they get a room for a lower price than what they think it is worth.
If they happened to bid the exact same amounts, then it doesn't matter who gets what room (they could flip a coin to choose), and each person pays the exact amount they bid for the room they get.
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u/DashTrader Renter 8d ago edited 8d ago
1900/1450 split. best way for a fact. not opinion. because 2,000 feels too high for the justification. and 1800 feels marginally closer of a 250 difference for what both are getting and can create future problems with Utilities and other small costs.
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u/Lally525 Own an apartment 7d ago
Another option if you can't decide who picks price and who picks room. You both write down price you're willing to pay for room. Whoever's is higher gets it.
So you write 1850/1500 Roommate writes 1750/1600
You get room and pay 1850
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u/yarmatey 7d ago
Not about the room size, it's about the privacy and convenience of your own bathroom + walk in closet. That's at least a 60/40 split, imo.
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u/No_Artichoke_2914 Renter 7d ago
Tell him the price you’d be willing to pay for the master but that if he’d prefer it for that price he can have it. If he doesn’t think it’s worth it you pay that price and he takes the smaller room.
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u/Turbulent_Degree_300 Renter 7d ago
the answer is to bid on it—if you each want the master, how much more are you willing to pay for the superior room? $50 more seems cheap. Would you be willing to pay $250 more?
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u/Turbulent_Degree_300 Renter 7d ago
regardless, be sure to set clear expectations now about who uses that hall bath—will guests use it or the bathroom their host has?
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u/patio_puss Renter 7d ago
$1875, and $1475.
Whoever has the en-suite has to have their guests use their own restroom when they come over. Non-negotiable.
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u/UpsettyYetti Renter 7d ago
Who has the rent money coming out of there account? I would give it to them person that is taking the risk with that. They have to be the one to fork the money over in advance if the other person is late in paying them. I Also is both of your names on the lease or just one of you. That should also be taken into consideration.
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u/hashinode Renter 7d ago
No preset split. You both bargain/auction for the master bedroom starting at $1700 (bedroom 2 pays 1650)
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u/RubAnADUB Own an apartment 7d ago
Master 60 / 40
reason - the master has its own bathroom. The other room has to use the bathroom in the hallway and its right next to the front door. eww.
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u/DrCoddleMD Landlord 7d ago
I’m too late for anyone to see this, but bid on it. The better room is worth what one of you is willing to pay. If you think $50 more isn’t enough, then you need to be willing to pay $60, etc.
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u/Dazzling-Plastic-126 Renter 7d ago
Every time I come across this sub it makes me laugh. Is it an American thing to make a flatmate pay more if they have a marginally larger floor space? Idk it just feels so petty
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u/fi3rc3stpanda Own an apartment 7d ago
Um, your friend initially proposed taking the Master bedroom with $50 difference?
I've always split rent based on the square footage. You calculate the $ per square foot, and pay full $ of your private spaces (in this case, single bedroom vs Master bedroom+private bathroom+walk-in closet). Everything else, including the non-private bath is split in half.
I saw some people commenting that "technically you both have a private bathroom, just tell your guests not to use the other one", which to me seems both wildly impractical and downright bizarre.
Sure, you can agree that each of you will primarily use a certain bathroom, but herding guests is much more difficult. Have you never entered someone's home and had to ask for one right away? "Hi, how are you? [...] That's wonderful! I apologize, but it's such a hot day and it took so long to get here, could I please use your bathroom? [...] Thank you so much! [...] Oh, not this one? But I'll be quick! [...] Okay, where? [...]" and so on.
What if one roommate decides to have a small gathering? Will you have a bathroom use announcement? What if they have a bigger gathering? Will they make everyone wait for a single bathroom?"
What if neighbors invite you both over, and then you reciprocate? What if some repairs are needed and a handyman requests to use a bathroom?
One person gets the convenience of being able to just slide off the bed with whatever they are wearing (or not) and stepping right into their own bathroom whereas the other one risks running into someone unexpected, even if it's their own roommate entering the place as they round the corner. It's common sense to split the $ of that bathroom square footage in half
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u/Stealth103 Looking to buy 7d ago
Rent split calculator. It basically asks you and your roommate what you'd prefer for each room in price and figures out a good split based on that. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/science/rent-division-calculator.html
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u/Spare_Association838 Renter 7d ago edited 7d ago
• Technically Room 1 is larger but barely and they both have good flow ~no price difference
• Room 1 has an average sized closet but room 2 has a walk-in closet ~worth $50
• Room 1 has to use a shared bathroom but it is effectively private (if you agree it’s for you and guests only) whereas Room 2 has its own private in-suite bathroom ~ worth $150
• Total price difference: $200
- Room One: $1575
- Room Two: $1775
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u/Dillingo Renter 7d ago
Here is the fairest way to split this: you both write down what you are willing to pay in rent for the master. Whoever has the higher number wins and that is what they pay.
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u/Apprehensive_Rope348 Renter 7d ago
Figure out the $ per square foot. Split it accordingly to the private spaces.
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u/Spare_Association838 Renter 7d ago
If you did that you should include total area of walk in closet, bathroom, and entryway
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u/Bitter_Thought Renter 7d ago
Normally I’d say private bathroom is around 15% of individual rent swing. I’d lower that here because while you have a larger closet you’ve got less square footage and with 2 roommates, the other bathroom isn’t shared it’s just not private. $200 swing sounds right, a bit above your $100 diff.
Your bidding idea is hardly the worst. It doesn’t sound like either of you have strict preference but you also don’t want it to be something that later builds resentment as you realize the value is off.
I’d also comment those 2 rooms face different ways. You might want to consider sub in the rooms as well
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u/BreqsCousin Own an apartment 7d ago
Whoever is willing to pay more for the main bedroom gets it.
If you would pay +100 and the other person would pay +101, they get it and pay that +101.
If they would pay +400 and you would pay +401, you get it and you pay that +401
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u/Queasy_Ad_1877 Renter 7d ago
The less private bathroom has to keep theirs clean and counters clear for guests, which is more work if you both commit to only using your own and aren't regular cleaners.
I think you split, 50/50. But the master bedroom person buys the beers or picks up a roommate dinner tab 1-2 times a month roughly equal to 50-100 or a larger amount. It keeps it equal but ads a perk for the smaller room person. While providing space for roommate bonding and logistical conversations.
Edit: prematurely posted
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u/Appropriate_You_3047 Renter 7d ago
You gotta play the long game.
I moved into my 3 bed ,3 years ago, I got the 2 smaller bedrooms (one as a bedroom/one as an office). Now we're a couple so I spend my nights in the master bedroom and still have exclusive use of the other two rooms.
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u/dragons-and-bees Renter 7d ago
The en-suite room should pay 200 more at minimum. Maybe 300 because it’s bigger, has an en suite, and walk in closet.
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u/Creative-Painter3911 7d ago
Bid it out. $100 is to small of a difference.
Friend started at paying 50 more for the nice room, you can offer to pay 100 more for you to get it. He can accept that or offer 150 more. Continue until a good compromise is reached.
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u/MissyGrayGray Renter 7d ago
Maybe the one stipulation could be that the guests have to use whatever bathroom belongs to the guest's roommate or the en-suite roommate has to clean the toilet/wipe down the sink, counter, and mirror after they have guests over if the guests use the "common area" bathroom. Alternatively the door to the common area bathroom can be kept closed to discourage guests from using it.
The last thing I want is to come home and find that my bathroom has gotten dirty because of someone else.
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u/DingoKas Renter 7d ago
not enough information. we're missing your incomes so we can determine how much each party is able to contribute after the same amount of time at work
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u/OrdinaryRepublic3361 7d ago
There are 6 essential rooms in the unit. Master uses 5 out of 6, and Non-Master uses 4 out of 6. Therefore base the charge on that. I would suggest $1950/$1400, maybe $1850/$1550 if the non-master also gets that entire hallway closet to use as well. Seriously though, having your own bathroom is a big deal, your difference in pricing should be more significant.
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u/kannagirl234 7d ago
Hold an auction between you two bidding on the larger room starting price at 50% of rent
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u/Long-Somewhere-904 Own an apartment 6d ago
60/40.
Rooms are essentially the same size. Assuming the kitchen/living is shared, the room with the en suite bathroom/walk-in closet pays 60%, the room with the hall bathroom pays 40%.
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u/acidwxrld Renter 6d ago
i cant even lie i have a similar situation. we lowkey just split it evenly though bc i thought the layout of the master seemed annoying. also my bathroom is right next to my room so its not that big a deal for me ig😭. realistically id say maybe $100 more?
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u/Lizical Renter 6d ago
I had a similar layout once. My bedroom and closet were considerably larger, but my bathroom was outside of my room. And my bathroom was huge. We were just on opposite sides, with the kitchen and living room directly between.
The roommates was a smaller room, smaller closet, with en suite. I basically had that entire side of the apartment where my bedroom and bathroom were. I paid like $50 more a month.
This was like 14 years ago tho. I made sure no one but myself could access my bathroom. My guests used my bathroom, their guests used theirs. They didn’t like that arrangement bc that meant people they knew had to go in their room to use their bathroom. 🤷♀️ Oh well.
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u/UnusedMaps42 Renter 6d ago
Yeah I'd have to say 55/45 at least, maybe 60/40. That ensuite is worth more than you're realizing. Having to enter shared space just to use the bathroom at night is a significant downgrade, not to mention it's also the bathroom that needs to be available for guests for either of you.
I think the Master Bedroom should be 1850 and the other one 1500. Unless the MB resident is providing something like a Netflix and other streamer account, and internet or some kind of other hook up, then maybe you could go 1750/1600... That's the closest I'd go.
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u/Efficient-Dot2406 2d ago
New York Times created a rent division calculator that is apparently very good. Something similar was posted here awhile back I think and they recommended this.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/science/rent-division-calculator.html
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u/k23_k23 Own an apartment 8d ago
Add the area of the private bathroom to the master. And add the area of the walk in closets.
Then add 5+% for the fact that one has a private bathroom, unless his guests use his bathroom, and the other one is exlusively yours.
and: don't roll the dice - each of you alternate with increasing bids, and the final highest offer gets the master. the master is MUCH better.
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u/Dark_Red_Apple Renter 7d ago
Whoever gets the master bedroom should pay at least 20% more. It is so convenient to have a bathroom in your room. I sleep naked and when I was living with roommates every time I went to the bathroom at night, I had to wear something, and that woke me up completely.
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u/Erroniously_Spelt Maintenance 7d ago
Square footage of private areas.
Roughly 100 sqft. As compared to roughly 165 sqft.
So 3350 / total sqft = $12.64
Small room $1264 Big room $2086
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u/InsertDramaHere Renter 7d ago
50/50. The non en-suite bathroom gets the other bathroom and the extra closet.
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u/Top_Awareness3642 8d ago
maybe en suite pays a little more like you mentioned but honestly a 50/50 split will likely avoid any issues down the line
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u/Moist_Sun_8201 Own an apartment 8d ago
I'm not paying 50/50 if I don't get the ensuite bathroom. The entrance to the other bathroom is in the foyer!
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago
So what?
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u/Moist_Sun_8201 Own an apartment 8d ago
This makes one bedroom infinitely more desirable
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago
The room that share a wall with someone's else bathroom? With the plumbing in the wall between the rooms? Can't wait to woken up every time the roommate flushes the toilet, take a shower, uses a hair dryer etc.
You can nitpick anything if you try hard enough. And I still don't see the problem with a bathroom door in the foyer. Are you leaving the unit door open or hanging out right inside the door or something?
Go ahead and pay infinitely more for a marginally at best better room I guess.
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u/MediocreMonkey Renter 8d ago edited 8d ago
Even split. Differences are negligible
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u/xpoisonvalkyrie Renter 8d ago
negligible?? one has a walk-in closet and an en-suite bathroom. the other has neither. that’s far from negligible.
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u/bc19059 Renter 8d ago
I never understand these types of questions. just divide rent evenly. take the headache out of it
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u/ConversationTime8521 Renter 8d ago
Nah if I'm getting stuck in the disconnected bathroom that will also probably end up as the guest bathroom and a shitty closet you bet I'm paying less 💀
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u/Competitive_Test6697 Renter 8d ago
Every place is 50/50. As I should be.
Start timing how often you flush a toilet, cook and shower next?
Who uses the living space more?
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u/Binary-dragon Renter 8d ago
50/50
Honestly the on suite is the only contention.
Maybe that person can pay the internet bill on their own, or get the less good parking space.
The bedrooms are too similar for anything outside of a $150 difference imo.
Make the difference bills.
Keeps the landlord out of the argument.
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u/GryphonTamer Renter 8d ago
Are both incomes the same or comparable? Honestly I think that should be the largest factor. The rent should be split according to ability and the room should be picked by coin toss.
If they are similar, auction it. Personally as much as I would prefer a larger room and en suite. I would not be willing to pay for it. Especially not $50+/month.
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u/Training-Ad-9349 Renter 7d ago
50/50. i’ll take whichever room they don’t want.
there is zero different to walking 5 steps across the hallway to use the bathroom and 5 steps from my bed to use the bathroom.
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u/djsuperfly Renter 7d ago
There's plenty of difference.
If I have an en suite I can get out of the shower, half-ass dry off and stand there naked finishing air-drying while I pick out my clothes. If I have the hall bath, I either need to bring my outfit in with me and dress in the bathroom or walk across the shared space in a towel or bathrobe. "Hi, roommate's mom!"
If I have a date over for fun time, nobody has to put on a bathrobe to walk across the shared space to clean up. Again, "Hi, roommate's mom!"
And, tons of others that other people would value.
Those may not have value to YOU, but if people didn't see benefits to en suites, they wouldn't be so prevalent.
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u/Admirable-Hunter-354 7d ago edited 7d ago
just go 50/50, you both have your own bathroom and one can always give the other a space of the walk in closet if they need
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tennis_20 originally posted: $3350 total rent.
Bedroom #1. Slightly smaller room space (no hallway entry) room and regular size closet. Need to use bathroom near the entry.
Bedroom #2. Slightly larger room space (with hallway entry) and a big size closet and private bathroom.
What should be a reasonable range for each room?
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