In theory, a roommate would halve the cost of an apartment or house, but that's not always how it works or should work. Since an apartment or house is unlikely divided into equally sized sections that you and your housemate share, you must determine how much rent each person pays by breaking down how much space each person uses. Calculating the rent your housemate should pay requires basic math and knowledge of the apartment or house's size.
Instructions
1. Determine the cost of rent per square foot of space. Ask your landlord for a document that details the size of your house or apartment. The document should provide you the square feet of each room and the total square feet of the apartment or house. Divide total rent by the total square feet to calculate how much you pay in rent per square footage.
2. Total the square feet that you and your housemate share. For example, you both may share the living room space and kitchen. Multiply the shared square feet by the cost of rent per square foot. Divide by two so the rent is equally split. For example, suppose the cost of rent per square foot comes out to $1 and you and your housemate share 300 square feet. Multiply 300 by 1 to find 300 and divide by two to get $150.
3. Add the total square feet that only you use. Multiply by the cost of rent per square foot and add that amount to your share of the rent. Add the remaining rent costs to your roommate's share of the rent.
4. Divvy out utility expenses. The easiest way to split utility costs is by halving each bill so you and your housemate pay equal amounts. Doing so works for most utilities, except electricity. If either of you use more electricity than the other, because of TV or video game habits, the person who uses more should pay $5 to $10 more for the electric bill.
