Talking about money with your roommates is almost always awkward. You want to have an honest conversation but you don't want to make it awkward, because well...you live together.
But what are you supposed to do? Just stew in your room about your roommate using your expensive shampoo? Or openly confront them for eating your fancy hummus? And what about when it comes to money, huh? Personal finance experts around the world preach how important it is to have open conversations around money when you move in together with your partner, but what about when you move in with a friend? Or a stranger? Are you not entitled to those same open money conversations?
Well, I'm sure you can guess what we think. OF COURSE you're entitled to have these conversations. You're sharing a home with this person! But because we understand not everyone feels comfortable asking these questions, we asked them for you. Here's what most people believe in when it comes to all things roommates ⬇️
Almost half of you believe that rent should be split 50/50. 46% believe that the person with the bigger room should pay a bit more and 8% believe that the person that makes more money, should cover a slightly bigger share.
Quite frankly, we think sharing it 50/50 is unfair. You should have an honest conversation about what each of you prioritizes in an apartment & what your budget is. Do you prefer the room with a better view? The one with the bigger closet? Or do you simply not care and want to spend the smallest amount of money humanly possibly on rent? All of these are fair details to hash out, and you should split the rent accordingly.
The overwhelming answer (91%) is YES. Go ahead - ask. There's really no reason not to. If they're acting weird about how much they're paying, you can always see it on StreetEasy LOL.
This is a hot question. Personally, I thought the answer would overwhelmingly tip one way (I won't reveal my own stance), but it's less of a majority than we expected! 34% of you think it's okay to eat your roommate's food and the rest think it's a faux pax. Huh... we really thought you guys had better manners👀😅