Splitting expenses with roommates, without a spreadsheet
In a shared flat, money moves every day: rent once a month, internet and power in one person's name, groceries through the week. Here is how to split each of them fairly, and how to keep the accounts current without thinking about it.
Updated
The short answer
- Split rent equally when rooms are comparable; otherwise by room size, or half equally and half by size.
- Utilities and internet are usually split equally, and the person whose name is on the contract gets paid back every month.
- Grocery receipts mix shared and personal items: split them line by line, not by the total.
- In Splitz: one group for the flat, rent and subscriptions set up once, grocery receipts scanned. Balances update for everyone.
Splitting the rent
Three methods cover almost every shared flat. Take a €1,500 flat, bills included, with three bedrooms of 16, 12 and 12 m².
- Equal shares: €500 each. Simple, and fair when the rooms are alike.
- By bedroom size: 16 m² out of 40 m² of bedrooms, so €600 for the large room and €450 for each of the others.
- Mixed: half the rent split equally for the shared rooms, half by bedroom size. The large room pays €550, the other two €475.
| Bedroom | Equal | By size | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 m² | €500 | €600 | €550 |
| 12 m² | €500 | €450 | €475 |
| 12 m² | €500 | €450 | €475 |
A balcony, a private bathroom or a quieter room can justify a further adjustment. What matters is agreeing on the rule when people move in, and writing it down.
Utilities and internet
Power, gas and internet can't be metered room by room, so they are usually split equally. The contract is often in one person's name, and they front the bill every month. That's where accounts drift: nobody remembers to pay back a €38 bill.
Log each bill as a group expense paid by the contract holder. For anything that comes back every month at the same amount, like internet or a subscription, a recurring expense saves typing it again.
Groceries and shared purchases
A supermarket receipt nearly always mixes shared and personal items: detergent, toilet paper and oil for everyone, yoghurts and ready meals for one person. Splitting the total evenly makes everyone pay for everyone else's shopping.
With Splitz, whoever did the shopping photographs the receipt. Every line is detected with its price: shared items go to the whole flat, personal ones to their owner.
When a roommate moves out
Settle their balance before the keys are handed back: what they still owe, or what the group owes them. In Splitz every member's balance is kept current, so you read it and record the repayment. Then update the recurring expenses for whoever moves in.
Renting a shared flat in France
- Joint liability clause (clause de solidarité): if the lease has one, each roommate and their guarantor owe the landlord the full rent and charges, including someone else's share if they don't pay.
- Moving out: that liability lasts for 6 months after the end of the notice period, or only until the end of the notice if a new roommate replaces you during it.
- Housing benefit: each roommate can claim their own housing allowance (APL, ALS or ALF) for the share of rent they pay.
- The law sets no formula for splitting rent between roommates: you decide it among yourselves.
General information from service-public.gouv.fr, the French government's official site, current as of March 21, 2025. It is not a substitute for reading your lease or for legal advice.
Keeping a shared flat's accounts with Splitz
- Create a group for the flat and share the invite link. A roommate who doesn't have the app yet can be added as a guest.
- Set up rent, internet and subscriptions as recurring expenses with the split you chose: equal shares or custom amounts. Recurring expenses are part of Splitz Pro.
- Photograph grocery receipts and assign each line.
- When you want to settle up, Splitz works out the fewest repayments. You pay with your usual method, then record it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you split rent when bedrooms are different sizes?
The most common method is splitting by bedroom size. A gentler variant splits half the rent equally, for the shared rooms, and the other half by bedroom size. For a €1,500 flat with bedrooms of 16, 12 and 12 m², that gives €550, €475 and €475.
How should roommates split utilities and internet?
Usually equally, since they can't be metered per room. The person whose name is on the contract pays the bill and the others pay them back; logging it as a recurring expense makes that automatic.
How do you split a grocery receipt with roommates?
Line by line: shared items like cleaning products go to everyone, personal items to their owner. Splitz reads the receipt and lets you assign each line in a few taps.
Do all roommates need to install the app?
No. Roommates can be added as guests; their expenses count right away, and they join the group from a personal link whenever they want.
