Having a roommate can be great; you have companionship and someone to split the bills with. But that sharing of expenses can sometimes get challenging and even tense. Roomies can wind up arguing over who is using up all the paper towels or sending the electricity bill through the roof.
Here are some smart tactics that can help keep the peace and also control costs.
Key Points
• Establish clear financial expectations before moving in, including who pays for what and when.
• Decide on proportional contributions to ensure fair distribution of expenses.
• Assign specific bill responsibilities to each roommate for accountability.
• Use modern technology to simplify and track bill payments and reimbursements.
• Maintain transparency with a roommate contract and regular check-ins to avoid conflicts.
Creating Clear Guidelines on Which Bills to Split
One of the easiest ways to ensure everyone feels satisfied with how the household bills are handled is to be direct and upfront with financial expectations. And this means being straightforward about what those expectations are before anyone moves in.
If you’re moving into someone’s home or an existing roommate situation, it’s a good idea to ask how bills are handled now and how it will change when you move in. Some specifics you may want to address:
• Whose name is currently on the utilities?
• Will I be expected to put my name on any utilities?
• When is money collected to split the bills?
• Are the bills divided equally, or by room size?
These can be helpful, because everyone can understand what’s expected. It also sets ground rules moving forward.
Increase your savings
with a limited-time APY boost.*
Deciding How Everyone Wants to Split Bills
As for the best way to split bills, that may depend on the household situation. For example, if the home has two evenly-sized rooms and a shared bathroom, kitchen, and living area, it may be easiest to simply split the bills down the middle as everyone has an equal space. But if one room is exponentially larger than the other and has its own en suite bath, the bills could be split proportionally to reflect the extra space for one roommate versus the other.
It is a good idea to tackle the grocery issue head on. For instance, address such questions as:
• Is the house going to split groceries?
• Is everyone going to enjoy one shared meal together at night?
• Are the roommates going to split common goods like cleaner and toilet paper?
• Or is each person going to fend for themselves?
Any way you choose to go about it is fine, as long as it’s all out in the open — before someone accidentally finishes someone else’s ice cream without asking.
Recommended: Ways to Save Money on Food
Picking Who Is Responsible for Which Bill
Once it’s decided how a bill will be divided, you may want to assign each roommate ownership of bills for things like the electricity, heating, gas, water, trash, cable and internet, and more, depending on the rental agreement. Perhaps you’re able to get a better deal based on a roommate’s existing account with a certain biller. That may be one way to decide and to cut back on expenses.
Or, you might have the roommates divide up the bills evenly in order to distribute the responsibility. Doing things this way may also ensure everyone pays bills on time. Being late with bills can lead to fellow roommates being surprised with a service being interrupted and their credit being dinged if they are listed on the account that’s unpaid.
You might also look into changing the due date on bills; this can sometimes be accomplished and can ease cash flow.
Creating a Roommate Bills Contract
Once the lease has been negotiated, the bills have all been cleared up, and everyone is in agreement, consider creating some sort of “roommate contract” that spells out exactly what was decided upon, which everyone reads and signs.
That way, no one can ever claim they were confused about the household budget and how bills are split, when money is owed, and who is responsible for what.
Sharing a Spreadsheet of Expenses
Once you and your roommate(s) are settled in, you might want to create and share a monthly Excel spreadsheet of expenses.
You could share this spreadsheet online, allowing each roommate to keep track of the expenses they are responsible for and easily let everyone know what has been paid and what is outstanding.
This spreadsheet may also come in handy for adding in shared groceries and necessities like milk, eggs, toilet paper, and paper towels. That way, everyone can keep track of who bought the last batch to avoid an argument later. You’ll also see how much your household is spending on groceries per month and other expenses.
Recommended: Different Types of Budgeting Techniques
Sitting Down Together at the End of Each Month
One sure way to ruin a roommate relationship is for one person to get passive-aggressive about the bills. As a result, you generally want to avoid leaving little notes around the house about who owes what (or who hasn’t done the dishes in far too long) and instead face those issues head on.
At a good time for everyone, perhaps toward the end of each month, schedule a 10-minute roommate check-in. In this meeting, everyone can share household happenings, announcements, and any updates on household bills.
By sitting down in person, no one can avoid possible uncomfortable questions about money. You all can figure out potential sticky situations together.
As a bonus, roommates can also use this time to go over any other to-dos around the house. You might also discuss ways to economize, such as saving money on water bills.
💡 Quick Tip: Typically, checking accounts don’t earn interest. However, some accounts do, and online banks are more likely than brick-and-mortar banks to offer you the best rates.
Keeping Some Personal Purchases Separate
Though some may be tempted to fully invest in a roommate relationship by sharing the financial burden on just about everything, there are some items that are better left in the personal spending category.
That includes the purchase of any big-ticket items you’d like to take with you if you ever move out. These might include such items as a TV, couch, tables, glasses, or an expensive air fryer purchased on a whim.
It may also be helpful to distinguish an area in cabinets and the fridge for each individual roommate to place specialty or expensive food items they do not want to share.
If one roommate has a pet they adopted on their own, it is a good idea to keep those petcare expenses completely separate.
Another common recommendation is for everyone to invest in their own renters insurance. This will protect all their items in case of a fire, flood, burglary, or more. This type of insurance could save everyone a lot of money and heartache if disaster strikes.
Using Modern Technology to Split Bills with Roommates
Fortunately, splitting bills with roommates is easier than ever, thanks to the advent of P2P transfers. If one roommate covers a household bill, the rest of you can reimburse them using a app like Venmo or Apple Pay. Your bank may also have tools you can use to quickly send funds to others.
It can be fast and free to transfer money this way and can make sharing expenses with roommates quick and simple.
The Takeaway
The key to splitting bills with roommates smoothly is to establish clear financial guidelines from the start. Consider using P2P transfer apps to simplify reimbursements and maintaining a shared spreadsheet for transparency.
Other moves that can help keep the peace include: having regular monthly check-ins to address issues openly, keeping some personal expenses (like big-ticket items, specialty groceries, and pet care) separate to avoid conflicts, and setting up a roommate contract to formalize agreements and prevent misunderstandings.
If you need flexible banking (whether or not you have roommates), consider what SoFi has to offer.
Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.
FAQ
How should bills be split with roommates?
To split bills fairly with roommates, start by listing all shared expenses — rent, utilities, internet, and subscriptions. Agree upfront on how to divide them, usually equally unless someone has a significantly larger room or different usage habits. You might designate one person to pay the bills and collect each roommate’s share in advance using a payment app. Open communication and written agreements can help avoid misunderstandings and ensure everyone pays their fair share on time.
How do you divide utilities with roommates?
Divide utilities by first listing all monthly expenses, such as electricity, water, and internet. Agree on a fair division method, such as splitting equally or based on usage. Then choose whether one person pays all bills and collects money, or if you will divide responsibilities (e.g., one pays electric, another pays internet, etc). Consider using a budgeting app or shared spreadsheet to keep tabs on payments and ensure everyone pays their share on time. Regularly review and adjust the division if necessary to maintain fairness and avoid conflicts.
How do you split bills between two people?
When splitting bills between two people, first decide what will be shared — rent, utilities, groceries, etc. A common approach is a 50/50 split, but you can adjust this based on income or usage. For example, if one person earns significantly more, a proportional split might be more fair. Next, establish who’s responsible for paying which bills so nothing slips through the cracks. Also consider using tools like a shared budgeting app or spreadsheet to track expenses. Clear communication and consistent practices help prevent conflicts and promote financial harmony.
SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. The SoFi® Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 11/12/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet
Eligible Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Eligible Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network every 31 calendar days.
Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not designate payments as direct deposit. To ensure you're earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, we encourage you to check your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit posts to your SoFi account. If your APY is not showing as the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. As long as SoFi Bank can validate those details, you will start earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit from the date you contact SoFi for the next 31 calendar days. You will also be eligible for the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit on future Eligible Direct Deposits, as long as SoFi Bank can validate them.
Deposits that are not from an employer, payroll, or benefits provider or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, Wise, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Eligible Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder's Eligible Direct Deposit activity to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility.
See additional details at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
*Awards or rankings from NerdWallet are not indicative of future success or results. This award and its ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Bank Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.
Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.
SOBNK-Q225-066