Rent splitting that everyone can agree on.
FairDivide starts with private room size - the bigger the space, the higher the base price - then adjusts based on features your group values most. No single person decides what a balcony is worth.
This works like supply and demand: if both roommates love the en-suite, the price gets bid up; if only one does, it stays reasonable. The results become a starting point for negotiation: roommates can swap rooms, re-run the calculation, or adjust weights (Pro) to find a split everyone agrees on.
| Method | How it works | Pro | Con | Best for | Fairness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equal Split | Everyone pays the same amount | Simple | Completely ignores room size and quality | Friends who do not want to overthink it | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| By Room Size | Pro-rate by square footage | Accounts for how much space you get | Ignores features, occupants, pets | Most basic roommate situations | ★★☆☆☆ |
| By Income | Higher earner pays proportionally more | Feels equitable for people who share finances | Awkward with strangers, penalizes success, irrelevant to what you actually get | Couples or family members only | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Negotiation | Argue until someone gives in | Flexible, can account for anything | Creates resentment, no logic, no transparency, whoever is more assertive wins | Nobody | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Fixed % to Features | Assign a set % premium to en-suite bath, balcony, etc. before anyone moves in | Faster than full negotiation | Who decides the %? A balcony means completely different things to different people - some work from home and live on it, others never step outside. A fixed % ignores individual preferences entirely. | When everyone already agrees on values | ★★★☆☆ |
| FairDivide | Room size + everyone rates every feature + occupants + pets - all weighted together | Transparent, mathematical, every voice counts, market-based pricing driven by real preferences | Requires about 10 minutes of setup | Any roommate situation | ★★★★★ |
Three steps. About 10 minutes. A split everyone understands.
Enter apartment size, room sizes, common areas, exclusive use spaces, number of occupants and pets per room.
Everyone independently scores every feature from -100 to +100. You have 100 happiness points to spend. The gap between your scores matters more than the numbers themselves.
FairDivide calculates each room's rent based on area share and compound feature scores. See exactly why each number is what it is - no black box.
Real numbers, real preferences, real results.
How each person scored the features:
| Feature | Jane | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-private bath | 0 | 5 |
| Reach-in closet | 5 | 5 |
| Large windows | 25 | 20 |
| En-suite bath | 35 | 40 |
| Standard walk-in | 15 | 15 |
| Private balcony | 20 | 15 |
Monthly rent comparison:
| Room | Sq Ft Only | FairDivide | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room A (Jane) | $1,800 | $1,625 | −$175 ↓ |
| Room Q (Sam) | $1,800 | $1,975 | +$175 ↑ |
Both roommates highly value the en-suite bath and balcony, which happen to be in Room Q — so the market bids that room up by $175.
How each person scored the features:
| Feature | Jane | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-private bath | 10 | 0 |
| Reach-in closet | 10 | 5 |
| Large windows | 50 | 20 |
| En-suite bath | 20 | 40 |
| Standard walk-in | 5 | 15 |
| Private balcony | 5 | 20 |
Monthly rent comparison:
| Room | Sq Ft Only | FairDivide | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room A (Jane) | $1,800 | $1,813 | +$13 ↑ |
| Room Q (Sam) | $1,800 | $1,787 | −$13 ↓ |
Complementary preferences mean each person already has what they value most — almost no rebalancing needed.
How each person scored the features (identical to Example 2):
| Feature | Jane | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-private bath | 10 | 0 |
| Reach-in closet | 10 | 5 |
| Large windows | 50 | 20 |
| En-suite bath | 20 | 40 |
| Standard walk-in | 5 | 15 |
| Private balcony | 5 | 20 |
Monthly rent comparison:
| Room | Sq Ft Only | FairDivide | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room A (Jane) | $2,015 | $2,028 | +$13 ↑ |
| Room Q (Sam) | $1,585 | $1,572 | −$13 ↓ |
Feature adjustment stays at $13 — identical to Example 2. The extra $443 gap comes entirely from occupants, pets, and exclusive use.
PDF report also available as a one-time purchase for $2.99 per calculation on the free plan.
No account. No credit card. Takes about 10 minutes.
Calculate Your Fair Split - Free