The Great Rent Debate

How Much Should A Person Charge for Rent?

That was the great question I had on my mind when I was faced with the challenge of finding a new roommate on Craigslist. I have had many roommates before. They ate my food, they didn’t clean up after themselves and they broke my stuff. In my opinion, it makes sense that I should surcharge the rent to protect myself from the many potentials, right?

I should clarify that when it comes to roommates, I have been exceptionally lucky. None of them have been (too) crazy and, for the most part, I think back on my roommate experience fondly. That being said, no roommate is ever going to be perfect.

So how should rent be divided? 

In my particular situation, I charged Cody 800$ for the smaller room, with the option of $900 for the bigger room (utilities, supplies and daily cleaning included). Our total rent with utilities and shared costs (supplies) is just under $1600. However the division of the costs would ultimately be divided in my favour either way.

If Cody chose the smaller room (90 sq.ft), he would pay $800, and I would pay $800 for the bigger room. He would also receive half of the living room for desk and shelf space, and the hallway closet for extra storage.

If Cody chose the larger room (150 sq.ft), he would pay $900, and I would pay $700 for the smaller room.

Is this division ethical? Considering also the fact that only my name appears on the lease. Therefor, Cody would than become a subleased tenant.

Related articles

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• Sawant on Rent Control (seattletransitblog.com)
• RussiaToday: My home is a box! Soaring rents force Londoners to live in shipping containers (silveristhenew.com)
• Rent Control is Bad for Affordability (seattletransitblog.com)
• Vancouver rent bank prevents 137 evictions in one year (metronews.ca)