need advice about splitting rent

[Anonymous]

I am horrible at conflict resolution and am consistently surprised at how well people word and handle situations on this forum. Hoping someone can 1) tell me if this is fair and 2) help me word it.

Here's the situation:

2 college students are going to share a 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment. The apartment is set up for a traditional family vs. a roommate situation, so the master bedroom has an attached master bath whereas the 2nd bedroom's bath is not attached to the bedroom. Though the bedrooms are the same size, the master bath is larger than the 2nd bath (not significantly, but it is larger.) Finally, the balcony is only accessible from the master bedroom.

In lieu of the above, I think the roommate without the master should receive a discount on the rent. So, for instance, if rent is $1100, rather than splitting it equally $550 each, I was thinking perhaps $525 and $575 each. So, is my proposal fair, or way out of line and too petty? It's not so much a money issue as it is to alleviate hard feelings because we both want the master. This way, we both feel like we're "winning" something.

Next, if it is acceptable, how do I propose it? Just like I stated above?

I am willing to forgo the master as long as we agree there's not really a guest bathroom, but I don't want to feel bitter later about the balcony. Even as I'm typing this out, I'm feeling bitter about the master really being the only one to use the balcony and thinking it should be a $50 discount, not just $25.

What do you all think?

[Anonymous]

You need to create a market to solve this rationally. Each person bids for the master bedroom. Whoever agrees to pay the most gets it. It might be worth 25 or 50 or 200, but this gives you a solution which is win-win.

[Anonymous]

Ok, in college, the only people I knew who used their balconies were smokers and their guests so the balcony to me is no big issue.

Split the rent 50/50.

[Anonymous]

My first apartment outside of college was a 3 bedroom in the old (yet so so expensive) city. I was the 3rd roommate (the other 2 had been living there for about 1. 5months). My room had a sloped ceiling that made it a bit smaller than the other two. They each paid $900 and I paid $800.

How are you going to handle the balcony? Is the person in the master bedroom the only one allowed to use it? If that is the case, I wonder if $50 is even enough to alleviate hard feelings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, in college, the only people I knew who used their balconies were smokers and their guests so the balcony to me is no big issue.

Split the rent 50/50.

Interesting. When I was in college the balcony was a big hangout spot in general. And none of us smoked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to create a market to solve this rationally. Each person bids for the master bedroom. Whoever agrees to pay the most gets it. It might be worth 25 or 50 or 200, but this gives you a solution which is win-win.

this is what I did back in the day

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks. I'm trying to imagine if I'll use the patio or not. It's a 2nd floor room, so the master and her guests, would be the only users. Neither of us smoke, fwiw. I like the creating a market idea. I guess I put a $25 value as the master owner, but started feeling the $50 value was more fair as the non-master owner. Ha, perspective changes everything! I'm going to try to figure out what it would be worth to me.

You guys are great, thank you!

[Anonymous]

Yes, there should be a rent differential. Fifty at least.

Agree to the rent differential before you agree who gets the master.

[Anonymous]

I think a private bathroom and a balcony are easily worth $50 a month if not more. Depends if someone really wants those perks and is prepared to pay $50-100 more to have them. If neither person cares about those perks and both just want lower rent then you could split the rent 50/50 and switch rooms half way through the lease.

[Anonymous]

Guests are going to use the hall bath. No way around it. I think $50 more is not enough for the master. More like $600/$500.

[Anonymous]

You could also switch 1/2 way through and split 50/50.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could also switch 1/2 way through and split 50/50.

This is what I would suggest, and flip a coin to see who gets the Master first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could also switch 1/2 way through and split 50/50.

This is what I would suggest, and flip a coin to see who gets the Master first.

Ugh, no. Pain on the ass to move. St do this

[Anonymous]

Agree to rent differential.

Then flip a coin.

Whoever wins gets to decide which room he wants.

[Anonymous]

I was in the exact same situation w/ room layout (minus the balcony) in med school. We had about a $200 differential and switched halfway (this was 3rd/4th year). To complicate things even more we had a system where if one guy was gone on rotations for a few months the other paid like 3/4th the rent. We were both pretty laid back so it worked out great.