Housemate Horror Stories: How to Manage Shared Bills Without Killing Each Other

The “Toilet Roll” Standoff

We’ve all lived with that one housemate. The one who uses 3x more toilet roll than everyone else but never buys a pack. The one who leaves the heating on 25°C while you’re shivering in a jumper to save money.

Shared living is hard. Money makes it harder.

The “Joint Account” Strategy

Best for: Long-term housemates who trust each other. Open a joint account (Monzo and Starling make this easy). Everyone sets up a standing order for £150/month on payday. All bills (internet, energy, council tax) come out of this pot. Pros: Bills are always paid on time. Cons: Requires trust.

The “Lead Tenant” Strategy

Best for: Random house shares (Spareroom). One person puts all bills in their name. They calculate the monthly total and request it from everyone else. Pros: Simple for the non-leads. Cons: High risk for the Lead Tenant. If someone moves out or refuses to pay, the Lead is liable.

The “App” Strategy

Best for: Variable costs (cleaning products, toilet roll). Use an app like Halfsy or Splitwise. When you buy bin bags, log it. The app keeps a running total of who owes who. Rule: Settle up at the end of every month. Do not let it drag on, or the debt becomes “too big to ask for.”

Handling the “Energy Hog”

If one housemate works from home 5 days a week and has a gaming PC running 24/7, while the others are in the office, is a 50/50 energy split fair? The Modern Etiquette: No. The WFH housemate should offer to pay a slightly larger share of the energy bill (e.g., 60/40) to cover the extra heating and electricity.

Summary

Transparency is the only cure for housemate resentment. Agree on the rules before the first bill arrives.