5 times it's ok to ask your flatmate to pay

It’s never easy asking your housemates or flatmates to pay up for something. Unfortunately, in certain situations it is necessary and you are perfectly justified in asking them to shell out. Here are 5 common situations when you shouldn’t feel guilty asking for money from your housemate or flatmate.

When your housemate suddenly decides to leave

It’s the start of the month, and your housemate decides they want to move out without telling anyone beforehand. Even if they think that you have nothing better to do than find someone to replace them and that the room is such a good offer that you’ll be inundated with requests, it’s their responsibility to find someone and to pay for the rent in the meantime. If they don’t do this and there is a delay in finding someone to take the room, the landlord will turn to you and the deposit.

When your flatmate leaves – for a while

If your flatmate has decided to jet off on holiday for two months or taken an internship in another city, they might not want to pay for their rent on top of their extra costs. This is not your problem: in this situation, you can explain to them the option of subletting, and ensure that they check with the landlord before organising it, to make sure it is watertight.

When something is broken and you’re the one who fixed it

As we all know, things can get broken, especially when living in a flat or houseshare. If neither of you were to blame, it’s not fair that you have to pay more than the others. If you end up being the one to fix things, don’t hesitate to ask for any contributions – especially if you have had to pay up for materials or help.

flatmates housemates talking

When you do the shopping

Splitting costs is a touchy subject that can often cause tension in a houseshare. When you’re well organised and you do the shopping for the whole house, it’s normal to expect everyone to pay up their fair share. Instead of resorting to ‘everyone for himself’ and passive aggressive notes on your milk, it’s much easier to bring the subject up with them and ask them to pay.

When your housemate damages your things

When you share a living space, it’s inevitable that you end up sharing a lot – but your personal things stay yours. If your housemate has been using your stuff and breaks it, uses it up or loses it, you are well within your rights to ask them to repair it, buy a new one or reimburse you so you can do it yourself.

To summarise, don’t be afraid to bring up the subject or money – it’s better for you, for them, and the houseshare as a whole.

Author: Roomlala

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