How to split rent and utilities with roommates

Agree on the split before recording the bill

Start with the people responsible for each cost. Rent might use an agreed unequal split, while internet is divided equally. An expense tracker records the arrangement you choose; the group still needs to agree on it.

Keep the payer separate from the participants. The roommate whose bank account pays the landlord may still owe only one share of the rent.

A three-roommate example

Alex, Sam and Jo share a home. They agree that Alex covers $1,200 of the $2,700 rent, Sam $900 and Jo $600. All three split $90 internet and $150 electricity equally.

If Alex pays all three bills and there are no other entries, Sam owes Alex $980 and Jo owes Alex $680. If someone else pays a bill, record that person as the payer so the balances reflect it.

Record the costs in LoopSplit

1. Create a shared Book and invite your roommates. Each person accepts the invitation before joining.
2. Add rent with the actual payer. Choose exact amounts and enter $1,200, $900 and $600.
3. Add internet and electricity as separate expenses, with the correct payer and an equal split among all three.
4. Review the individual shares before saving, then check the synced balances.

Separate entries make a changed utility bill easier to check later. You can attach a receipt or bill photo; scanning provides amount, merchant and date suggestions when available, which you review before saving.

See expenses and split methods for the app steps.

Keep next month’s bills on a Loop

For rent or internet that repeats, save a Loop with its schedule, payer and split. When a period is due, it appears in To Do for someone to check and record. A Loop does not charge a card, pay a bill or transfer money.

A changing electricity amount should be checked against the actual bill. If you use a Pro estimate, saving it already affects balances; confirming the final amount updates that same entry. Each free Book supports up to three active Loops. Read Loops & To Do and estimated amounts before choosing the workflow.

Record a repayment after the money moves

Sam and Jo pay Alex outside the app. Record each repayment once it has happened, then check the remaining balances. A shared expense describes a cost; a repayment describes money paid between members to settle what they owe. Recording both correctly avoids counting a repayment as a second household bill.

For the steps, see recording a repayment. These figures are an illustrative arrangement, not a rule for how every household should split rent.

Keep the record together.

Try LoopSplit on iPhone, iPad or Android. Free to start, with optional Pro subscriptions.

Need the exact controls? Visit the LoopSplit Help Center.