A roommate is leaving mid-lease. What do they owe, or get back?
Three separate questions get tangled when someone leaves: this month’s rent, their share of the deposit, and the last bills. Answer them one by one and net them into a single payment.
| Part | Working | To Cam |
|---|---|---|
| Rent this period | stayed 12 of 31 nights: 950.00 × 12 ÷ 31 = 367.74; already paid 950.00 | $582.26 |
| Their part of the deposit | contributed 950.00 − deductions 0.00 | $950.00 |
| Electric (Oct) | home 12 of 31 days; 3 people share it | −$19.46 |
| Net | shared by Ana and Ben | $1,512.80 |
housr records amounts only. It never moves money.
The numbers, step by step
Cam pays $950 a month and already paid October in full. Cam’s last night is October 12. A replacement isn’t lined up, but Ana and Ben agree to prorate October and to buy out Cam’s $950 share of the deposit now. The October electric bill of $120 arrives later and is shared by days home.
- Rent this period: $582.26 (stayed 12 of 31 nights: 950.00 × 12 ÷ 31 = 367.74; already paid 950.00).
- Their part of the deposit: $950.00 (contributed 950.00 − deductions 0.00).
- Electric (Oct): −$19.46 (home 12 of 31 days; 3 people share it).
- Net: the household owes Cam $1,512.80, which is $756.40 from Ana and $756.40 from Ben.
Names and amounts are samples. Change any number in the calculator above and the result updates.
Worth agreeing in writing
In a signed-in household, the Leaving tab fills this in from your ledger and records the result as entries, so the balances stay correct.
Keep it running
Turn this into a household: rent posts at the agreed split each month, bills split by days home, and housr works out who owes whom. Roommates join with a link and a name.
Make it a householdWhen this split is fair, and when it isn’t
Fair when
- Everyone agreed in advance that the household prorates by nights, and the leaver gave the notice your agreement asks for.
- The remaining roommates are buying the leaver’s deposit share because they will get it back from the landlord at the end, minus any damage they will share.
- Final bills are split by the days the leaver was actually there.
Not so fair when
- If the lease holds every tenant responsible for the full rent until it ends, the landlord may still expect it; leaving early can leave the household short. Check the lease before agreeing to prorate.
- If the leaver caused damage that will come out of the deposit, agree an estimate now or hold back part of their deposit share until the landlord’s itemized statement arrives.
- If a replacement roommate is paying the leaver’s deposit share directly, don’t also pay it out of the household.
This is general information about splitting costs between yourselves, not legal advice. Your lease and your state’s law decide what you owe the landlord.
Sources
- New York State Attorney General, Residential Tenants’ Rights Guide. Checked 2026-10-05.
- California Legislative Information, California Civil Code §1950.5. Checked 2026-10-05.
- Office of the Texas Attorney General, Renter’s Rights. Checked 2026-10-05.
Related situations
A new roommate moves in mid-month
Their first month is a proration; every month after is the normal split. Keep the two separate and nobody pays for nights they weren’t there.
Open the example Split rentOne deposit cheque, three roommates
Landlords often return a shared deposit as one payment. Splitting it fairly means starting from what each person paid in, then taking out deductions the right way.
Open the example Split rentSubletting your room for the summer
A sublet is a proration across months, plus a reminder that the lease still names you. Get both right before you hand over a key.
Open the example