Moving in together: splitting expenses

Before you sign the lease

• --Whose name is on the rent agreement? Ideally both, so both have the same rights and responsibilities.
• --Who pays the deposit and brokerage? Note each person’s share — it matters if you move out later.
• --What rent can you both afford? Base it on the lower income or a proportional split, not on what feels romantic (how much rent you can afford).

Choose how to split

• --50/50 — simple when incomes are similar.
• --In proportion to income — fairer when one earns much more (how proportional splits work).
• --A shared pot — each person transfers an agreed amount monthly into one account or ledger that pays rent, groceries and bills; personal spending stays separate (joint vs separate accounts).

Whatever you pick, agree what counts as shared: groceries and bills clearly; a weekend trip or a new sofa, decide case by case.

Big purchases

When you buy something big together — a TV, a fridge, furniture — note who paid how much. It feels unromantic now and saves a painful conversation later. A shared ledger with “paid by” on every entry does this automatically.

Plan for the unlikely

Agree, kindly and once, what would happen if you separated: who keeps the flat, how the deposit and shared items are divided, and how much notice either person gives. Couples who discuss it rarely need it; couples who don’t sometimes really do (separating finances after a breakup).

Frequently asked questions