Shared house bill split calculator
Enter the bill and the rooms that share it. Pick a method and see what each room pays. The shares always add up to the bill, to the penny.
Not legal advice. This tool only does the maths. What you can charge depends on your tenancy agreements and the rules below.
How it works
Equally gives every room the same share. By room size and by number of people share the bill in proportion to the square metres or the people in each room. By days lived there counts the days each room was lived in during the bill period, including the move-in day and the last day. Days when a room stood empty are normally yours to pay. We work in pennies and give any spare pennies to the rooms with the largest remainders, so the total is never a penny out.
Example: a £420 electricity bill, four rooms of 14, 10, 10 and 16 m². Split by room size, Room 1 pays 14/50 × £420 = £117.60, Rooms 2 and 3 pay £84 each and Room 4 pays £134.40. Split equally, each room pays £105.
Council tax: Council tax can’t be charged to tenants as a separate bill. If you pay it, include it in the rent.
The rules behind it
In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 limits what you can charge tenants on top of rent. Utilities, broadband and a TV licence are allowed where the tenancy agreement requires the tenant to pay them. Council tax is allowed only when it's paid to the council, so you can't recharge it as a separate bill. If you resell gas or electricity, Ofgem's maximum resale price means you can't charge more than you paid, including standing charges.
Questions
What's the fairest way to split a shared bill?
There's no single right answer. Equal shares suit broadband, room size suits heating, and number of people suits water. Pick one method, put it in the tenancy agreement and use it every time.
Who pays when a room is empty?
Normally you do. When a tenant moves in or out during the bill period, share the bill by days lived there and pay the empty days yourself.
Can I split council tax between the tenants?
No. Council tax can’t be charged to tenants as a separate bill. If you pay it, include it in the rent.
Can I add a margin to the energy I recharge?
No. Ofgem's maximum resale price means you can't charge more than you paid for gas or electricity, including standing charges.
This page is general information about England, not legal advice. Rules change and every tenancy is different; if your situation is unusual, speak to a solicitor.