In short: rent is only part of what it costs to move in together. Before you sleep a night in the new place there are entry costs (a deposit and the first month), moving costs, furniture and appliances, setup fees, and surprises. Almost all of it is paid at once, so work it out before you sign. With a 50/50 split, the same expense weighs much more on the lower paycheck. The list below is for checking things off and deciding who pays what.
Entry costs: the first things you pay
Rules on security deposits, advance rent, and agency or application fees vary a lot by country, state, and even city. In many places the first payment is the first month's rent plus a deposit, which can be a month's rent or more. Before paying anything, find out what your local rules allow, and if a landlord or agency asks for fees that seem unusual, ask why and check with a local tenant or consumer office before you pay.
The list nobody counts
Mark what applies to you and jot down a rough figure for each item. The amounts depend on your city and on what you already have.
Before the move
- A van, a moving company, or help from friends (with gas and food).
- Boxes, tape, packing paper.
- Cleaning the place you're leaving, if your lease requires it.
- The days when you're paying two rents at once, if they overlap.
Getting the home up and running
- Basic furniture: bed, mattress, couch, table.
- Appliances that aren't included.
- Small housewares: pans, dishes, bedding, towels.
- Curtains, light bulbs, power strips, locks or rekeying.
- Minor repairs or paint.
Setup and paperwork
- Setting up or transferring electricity, water, gas, and internet. Sometimes there's a setup fee or a minimum contract term.
- Home insurance (there's a separate guide).
- Registering your new address where your local rules require it.
- Updating your address with banks, insurers, your employer, and any government offices that need it.
The first few months
- An initial pantry stock-up (oil, spices, cleaning supplies).
- Surprises: something breaks, something's missing, something gets pricier.
- Costs that someone else used to cover, like the utilities at a parent's house.
It's normal to forget half of it. That's why it's worth adding a cushion to the total.
What adds up every month
Besides rent, there are costs you may not have paid before: electricity, water, gas, internet, and sometimes building fees or trash collection. Check your lease to see which of these you pay and which the landlord covers, and whether any building or association fees are passed on to you and for how much. Read that part before signing, and add an estimate of these costs to the monthly figure you already worked out for the rent.
An example with numbers
A couple rents an apartment for $1,000/month. Blue (the whale) takes home $2,800 a month and Orange (the penguin) takes home $1,600. The moving, furniture, and mattress amounts are assumptions for the example, not averages. The example also assumes a deposit equal to one month's rent; yours may differ.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| First month's rent | $1,000 |
| Deposit (one month's rent) | $1,000 |
| Moving | $300 |
| Furniture and appliances | $1,500 |
| Cushion for surprises | $200 |
| Total to get started | $4,000 |
Now, two ways to split it:
| Split | Blue | Orange | Share of a month's pay (Blue / Orange) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50/50 | $2,000 | $2,000 | 71.4% / 125% |
| Proportional (2,800 / 4,400 and 1,600 / 4,400) | $2,545 | $1,455 | 90.9% / 90.9% |
Split 50/50, Orange puts in more than a full month's pay. Split proportionally, you both put in nearly the same amount relative to your pay: 90.9%. The total is $4,000 in both cases (2,000 + 2,000 and 2,545 + 1,455).
If you don't have enough savings for a total like this, adjust the list before signing: you can buy things secondhand, furnish the place bit by bit, or delay the move.
What to do with what you buy
What you buy for the home gets used by both of you, but one of you paid for it, or the two of you paid in different proportions. Write down in a sheet:
- What was bought, when, and how much it cost.
- Who paid for it, and in what proportion.
- What happens to it if one of you moves out: whoever paid keeps it, it's sold and the money split, or it's settled some other way.
It doesn't need to be a complicated spreadsheet: a note with three columns is enough. If you already have a system for keeping track of who owes what between you, this goes there.
Steps to do it well
- Before signing, fill in the list with one figure per line and add it up.
- Decide the split (50/50 or proportional) and where the money comes from: each person's savings or a shared account.
- Separate the essentials from what can wait three months.
- Open a shared note for the big purchases.
- Review after two months: what was missing that wasn't on the list?
General information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a professional.