Once you have decided to move into an apartment with one or more roommates, you will need to determine how your rental payments will be handled. There are three ways you can set up the lease and determine how the rent will be paid:
1. All roommates sign the lease, and all are then liable for rent and damages
2. One person basically becomes the "landlord" of the apartment by renting one or several rooms of the apartment to other people through what is called "subletting."
3. You and your roommates create your own contract.
Dividing Rent
In some situations, the rent can't be divided equally. One person gets the bigger room and the other gets the small room. In that case you can rely on this rent calculator that will allow roommates to calculate the rent that each roommate has to be paying for what each gets.
So, in order to avoid any future disasters with irresponsible roommates, you need to decide how things are going to be handled once you all move in together. Just make sure that all agreements are written and legally verified. Verbal contracts don't impress Judge Judy!
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