Moving in with your partner can often be a big step, but it can lead to a whole host of new complications and snags. One of these is often how you split your bills.
For one woman, that became particularly evident when she decided to buy her own home with her savings. Having lived with her boyfriend for more than a year, the woman went ahead and purchased her own property, reports The Mirror.
Initially she suggested that her partner could contribute by paying half of the mortgage. But he disagreed, stating he didn’t want to contribute to the mortgage in case they split up – instead he said he should pay half of the utilities.
Writing on Reddit, the woman said: “I agreed at the time because I wanted the whole situation to calm down, but after having more time to think, it seems unfair. His bills would only be around $200 a month, whereas I’d be paying over $700, including the mortgage payments.”
The woman further explained she had supported her boyfriend when he was out of work for eight months, using most of her savings to keep them going. Now that he is back working, she said the boyfriend wants to use the opportunity to buy his own property so he can rent it out.
Seeking out advice on the matter, the woman wrote: “I want to have another discussion about this with him, but I wanted some more opinions on this before I do.”
The responses soon started to flood in. One user said: “He is your tenant and you should agree on a reasonable rent for him to pay, or he shouldn’t be living with you. He’s not paying your mortgage, he’s paying you rent. But right now he’s almost living for free.”
A second suggested: “Charge him fair-market rent, minus a boyfriend discount. Then he’ll be getting a deal on rent but not funding your mortgage. He shouldn’t be paying your mortgage if he gets no equity in the house but $200 for half the utility bills is too little.
“He’s also making wear-and-tear on the property and appliances etc. TBH, I would really think about the long-term with someone that allows you to support them out of your savings for most of a year and then doesn’t want to pay a reasonable amount to live in your space. He’s all about what benefits him and not about being fair to you or planning as a couple.”
A third added: “He’s accustomed to you draining your resources for him. Instead of being grateful he wishes to further drain you by not paying rent. He does not acknowledge nor grasp the money you spent when he was unemployed.
“You’ve established a horrible norm that allows him to take…and take some more. He would be required to pay rent no matter where he lived. We all have goals to save and invest so his is not unusual but he’ll do this at your expense.
“How long will you be comfortable with this significant imbalance, his lack of acknowledging what has occurred, and how he wants to continue exploiting you?”
