Enter your monthly rent, household bills, and council tax to see what each flatmate owes per month. The calculator splits rent equally or by room size. Bills are divided equally across all flatmates. If any flatmates are full-time students, the calculator applies the council tax rules for student households.
How to use this tool
- Enter the total monthly rent and the number of flatmates.
- Choose whether to split rent equally or by room size. If splitting by room size, enter each room’s dimensions in the same unit throughout.
- Add your monthly household bills. Leave any fields blank for bills you do not share.
- Enter your monthly council tax amount and indicate whether any flatmates are full-time students.
Understanding your results
Rent is split according to the method you selected. Bills are always divided equally across all flatmates. If your household has a different arrangement for a particular bill, adjust that bill total before entering it.
For council tax: if all flatmates are full-time students, the property is fully exempt from council tax. If some are students and some are not, the non-students are liable for council tax at the standard rate. They may qualify for a 25 per cent single person discount depending on how many non-exempt adults live in the property. Contact your local council to confirm the exact liability for your household.
The annual total is the monthly figure multiplied by 12. It assumes rent and bills remain unchanged throughout the year.
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Legal context
Council tax liability falls on the residents of a property, not the landlord, unless the tenancy agreement states otherwise. Full-time students are disregarded for council tax purposes under the Local Government Finance Act 1992. A property occupied entirely by full-time students is exempt from council tax. Where a household includes a mix of students and non-students, the non-students are liable for the full council tax charge, though they may qualify for a 25 per cent discount if they are the only non-exempt adult in the property. The exact rules on student exemption and the single person discount are set out in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992. Confirm the position with your local council.
Frequently asked questions
Whose name should household bills be in for a shared flat?
Bills can be in one person’s name or multiple names depending on the provider. Energy accounts are typically held in one name, though multiple account holders can be added. The named account holder is legally responsible to the supplier for payment. If a flatmate does not pay their share and the named holder covers the shortfall, the named holder must pursue the others privately. There is no automatic legal mechanism to split liability across flatmates on most utility contracts.
Are flatmates jointly liable for bills if all names are on the account?
If multiple people are named on a utility contract, each named person is jointly and severally liable. This means the supplier can pursue any one of them for the full outstanding balance, not just their share. If one flatmate leaves without paying, the remaining named account holders become liable for the whole amount. This is different from being named on a tenancy agreement, which creates a separate form of joint liability.
Should we split bills equally or by usage?
Equal splits are simpler and avoid ongoing disputes about who uses more. A usage-weighted split can be fairer in households where energy consumption varies significantly between flatmates, for example if one person works from home and another is rarely there. If you choose a usage-weighted approach, agree the method in writing before the tenancy starts to avoid disputes later. The bills split calculator supports both equal and room-size weighted splits.
How does council tax work in a house shared by students and non-students?
Full-time students are disregarded for council tax purposes under the Local Government Finance Act 1992. If all occupants are full-time students, the property is fully exempt. If the property has a mix of students and non-students, the non-students are liable for council tax at the standard rate. The non-student may also qualify for a 25 per cent single person discount if they are the only non-exempt adult. Confirm the position with your local council before assuming an exemption applies.
Does a shared house need a separate TV licence for each flatmate?
One TV licence covers the whole shared house. If the address has one TV licence, all flatmates living there are covered. Each flatmate does not need their own licence. However, if a flatmate watches BBC iPlayer or live TV on a personal device in their room, that is covered by the one licence for the property. They would only need a separate licence if they lived at a different address.
How should flatmates share the cost of broadband?
Broadband is typically held in one flatmate’s name and split equally between all users. The contract holder is responsible to the provider for payment. Some providers allow additional named account holders. Broadband contracts are often 18 to 24 months, so check the contract terms and any exit fees before a flatmate moves out mid-contract to avoid unexpected charges falling on the remaining tenants.
Can energy bills be sub-metered between flatmates in a shared house?
Sub-metering is technically possible in some shared houses and HMOs but is uncommon in standard residential tenancies. A landlord can install sub-meters, but must not charge tenants more than the per-unit rate they pay to the energy supplier. The Electricity Act 1989 and Gas Act 1986 govern resale of energy, and the maximum resale price is the supplier’s tariff rate. Any arrangement above this is unlawful.
What happens when energy bills are included in the rent?
Some tenancies include energy bills in the monthly rent. In that case, the landlord is the energy account holder and absorbs the cost within the tenancy terms. The risk to the tenant is that there may be a usage cap or fair use policy written into the tenancy agreement. If bills are included, check whether the tenancy agreement defines a usage limit and what happens if you exceed it.
What can I do if a flatmate refuses to pay their share of bills?
If a flatmate refuses to pay their share and you are the named account holder, you are still liable to the supplier for the full amount. Your options are to pursue the flatmate through the small claims court for the amount owed, to approach your landlord if their tenancy agreement requires them to pay bills, or to involve a mediation service. Keeping a record of agreed payment arrangements in writing makes any later claim easier to evidence.
Is a shared house classified as an HMO and does that affect bills?
A property occupied by three or more people from two or more households who share facilities is an HMO under the Housing Act 2004. HMO classification does not change how utility bills are handled between occupants. However, in some HMO arrangements the landlord is liable for council tax rather than the individual tenants, depending on the tenancy structure. Check whether your landlord or the tenants hold the council tax liability under your specific tenancy agreement.