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Roommate Moving Out: Rent, Bills and Deposit Checklist

A roommate leaving is mostly a money problem: the last month's rent, the final bills, the deposit, and the couch you bought together. Go through this list before they hand back the keys.

1. Last month's rent

If they leave partway through a month, prorate their rent by the days they lived there. Many leases make everyone liable until a replacement signs, so agree whether they keep paying until then.

2. Final utility bills

The bills that arrive after they leave still cover days they lived there. Use day-based proration for electricity, gas, water and internet, and settle up when the bill arrives, not when they move.

A $150 October electric bill: Sam left on Oct 14, Jo moved in on Oct 15, and Alex was there all month. By days lived there, Alex pays $75.00, Sam $33.87 and Jo $41.13.

3. Security deposit

Either the new roommate buys out the leaving roommate's share, or everyone waits until the lease ends. Photograph the room on move-out day.

4. Shared purchases

For furniture, appliances and the Wi-Fi router, agree whether the leaving roommate takes the item, sells their share to the others at a depreciated value, or gives it up.

5. Accounts and subscriptions

Move any utility accounts that are in their name, and take them off shared streaming and delivery subscriptions.

Prorate final bills Split the deposit

FAQ

Does a roommate who moves out have to keep paying rent?

It depends on the lease. On a joint lease, everyone named on it usually stays liable until the lease ends or a replacement is approved.

How do you prorate rent for a partial month?

Divide the month's rent by the number of days in the month, then multiply by the days the person lived there. The prorated utilities calculator does this for any bill.

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