Rent for a partial month
For when someone moves in on the 12th, or moves out on the 20th, and you need to know what they owe for that month.
What they owe
| Method | Per day | Days | Owes |
|---|
The three methods
Actual days. Rent divided by the number of days in that month. A day in February costs more than a day in March. This is what most roommates use.
30-day month. Rent divided by 30, whatever the month. Some leases and property managers use it because it's easy to do in your head. In a 31-day month, a full month still costs the normal rent.
Yearly rate. Twelve months of rent divided by 365. Every day costs the same all year. It's the one to use if you want February and August to come out even.
All three count both the move-in day and the move-out day as days lived there. If your lease says otherwise, take a day off.
Questions
Does the move-in day count?
Usually yes. Someone moving in on the 12th pays for the 12th. Someone moving out on the 20th usually pays through the 20th. Some leases treat the move-out day as free, so check yours.
Which method is fairest?
Actual days is the most common between roommates. The 30-day method charges a bit more per day in long months and less in February. If your lease names one, use that.
Who pays the days before the new roommate arrives?
That's for the group to agree. Often the person leaving pays until their replacement moves in, because they're the one breaking the arrangement.