Roommate Rental Dispute: How Much is a Private Bathroom Worth?

[grenubrebaile]

I need some help from all of you in settling a roommate dispute. So far, the discussions amongst us roommates have become very heated and I think it could result in us going our separate ways.

The dispute involves adding a fourth(4) roommate to our four bedroom house. The catch: only two bathrooms. One bathroom upstairs ( to be shared by three guys) and one downstairs connected to the master bedroom.

The discrepency arises with the roommate in the master bedroom. He thinks he should pay one price and we think he should pay more.

we are all in agreement about adding the fourth roommate.

here are some of the numbers:

Total living are sqaure footage: 2188 (excludes garage--420 SQ FT)
Rent: $1250
Master bedroom: 250 sq ft
master bathroom: 54 sq ft

bedroom #1: 167 sq ft
bedroom #2: 164 sq ft
bedroom #3: 156 sq ft

bathroom to be shared by 3 guys: 56 sq ft
total common area: 1341 sq ft

My question is what you all think the fair value of having your own bathroom, and not sharing with two other guys is.

we have figured prices based on square footage already, but the roommate in the master bedroom insists that we are not inconvenienced and will not pay anymore than the square footage price of $360.

The other kicker is that myself and one other are willing to pay $400 dollars for the master bedroom. But the other guy is already in the room and will not pay more than $360.

Also what is a fair monthly payment for use of the garage?

I've already tossed out the idea of bidding on rooms, first starting with the master and working downward toward the two smaller rooms. He does not agree to this however.

I also mentioned binding arbitration by an impartial third party, but to no avail.

The first reply said that the $60 is more than enough to pay for the extra bathroom. The other rooms, based on sq footage are: $305, $295, and $290. The extra $55-$70 that the roommate in the master is paying is for the square footage and not the convenience of having a bathroom to himself. He has 90 more sq ft than the next largest room and he is only paying $5 a month for the garage as well.

First of all, the roomate in the master bedroom is getting a deal in the room he is in now, at $455. The next bedroom is close to 90 sq ft smaller and the occupant in that room is paying $410 (recently changed, was paying $420 for a year and three months).

The other roommate (in the master) had all of the furniture before we moved in. In fact nearly all of it was given to him by his parents. The entertainment center, kitchen table, couches, coffee table, all given to him by his parents.

For me the issue of rent does not involve fixtures, anybody who knows anything about real estate can tell you that. The only exception I can think of is a furnished apartment, but you know that before you pay for it. He also forgot to mention that nearly all of the decoration in the house is mine. Most of it is authentic african art (my parents lived in South Africa for a year).

If he wishes to rotate garage use, that is fine. I posted asking the value of the garage in case he wanted sole use. That way I could have figures from an unbiased third party, and he could not contend that five dollars was still a fair price.

At the outset, when we all decided to add a fourth roommate, the roommate in the master bedroom drew up numbers about what we should all pay. He said he should only pay $340!!!! He argued that because he pays more for rent, he should have more taken away from his rent with the arrival of a fourth roommate. What do you guys think of this "progressive rent deduction" theory.

I don't care about all of this petty poo... You cannot get around the fact that someone is willing to pay more than $360 for the room!!!! If someone is willing to pay more, everyone in the house wins. Furthermore, if he thinks that the savings from the other rooms are so great, then he can move into any one of them. Please, someone tell me I am wrong.

Please, any insight will help.

Thank You.

[Waghaudge]

if he's willing to pay up to $360, the rest of you will be paying something like $300... $60/month for a bathroom seems fair to me. A few of my buddies were recently in the same exact situation. The kid who took the bedroom with bath is paying $50-60 more per month for it, which is fair. if the three of you don't think it's fair, then toss him out, one of you take the master bedroom, and find another person to take over one of the other bedrooms...

depending on what city you're in, use of the garage could go from $25/mo to $60/mo...

It is unfortunate that your roommate is not willing to be more reasonable.

The general rule I can offer (and what I believe should be the case) is the "highest bidder wins" rule. It means that if, as you say, two people are willing to pay $400, then your roommate should either give up that room for the highest bidder, or match/exceed that price. The value of the room is as much as anyone is willing to pay for it.

Just my take on the situation.

[Venteence]

Having your own bathroom is worth more than $50-60. Sharing a bathroom is really gross, especially with boys. I lived in a co-ed suite in my dorm (with separate bathrooms) and heard about some horrible crap going on in the boys' bathroom. The other guy should definitely pay more than $360 for having his own bathroom. Compare prices for 2bed/1bath and 2bed/2bath apartments to get a general idea of what having one's own bathroom is worth.

Basically just kick the bastard out. Put Nair in his shampoo. Put ex-lax in his food so he will really APPRECIATE the value of his own private bathroom. Or at least take turns clogging his toilet. You have to resort to brute force when simple reasoning will not suffice.

[fannapholla]

No kidding. Throw out the square footage debate, it is all about the bathroom space. It is worth considerably more than $75 dollars a month.

By the way, mineral oil just happens to be tastless and odorless and really give you one hellofa case of mudd-butt. though i guess if you are going to be taking his bathroom, giving him a case of explosive shits might not be the best ploy. i guess just set his hair on fire or something... thats always good for a few laughs! I have to weigh in on the Nair in the shampoo thing though. I had a friend whose mean roommate put nail polish remover in her shampoo and nair in the conditioner. Nail polish makes your hair brittle and when you add the Nair, well it completely takes away your hair. Good thing my friend noticed the funny odor before she used the shampoo. So glad I'm married to a girl who won't put stuff in my personal hygene products! And the kicker was that my friend had let this girl and her boyfriend live with she and her husband almost for free too! I think they had to chip in for groceries but that was all because my friend felt sorry for them having no place to live and not having much money! It was crazy!!

I think the roommate needs to be more flexible. Anyone who rejects binding arbritration, bidding and other methods is obviously either stupid or trying to take advantage of you. Living with a person like that probably isn't worth the trouble so I suggest kicking the roommate to the curb. If he also refuses that option I suggest rotten fish strategically placed throughout the room until the smell becomes unbearable.

Seriously though, I would ask him to leave. I think the highest bidder idea is the best, and I def agree that for the largest room and a private bath he should def pay more. If he refuses, ask him to pack up and move out. It's completely unreasonable, and I don't doubt you'll be able to find someone else to live with. In my opinion, there is no getting around the fact that someone else is willing and able to pay more for the room.

The square footage arguement is perfectly valid given that every square foot is worth the same amount. However, we all agree (I believe) that a square foot of bathroom is worth more than a square foot of bedroom. Therefore his rent should be greater than the amount calculated using the square foot method.

The bidding method is the best. Whoever gets the master bedroom is obviously happy because otherwise he would not have bid for it, and the others would have outbid if they thought it was worth it. You would just have to make sure to place binding rules on this auction before it begins.

[Etelvelltop]

speaking as the roommate in with his own bathroom, I feel bidding on my room that we all agreed on, when we signed the lease and resigned the lease would not be fair for them to try and boot me out of my room. First of all bidding on a room, is only gonna drive the price up on my room and down for all the others. Second, For living in that room for the past year and a half, and now they want to try and take my room over , I feel is wrong, and unethical considering we have known each other for years.

Currently I proposed They proposed
i'm paying 455 360 400
Roomamte #2 410 305 295
Roommate #3 385 290 275
future roommate 295 280

For their proposal, and the complications of having one more guy to share the bathroom with their rent will drop $115 and $110, while i would only save $55 dollars per month. How is that worth it for me. Understanding that they may have a little more trouble with three guys, instead of two, so I have tried to compromise I offered 370 one time, then 380 and that i would rotate my garage space and they refused not showing any signs of negotiating with me. I'm providing most of the furniture in this house. The living room set is mine, including leather couches, coffe table, entertainment center w/ tv, the kitchen table, a full office set, including desk, bookshelves, and cabinets and my own computer, and enough kitchen supplies to satisfy my needs, including the microwave. One of the other roommates has a refrigerator, a $40 dvd player, and a computer that does not work. The other has two barstools, a chair in the living room, a couple of desks and a new computer, and the rest of the kitchen supplies.
Not only have I tried negotiating with them, I have also furnished the majority of the house which they won't take into consideration. But, furnishing is expensive and that should also be factored in.

The garage really is not the big issue, most likely we will end up rotating the two spaces between the four of us, but no snow, no trouble parking, just a little bit nicer to have a garage spot.

I find it hard to justify paying $105 and $125 more per month to live in the same houseas they do with my furnishings just because I have my own bathroom and they have to share.

***My proposal my rent would drop $95, Roomie #2 would drop $105, and #3 would drop $95 which i feel is fair considering the items mentioned above. And if that is not fair 370, or even 380 would be fair. Not only as Roommates, but as friends too, we should be willing to arrive at a decision that we could all live with.

*****I would like to hear everyones opinion, now that my side is known.*****