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Moving in with a homeowner partner: how much to pay?

Your other half owns the place and you are moving in. Should you pay rent? Share the running costs? Help with the mortgage? This tool compares two honest calculation bases and gives you a number to discuss calmly.

Your situation

Market rent of the home

What this home would cost to rent

Monthly running costs

Service charges, property tax spread monthly, insurance, upkeep. Without the mortgage repayment.

Sharing rule

Your monthly contribution

Your share: 50%

Actual-costs basis

€160 per month

You share the home's running life, not its financing: the mortgage stays with the owner.

Market-rent basis

€550 per month

You pay your share of the home's use value, as if you were renting together.

Many couples land between these two amounts. The key point: your payment should not repay the mortgage principal, which builds the owner's equity alone.

WeZioo then tracks this contribution every month, along with the rest of your shared expenses.

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The real issue: not funding your partner's equity

When one partner owns the home, the question is not really "how much rent?" but "what exactly am I paying for?". Repaying your partner's mortgage means growing their wealth while owning nothing in return. It is the point that breeds the most resentment over time, often discovered at the worst moment: a separation.

Hence the two bases in this tool. The actual-costs basis: you share what the home costs to run (charges, property tax, insurance, upkeep) but not the mortgage. The market-rent basis: you pay your share of what living there is worth, as if the couple were renting. The first protects the person moving in, the second recognises the value the owner brings. The fair number for your couple often sits between the two.

Once the basis is chosen, the sharing rule remains: 50/50 or in proportion to income, exactly like your other shared expenses. And whatever you decide, write it down: an agreement in black and white prevents misunderstandings, and can be revisited when life changes (renovations, a baby, new salaries).

Frequently asked questions

Should I help repay the mortgage?+

Not the principal: every euro of principal repaid increases the owner's wealth alone. If you still want to contribute to it, do so in writing (a loan acknowledgement, buying a share of the property), otherwise that money will be very hard to recover if you separate.

Is paying half the market rent fair?+

It is defensible: you consume half of the home's use value. The classic objection: this "rent" enriches your partner, whereas a real landlord is a third party. That is why the tool also shows the actual-costs basis, usually lower, and why many couples settle in between.

Is this contribution legally rent?+

In general, contributing to household costs between partners is not a tenancy. An actual rent, however, can create obligations for the owner (declaring rental income, depending on the country). This is educational content: for your specific case, check with a professional.

What should we put in writing?+

The amount, what it covers (running costs or use of the home), and what happens in case of major works or a separation. Contributions to everyday costs are not recoverable; a contribution to the principal absolutely must be documented to exist legally.

Our other free tools

The WeZioo app

Never do this math by hand again

WeZioo tracks your shared expenses, applies your splitting rule and tells you every month who owes what. Bank sync, savings and joint projects included.

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