There have been a lot of discussions lately on Reddit and in other places around the internet about splitting bills and living costs and life responsibilities fairly. We’ve established that “fair” isn’t always “equal,” but this post proves that some folks just aren’t listening.

OP and her boyfriend have been together since college. They lived together then and have split their rent, utilities, groceries, and other shared expenses right down the middle.

Since graduating, they moved to a bigger city with bigger ticket apartments.

I (F23) have been dating my boyfriend “Jake” (M23) since our freshmen year of college. In our last year of undergrad, we decided to rent an apartment together. We split everything 50/50, including utilities, groceries, and rent.

We continued living together in the same town as our college after graduation, but recently, we both got jobs in Chicago and we are currently living downtown.

Luckily, OP’s father owns a nice one in a prime location. He’s willing to let his daughter live there for free, and only wants to charge her boyfriend a minimal amount to share the space.

My dad works in real estate, and he has multiple investment properties. My dad generously allowed me to live in one of his properties rent free, but he said that my boyfriend would have to pay him $400 a month for rent.

My dad is very protective, but he has been nothing but kind to my boyfriend. My dads reasoning for making my boyfriend pay rent is that he wants to be sure that my boyfriend is with me for me, and not because he will have a free place to live.

(Keep in mind, if my dad was renting this apartment out to tenants, he would charge $2100 a month for rent. Very ritzy building in the middle of downtown Chicago).

When the first month’s rent was due, the boyfriend asked OP for her half of the paltry sum, and got upset when OP said that she was meant to live there for free and wouldn’t be splitting it.

My boyfriend is mad at me because he asked me for my half of the $400 for rent, and I explained to him that I will not be paying rent. My dad is only charging him. He says that we have been splitting rent for the past 2 years so why would we stop now?

Our rent in our college town was $1200, so we were both paying $600 a month. Our apartment in Chicago is significantly nicer and he is paying $200 less a month than what he was in college.

They do still split the other living expenses and date night expenses down the middle.

Is the idea that my DAD doesn’t charge me for rent, but charges my boyfriend so crazy? Should I suck it up and pay half because I can afford it?

EDIT: Jake and I still split utilities and groceries 50/50, and when we go out on date nights, we switch off who pays for it. If he pays one week, i’ll pay the next.

OP is wondering whether or not she was wrong to tell him nope, and I know Reddit is really going to come through on this one.

The top comment says OP is in no way TA here, and also her boyfriend should not be looking a gift horse in the mouth.

The boyfriend needs a reality check as far as what his current status entitles him to.

This person thinks the dad kind of expected this to happen the whole time.

They say she should probably be thanking her dad for more than one favor.

This person has some suggestions on how to be super petty, if she wants.

I hope this guy wises up.

Otherwise he’s going to end up paying a whole lot more rent in an apartment by himself.