In a small apartment, two is company and three’s a crowd, especially when it comes down to how the rent is split.

What would you do if you gave your roommate an inch and they took a mile?

And pigeonholed you into a living situation that was becoming increasingly uncomfortable?

One guy recently sought wisdom on Reddit about precisely this.

Here’s what went down.

WIBTA for backing out of a 50/50 rent split after my roommate’s partner moves in?

Me (25M) and one of my best mates, Jack (25M), recently moved in together.

The original plan was that Jack’s partner, Matt (22M), would move in with us once their fiancé visa was approved.

The agreement was that rent would be split three ways once Matt was here.

Reasonable, let’s see if they stick to their word.

After we’d moved in, Jack casually brought up the idea of keeping rent 50/50 as the initial and upcoming visa fees and legal fees have become higher than expected.

For some reason, I agreed at the time.

I’ll admit I have a hard time saying no or raising conflict.

Guests aren’t roommates.

But now, with the cost of living going up, I don’t feel like I can keep funding half the rent when there will be three adults in the house.

For context, my girlfriend has stayed with me the past month while sorting her own place, so I’m fine paying 50/50 to match that time frame, but I don’t see it as sustainable long-term.

Timing sounds a bit suspicious.

From what I know, Matt quit their job as soon as they heard I agreed to the 50/50 arrangement.

They also have pretty specific preferences about work (not customer-facing, no office), so I’m worried they won’t be contributing for a while.

Until their visa is sorted, they can’t work anyway.

Someone should tell him beggars can’t be choosers.

Jack is also very strict about shared living, everything has to be spotless, cupboard always doors closed, dishes never left overnight, etc.

I’m more of a “lived-in home” person.

To me, leaving a teacup overnight isn’t the end of the world, but he’s been pretty assertive about how things must be done.

He says this is partly because Matt has OCD, and mess/clutter can be a real trigger for them.

That’s not how he sees it.

But I feel like I’m being conditioned into this “perfect flatmate” role to make sure things are comfortable for them at the expense of my own comfort in my own home.

On top of that, Jack constantly asks what I’m doing, where I’m going, when I’ll be back, etc.

I’m more spontaneous and outgoing, while he’s more of a homebody, I’m not sure if that plays into this.

Yikes, and these guys were best friends?

Sometimes it feels like I’m living with a prison warden…

Honestly, I feel uncomfortable and kind of trapped, like I signed up for living with my mate, but instead I’m sliding into this setup where I’m paying extra so his partner can live rent-free while I bend myself into the “ideal flatmate” for them.

So, would I be TA if I backed out of the 50/50 rent agreement and said rent should be split three ways once Matt moves in?

Living arrangements are the trickiest conflicts of all. Let’s see what the Reddit community thought.

Most sided with the original poster.

They didn’t show much concern for Jack’s financial affairs.

Though a few offered compromises.

Others suggested negotiating tactics.

One person stressed the urgency of the situation.

Sounds like this friendships’s lease is about to be up.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.