This may not be the right forum to discuss this issue but I'd like to know how a sane nepali would/should respond in this situation.

This happened to my friends - a couple. They moved in with a nepali in a 2 bed 2 bath sharing all the costs (fifty-fifty). He stays in 1 of the bedroom with attached bath and cooks and utilize every commodity in the kitchen and living room. The couple stays in the other bedroom and uses the restroom in the living room. Everything was fine till the end of 2nd month. On the 3rd month, this person says he will only pay 33% of rent and utilites. His reason - We are 3 people so we should equally share the cost.

How logical is his reason? How will you respond if you were the couple in the situation? Since defaming a nepali by another nepali is not a logical option for the couple, they want to settle the issue amicably by dialogue but do not know how the thing work here in US.

He shld'v asked 33% share to his gf too....

while looking for a roommate, I had gone to look at one very decent place (brandnew 2-bed 2-bath apt) with cheap rates; but it was the couple living at one bedroom and I'd get the other bedroom, and they were willing to divide the total rent and utilities by 1/3.

In this case, I think the guy's proposal is fair enough (33.33333%).

yes, i think the single guy is right. it should be divided by 3. couple living together in one bed does not mean that they can pay only one's rent. The question here is whether the rent is shared between the number of rooms or the number of people. if it is number of room then the single guy has a right to share his room with another friend and charge him for rent and keep the money in pocket. if its with the number of people, then since its three it should be divided by three.

Accounting for the fact that the couple is sharing one room and you have another room all to yourself, I would gather that the fair arrangement would be 60/40 split with you paying 40% of rent and utilities.

all three people should be on the lease..and henceforth all three are accountable for the portion of their rent......so by default its 1/3 of the rent.......never mind the agreement the couple and that guy had!!!!!!

If I am living with a couple I would pay 33%. Or if someone is living with me (Suppose I am one of the couple) I would ask him to pay 33%. This is because we are sharing the expenses. you cant say we couple are using one room so we will pay only 50% in total. it is obvious that you couple will sleep together. You cant say we are couple so pay 50% for grocery. Because you couple don't eat only 50% but eat 66%in total. You cant say you will pay 50% of electricity because, of course both of you use electricity. You can say I will pay 50% for water because both of you will use water. But of Course you "might" want to say i will not pay 66% for heat because couple dont need much external heat to heat themself (Just kidding) then how do you feel that a couple does not have to pay 66%.

1/3 is the best one. It is simple yar. 33.33 is the most logical.
No matter what everybody stays in the house, so no question about 60-40 or anything 33.33 is logical. Since the other guy can argue about different stuff like
He may not be consuming 50% of grocery.
he may not be using 50% of electricity.
he may not be using water if they pay for any.

The couple cant argue over the room. It does not matter if she is GF or wife.
The couple are taking advantage if they are not paying 66.66%.

and that applies to basic utilities as well!!!!!!!

This is easy. There was a verbal agreement at the beginning for 50/50. So the guy should honor his part of it. I think 1/3 would have been fair it that was the agreement at the beginning. Having said that, it does make sense for the couple to share a little more than 50%, may be say 60% as the two ppl would use more utility and other resources. So common sense should prevail and they should opt for somewhere in between...

Sekuwa, I like the last line (Heat). You made my day

I think riten's proposal is fair enough. Even if the couple live in a single room, it is least likely that either one of them is always inside the room (a very impractical situation though).

Stupid people, didn't they think about this beforehand???

The big question here is - can one take back his words when he had said he'd pay 50% to start with ? he does not seem to be financially strained as the couple are. On the paper, only two people (my friend and this other guy) are registerd as occupants.

well ..if hezz a man of his words...he'll keep it!!!!!! ...if not....u cant do anythin' 'bout it!!!!

40/60 should be better. 1/3... it's not fair; actually!

Childish shit...

I was also in the same case before. This is how I found resonable.
rent : 60 % couple and 40% single
Cooking Gas: 33.33 % each
Electricity: 50% for single and 50% for couple.

depends upon what agreed before sharing. But still, 33.33333% each is fare enough for 3!