Asking Eric: My roommate refuses to pay their share of utilities

Dear Eric: I have rented a room in my home to a woman for the past year. Her finances are limited.

I charge her $400 per month versus the going rate in my area of $1,000. Per the rental agreement, I pay two-thirds of the utility bill, and she pays one-third.

She spent this past summer visiting family. When she returned, she told me she would not pay any of the utility bill for the time she was away because she “was not here”. I don’t like confrontations, so I let it go. But I find my opinion of her character has become somewhat negative.

Am I wrong on this?

– Billing Inquiry

Dear Billing: This seems more of a communication challenge than a character issue. She should have discussed her plan with you before leaving, not after, but I can see her logic – why pay for utilities she didn’t use? Presumably the bill was lower anyway. Additionally, as you noted, her finances are tight, so she may have shifted some of the budgeted utility expense over to her travel fund.

If you want her to pay a share of the utilities no matter what, you should say so up front. Or make utilities included, since presumably most of her rent payment is profit. However, I’d caution against nickel and diming this issue. After all, your question was not about money but character, so I’m assuming the cost for the utilities you used wasn’t a hardship to you. Your time and hers would be better spent having a conversation about expectations going forward.