An Australian renter has claimed their housemate is demanding extra payment because their partner stays at the property multiple nights each week.
The man posted in the AusPropertyChat Reddit group and said that the “head renter” reached out to him via WhatsApp after noticing his partner had been spending more time at their share house.
“Two-day rule for partners. Third day? You pay for a week rent,” a screenshot of the message read.
“Please pay the extra week of rent. I hope you understand that it costs me money.”
The poster then asked the forum if “this is allowed?” before hundreds of people weighed in with their two cents.
One commenter said the man was being “inconsiderate” and “annoying” by having his partner over so regularly.
A second agreed he was “taking more than (his) fair share”, and a third said it would be “unreasonable” to push back on the request.
Aussies who have lived in shared houses also chimed into the discussion and theorised about what prompted the message.
“It’s the higher utilities and the awkwardness of dealing with someone not on the lease but living semi-permanently there,” explained one. “Plus another person in the shower rotation.”
“I didn’t sign up to live with other people’s partners,” added another user. “So if you want to sleep over, sleep at their place. A week of rent is fair.”
On the other hand, someone else thought it was “ridiculous to ask someone to pay a week’s rent because their partner stayed two nights in a row”.
Meanwhile, one commenter called it “steep” and suggested the partner should “chip in a bit of cash” instead.
The question of whether a partner who stays over frequently should contribute to rent often hinges on how much they contribute to the household overall, said property market expert, Eric Wong from Lucca Property.
The frequency of overnight stays can impact utility bills and shared resources, but an equally important consideration is how much the partner contributes to housework.
“If the partner consistently helps out — whether by pitching in with chores, grocery shopping, or minor repairs — it can create a balance that offsets some of the financial burden,” Mr Wong told news.com.au.
“If the partner neither pays toward rent nor contributes to household tasks, it can create resentment, as the primary renter may feel they’re shouldering extra responsibilities and so might want some financial contribution.”
Mr Wong said it’s not unusual for renters to expect a partner who stays over frequently to contribute, however, “the specifics vary widely depending on the nature of the relationship”.
He encouraged renters to have an open conversation to set clear expectations early on, which can prevent potential disagreements down the road.
In regards to the question of legality in the scenario in question, the head renter must ensure that the sublet situation doesn’t cause a breach of the lease.
“If a lease is signed between owner and tenant and the lease stipulates that only two adults can reside at the property, if the subtenant has a partner who stays at the property frequently they could be deemed a resident, which could put the leaseholder in breach of their lease as there would be now three residents and not two,” said Jo Natoli from The Rental Specialists.
“I should add, however, that rents are not determined by the number of occupants in a property, so the owner, if they chose to allow the third person to remain on a more permanent basis, can’t increase the rent for this.”
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