Calculating cost of renting a holiday home - help!

Hi, myself and my girlfriend rented a holiday home with two friends recently. The price was 1000 for a week. It was a three bedroom facility. Two of the bedrooms were en-suite, and the other was a comfortable double. My friend paid the 1000 bill, and she has now split the bill 4 ways, and asked for 250 euro each.

I'm just wondering is this Is this normal?

Another way of dividing it would be to split it three ways, as there were three rooms, i.e. my girlfriend and myself pay 333, and so do our two friends, as they were each in their own double room too.

Is there a convention/practice in these kinds of things? We didn't agree anything in advance, which obviously would have been preferable.

Thanks in advance

(333 -250) * (How much you value their friendship) = Seriously!!!

It should be divided by person, not room. Otherwise it would have been better to book a four bedroom house and each person get their own room. It's a bit tight of you to ask it be split 3 ways, in my opinion.

I think it should be split 4 ways not by room. In future agree this before you book.

Jim, thanks for your response. Clearly maths is not your strong-point, as even based on your logic, it would be as follows;

"(500-333)*(how much you value their friendship) = Seriously!!!"

I know you're trying to be a wise guy, but it usually helps if you get the basics right. 167 euro is a lot of money to me and my girlfriend, and if the 'convention' is that couples pay less, then I'd clearly opt with convention. So yes, I am 'serious', actually.

Curlysue, thanks, but why would it be 'better' to book a 4-bed? I don't follow your logic at all. First of all, it's more expensive (1200 a week) and secondly, I actually like sleeping beside my girlfriend, so why would we do that? Where I can see some logic in your answer is if we calculate what those two would have paid if it was a 4 bed (300 and 300) and subtract that from 1000, and my girlfriend and I pay the 400. That would make sense alright and we would save 100 euro.

My basic point is, I don't see why couples should be subsidising single-people.

I'll probably pay 500 (250 x 2) to save the hassle and avoid a row, but I just wanted to see what people thought. There's no harm in asking about these things. By the way, I've done a bit of research on the net, and it seems it is usual when people are renting a house together, couples pay less if they are sharing a room.

i.e. in a two double-bed apt rented by 3 people, it's unheard of that a couple would pay 66.66% of the rent, and a single person pay 33.33%....so why should it be any different for a holiday rental?

Thanks for the response/effort though, I suppose.

Thanks niceoneted, a straight-up opinion without calling me tight, or telling me to get serious. I appreciate it.

I would expect to have it split 4 ways to be honest. Yourself and your girlfriend did use all the other facilities in the house in a more or less equal manner to your other two friends.

That's true shoestring, but we also shared sheets, only one room had to be cleaned for us etc. So I see your point in some ways, but not in others.

What was agreed beforehand?

Itronoc, I think you are unlikely to find any calculation or argument which will mean that you pay less. You didn't agree with your two friends beforehand that your were dividing the hire of the house on the basis of the number of rooms rather than the number of people. It is perfectly reasonable for the other two would have logically assumed you were sharing equally and would view any other arrangement as being unfair.

To turn your argument on its head, basically you prefer to sleep with your girlfriend so why should they subsidise you or her in that?

I can see you have taken umbrage at Jim2007's point but it is a valid point, if they are friends, take the hit and learn the lesson, negotiate the way to divide the bill up front.

Rule of thumb we'd always work off (upfront, hindsight is eveything here though) is: (n+1)/cost for the sharers and the balance paid by the single occupants.
In your case that would be a fifth share each for you and your partner and the balance split 50:50 for the single occupants.

I don't get how you think you're subsidising single people. Suggesting you pay less is expecting them to subsidise you and your girlfriend. 4 people = 4 equal payments.

Split the bill the 4 ways as asked ... 4 people shared a house .... pay the €250 per person .... it's the fairest way to work it.

If you're not happy with that, make sure all this is sorted prior to any future holiday but pay the €250 per person now.

If you don't pay up the €500 this time,then you will have solved the problem for the next holiday!