Rent Discount Sparks Roommate Drama After One Tenant Wants The Biggest Bedroom Despite Making The Lowest Payment
The smallest budget wanted the biggest room, and everything got tense.
In a tight rental market, finding a two-bedroom for close to one-bedroom pricing can feel like winning the lottery. That’s the situation OP and two roommates landed in after living together in a cramped 600 square foot one-bedroom.
OP is 25 and lives with Susan, 24, and Rae, 21, who is non-binary. OP and Susan attend university, and Rae works, or worked before COVID affected things. Money matters here because OP relies on grants and needs to keep costs predictable, and her dad agreed to co-sign the new lease so they could even qualify.
When they found the new two-bedroom, Rae said they needed to stay close to what they currently pay. OP and Susan agreed to pay a bit more to keep Rae’s rent lower. Susan even volunteered to build a bedroom space in the living room, and she insisted she didn’t want a discount even though it was her choice.
Then Rae asked for the bigger bedroom.
That’s where OP’s stomach dropped. After the final numbers came together, Rae would pay about $150 less than OP and Susan each month. OP felt like it didn’t make sense for the person paying the least to take the largest room, especially when her dad’s money and trust also factor into the decision.
OP offered a compromise: keep Rae’s rent lower, but Rae takes the smaller bedroom. If Rae wants the bigger room, then all three split the rent equally.
Susan and Rae took it as OP backing out. Rae also brought up that OP had once said Rae could have the bigger room, but OP says that was before the rent discount existed.
Scroll through the screenshots below to see how a “good deal” turned into a roommate standoff.
Let’s dig into the details
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We gathered some interesting comments from the Reddit community
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“NTA In every normal scenario rent depends on the room size.”
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“Good on you for standing up for yourself, you were clearly in the right..”
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“NTA You and Rae should self isolate a bit to give Susan the privacy of a real bedroom.”
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“NTA…Also good for you for sticking up for yourself.”
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“NTA & really, Susan is mucking things up bc you both should have the rooms & Rae should have the living room.”
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“You’re paying 150 dollars more. That’s not chump change!”
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“Good on you for staying firm. Don't let them gang up on you and STAY FIRM.”
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“NTA. The less you pay, the less space you get. If you’re paying more you should be getting more.”
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This argument isn’t really about square footage; it’s about fairness and how agreements change when new details show up.
Some people will say the bigger room should go to whoever pays more, full stop.
Others will say Rae’s smaller support system matters more than the math. The sharp messages at the end also make it feel personal fast, not practical.
Who’s being fair here, and who crossed the line? Share your thoughts in the comments.
