When you rent a room in a house, life can get messy—especially when it comes to splitting bills and tracking rent. You’ve got shared groceries, Wi-Fi, electricity, and rent payments all floating around your group chat, and someone always forgets to send their share. But don’t worry, you don’t need to be a spreadsheet wizard to keep things fair. There are apps for that—and they’re a game-changer for shared living!
Let’s check out some of the top apps that help you stay on top of rent without turning into the house accountant.
Splitwise: The Peacekeeper
Splitwise is a favorite in the world of shared living, and for good reason. It lets you log expenses, assign who paid what, and automatically splits costs among your housemates. So, if you’re the one paying rent this month, your housemates get an instant nudge to send their share. No awkward reminders, no chasing, no passive-aggressive sticky notes on the fridge.
You can also add recurring costs—like your monthly rent or internet—and let the app do the math. It keeps things clear, fair, and fuss-free. And yes, it’s free (with a paid Pro version if you’re feeling fancy).
Settle Up: Simple and Colorful
Settle Up does pretty much what it says on the tin—it helps everyone, well, settle up. The app is super visual, showing who owes what with bright graphs and running totals. You can record rent, bills, takeaway, or that huge grocery shop you did for the house BBQ.
It’s perfect if you’re renting a room in a house with a few mates and want something that’s more fun than formal. Plus, it syncs in real time, so everyone can keep track—even if they’re not always great at checking messages.
RentShare: The Grown-Up Option
For those of you who like a little structure (or maybe you’re sharing with people you don’t know well yet), RentShare brings a more professional feel to rent tracking. It allows tenants to pay rent directly through the app, set payment reminders, and keep a record of every transaction.
This is ideal if your property manager or landlord is open to tech-based payments, especially in cities across Australia where rental platforms are becoming more common. And if you’re the one in charge of collecting rent from housemates, RentShare makes your life a lot easier.
Shared Shopping Lists Made Easy
So, you rent a room in a house and suddenly find yourself sharing a kitchen with three strangers, five kinds of milk, and one mysteriously ancient jar of pickles. Welcome to the wild world of shared shopping! But don’t worry—keeping track of groceries doesn’t have to turn into a detective game.
Let’s break down how shared shopping lists can save your fridge, your budget, and your friendships
Why Shared Shopping Lists Are a Game-Changer
Living in a shared house comes with a lot of perks—split bills, late-night chats, and a Netflix account you didn’t pay for. But when it comes to food shopping, things can get chaotic fast. You buy pasta, your housemate buys pasta, and now you’ve got enough spaghetti to feed a rugby team.
That’s where shared shopping lists come in. With a bit of coordination, everyone knows what’s needed, what’s already there, and what definitely shouldn’t be bought again (looking at you, five bags of onions).
Whether you’re splitting the basics or organizing a taco night, these lists help everyone stay on the same page—and save you from wasting cash or fridge space.
Best Apps to Keep Everyone on Track
There are a bunch of free apps that make shared grocery planning so much easier. One favorite is OurGroceries, which lets everyone add items to the same list in real time. Someone finishes the milk? They tap it in the app. Boom—instantly updated for the whole house.
Bring! is another fun one. It’s simple, visual, and comes with pictures of food (because who doesn’t love a cute digital avocado?). You can even make separate lists for each shopping trip, so bulk cleaning supplies don’t mix with your snack list.
Using these tools means no more sticky notes on the fridge, no more guessing games, and way fewer double-ups.
Tips for Smoother Shared Shopping
Want your shopping system to actually work? Here are some golden rules:
- Agree on the essentials you’ll always share (think: toilet paper, dish soap, coffee).
- Rotate who does the actual shopping—no freeloaders allowed.
- Always tick off what you buy to avoid repeat runs.
And remember, just because you rent a room in a house doesn’t mean you’re renting confusion too. A bit of planning goes a long way in making shared living smoother.
Bonus tip: Try doing a “pantry clean-out” meal once a month where you all cook with whatever’s left. It’s fun, cheap, and often surprisingly delicious.
Smart Home Gadgets for Shared Houses
When you rent a room in a house, the fun part starts after unpacking—turning your shared space into a smart one.
Smart gadgets don’t just make your home feel futuristic—they actually help make shared living smoother, fairer, and more fun.
Here are a few game-changing smart tools that’ll make your roommates wonder how they ever lived without them.
Smart Speakers: Your Digital Housemate
Every shared home needs a DJ, a weatherman, and a kitchen timer—and with a smart speaker, you get all three.
With voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant, you can check the weather while flipping pancakes or blast music during cleanup.
You can even set up shared reminders, like “Put the bins out!” or “Buy more toilet paper!” for everyone to hear.
Plus, they’re surprisingly cheap these days, and no one will fight over the remote when the speaker listens to everyone equally.
Just be warned: once your housemate discovers the trivia game feature, you’re all in for some very competitive evenings.
Smart Plugs: Power Control Like a Boss
Sharing a house sometimes means sharing electricity bills—and smart plugs can help you make sure energy doesn’t go to waste.
You just plug them into your existing outlets, connect via Wi-Fi, and then control them from your phone or with voice commands.
Leaving the house in a hurry? You can turn off that space heater or forgotten hair straightener from the bus or train.
Some plugs even track energy use, so you’ll know if that constantly-on TV is secretly draining your precious power budget.
This small investment adds safety, savings, and convenience to your daily routine, especially when living with multiple people in one house.
Smart Lights: Set the Mood (and Save)
When you rent a room in a house, lighting can really affect how comfy or functional your space feels every day.
Smart bulbs let you control brightness, schedule on/off times, and even change colours—yes, your living room can now be neon blue.
In shared areas, you can set timers so lights go off at night automatically, saving electricity and preventing roommate ghost sightings.
And let’s face it—no one enjoys turning lights off for others or yelling about wasted power bills in group chats.
Smart lighting makes it easier to live with others without sacrificing comfort, aesthetics, or your sanity.
Bonus: Smart Doorbells & Locks
If you’re sharing a house with frequent guests, delivery drivers, or friends always “just popping by,” smart locks are a lifesaver.
You can buzz people in, check who’s at the door, or lock up from your bed when you forget after pizza night.
This can also be helpful if you’ve got a rotating roster of housemates or short-term renters moving in and out.
Just make sure everyone in the house is on board—and understands how to use the tech—before replacing the old-school key setup.
Group Chats That Keep It Chill
When you rent a room in a house, there’s one thing more powerful than a dishwasher schedule or shared Wi-Fi—the group chat.
It’s your digital noticeboard, your emergency hotline, and your daily dose of memes (usually at 2 a.m.). But without a few ground rules, your peaceful notifications can quickly become chaotic or worse—ignored.
Let’s walk through how to keep your shared house chat fun, friendly, and frustration-free.
Create One Group, Not Seven
One group chat should do the trick. Avoid splitting into side groups unless you’re planning a secret birthday or hiding a surprise.
Having too many chats can make communication messy. People forget which one is for rent reminders and which one is for funny dog reels.
If you rent a room in a house with new people, create a single space where everyone can stay in the loop easily.
WhatsApp, Messenger, or even Slack (for the truly organized) all work great—as long as everyone actually checks it.
Keep It Light, But Useful
Group chats are the heart of shared living, but they’re not your personal diary or full-blown venting zone (use a journal for that).
Use the chat for things like bin night reminders, shared grocery lists, or asking, “Who used all the olive oil again?”
It’s totally fine to throw in a funny meme or a TikTok now and then. You live together—laughing is part of the package.
But balance is key. If you’re sending 23 voice notes about your day, your housemates might start ghosting the group chat completely.
Use Emojis, Reactions & Gentle Nudges
You don’t need a PhD in communication to make a group chat work—just throw in some thumbs-up emojis and kind reminders.
Reactions are your friend. A quick 👍 lets your housemate know you’ve seen the rent reminder, without needing a full message.
And if someone forgets to pay bills or clean the kitchen, a polite message works better than full-on sarcasm or caps lock.
Remember, when you rent a room in a house, you’re not just renting space—you’re sharing a living experience with real people.
Quiet Hours = Happy Housemates
Not every group chat needs to be buzzing 24/7. Respect the late-night silence unless there’s a genuine emergency (like pizza delivery confusion).
Most apps let you schedule “Do Not Disturb” hours, which can help you sleep soundly while your night owl housemate sends cat GIFs.
A quiet chat is a chill chat. Keep it drama-free and easygoing, and you’ll actually want to stay in it.
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