Method

A flatmate leaves mid-lease: how to recalculate

When a flatmate leaves mid-month, their rent share is pro-rated over the days occupied, not the whole month. Their deposit is not repaid by the other flatmates: it stays with the landlord until the lease ends, unless agreed otherwise. Bills already paid are settled separately, as of their departure date.

A woman walking past a neighbourhood cafe terrace, in black and white

The part-month is pro-rated, the rest is not

The departing flatmate's rent share is calculated on days occupied, not the whole month. Divide their usual monthly share by the number of days in the month, multiply by days occupied. This applies to rent and occupancy-related bills only; an annual subscription already paid, or a repair commissioned before they left, is not pro-rated and is settled in one go.

The deposit is not repaid by the flatmates

This is the most common and most expensive confusion. The deposit was paid to the landlord, not to the group: it stays with them until the lease ends and is returned then, possibly reduced for damage. The remaining flatmates have no obligation to front that sum to the person leaving. Many do anyway to speed up the replacement, but that is a loan between them, not a refund, and it is worth naming it that way.

The joint liability clause outlives the departure

Under a single lease with a joint liability clause, the departing flatmate remains liable for the rent after leaving, generally until a replacement signs an amendment, and at the latest six months after the end of their notice period for French residential leases. The person leaving therefore has a direct interest in finding a replacement, and those staying have an interest in formalising the amendment rather than letting someone move in with nothing signed.

Settle the bills as of the departure date

Take readings on the move-out date rather than at month end: electricity, gas, water where individually metered. Advances already made by the person leaving are owed back to them; what they still owe is settled then. If the landlord's annual reconciliation has not landed yet, write down the estimated amount and the agreed split, otherwise the discussion returns a year later with diverging memories.

Key points

A flatmate leaving mid-month owes rent pro-rated over the days they occupied, not the whole month.
The deposit is held by the landlord and returned when the lease ends, not when a flatmate leaves.
Under a lease with a joint liability clause, a departing flatmate stays liable for rent for up to six months after their notice period ends, or until a replacement signs an amendment.
A departing flatmate's notice period is one month in French high-demand areas and three months elsewhere, for an unfurnished residential lease.
Taking meter readings on the move-out date allows a flatmate's bills to be settled without waiting for the landlord's annual reconciliation.
A new flatmate joining a single lease is formalised through an amendment signed by the landlord and all flatmates.

The tool that does the maths

Flatshare rent split

Recalculate the split after the departure

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to repay the deposit to a departing flatmate?

Nothing requires it: it sits with the landlord until the lease ends. If you choose to front it, treat it as a loan between you and write it down.

How do you work out their final rent share?

Usual monthly share divided by the number of days in the month, multiplied by days occupied. Occupancy-related bills follow the same rule.

Does the replacement take exactly the same share?

Not necessarily. It is the right moment to recalculate the split, especially if rooms change hands at the same time.

What if nobody replaces them?

With a joint liability clause they stay bound for up to six months after their notice. Without one, their share falls to those staying as soon as they leave, unless the landlord agrees otherwise.