Collecting Rent by Sending a Request Link: Bill Your Roommates in 10 Minutes

Collecting rent takes about 10 minutes once you're used to it: you create a request link and send it by LINE or email. A request link is the URL of a web page that shows each person's share. The person receiving it doesn't need to install an app or sign up. They just open it in a browser.

For the person on the lease who collects money from roommates every month, this walks through the process from creating the request to following up, using an example of splitting 90,000 yen of rent among three people (the example amounts in this article are in Japanese yen).

Key takeaways

• Create the request by entering "rent + utilities total" just once. Only the utilities figure changes each month, so the entry takes a few minutes, once a month.
• If the rooms differ in size, split proportionally. If they're the same, split equally.
• Send it as an individual message. Don't paste it into a LINE group. Send it to each person separately, during the daytime, a few days before the due date.
• Follow up only with those who haven't paid, starting the day after the due date. Avoid sending messages late at night or early in the morning.

What can a rent request link do, and how long does it take?

With a request link, entering the amounts, calculating each share, sending it to the other person, and checking payment status all happen in one flow.

The chore of typing "This month it's X yen, please" in LINE is replaced by a single link.

Step 1: Enter the rent and utilities to create the request

First create a group, then enter this month's rent and utilities one item at a time. In the example, the rent is 90,000 yen and the utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet) total 12,000 yen, so the total to request is 102,000 yen. You, the person on the lease, are the one fronting the money.

1. Create a group and name it by month, such as "Rent & Utilities for [Month]."
2. Add yourself and the two roommates as participants. You don't need to collect email addresses or phone numbers.
3. Set yourself as the payer and enter "Rent 90,000 yen."
4. In the same way, enter "Utilities 12,000 yen" as a separate item.

Always keep rent and utilities as separate items. If you combine them, you can't show the breakdown when someone wonders, "Aren't the utilities kind of high?" Keep the meter reading slips and photos of the bills on hand.

For rent that's the same every month, registering it as a recurring payment cuts down the typing.

Step 2: Equal split or proportional split: how do you decide each share?

If the rooms and conditions are about the same, split equally. If they differ, split proportionally. An equal split is 90,000 yen ÷ 3 people, or 30,000 yen each. An example of a proportional split is in the table below.

For utilities, unless the time people spend at home differs wildly, an equal split is usually easy for everyone to accept. You can also combine the two: rent split proportionally, utilities split equally.

Item	Total	You	Roommate B	Roommate C
Rent (proportional, 4:3:3)	90,000 yen	36,000 yen	27,000 yen	27,000 yen
Utilities (equal split)	12,000 yen	4,000 yen	4,000 yen	4,000 yen
Each person's share	102,000 yen	40,000 yen	31,000 yen	31,000 yen

Your own 40,000 yen is part of what you've already paid out, so what you actually collect is the two roommates' shares, 31,000 yen each.

Step 3: Send the rent request link

Once you've issued the shared link, send it to each person individually by LINE or email. Daytime, 3 to 5 days before the due date, is a good guide. Write only three things in the message: what it's for, the due date, and the link.

This is the request for this month's rent and utilities. Open the link to see your share. Please pay by the 25th.

Avoid explaining the amounts or ratios at length. A long explanation doesn't get read, and the numbers can't be understood without looking at the linked page anyway. Conversely, if you don't give a due date, it stalls at "I'll pay sometime."

It helps to tell them beforehand that opening the link requires no installation or sign-up. Some people may not open it because they assume they'll be told to "install the app."

Step 4: How does the other person open the link and pay?

All the other person has to do is tap the link and look at the row with their name. This month's share appears there. The rent portion and the utilities portion of the breakdown are visible too, so they don't need to ask, "What's this amount for?"

After checking the amount, they pay using whatever method you and your roommates normally use to send money. Bank transfer, mobile payment, or handing over cash are all fine.

Step 5: Check payment status and follow up only with those who haven't paid

The day after the due date, look at the payment status and contact only those who haven't paid, individually. If you also send people who have paid a message like "I'm sending this to everyone," it creates a sense of unfairness.

1. At noon on the day after the due date, check inside the group who has paid.
2. Record anything you received in cash or by transfer as paid that same day.
3. Send those who haven't paid the same link with just a short note.

Keep the reminder short and don't write it in a blaming way.

It looks like the rent for the 25th hasn't come through yet. I'm sending the link again. Does this week work for you?

If you only state the fact, "It's past the due date," the other person gets defensive.

As a rule of thumb, if there's no response after 3 days, change the channel. If the LINE message stays unread, try SMS or email. If there's no response to email, make a short phone call.

Three things to check first when you've sent it but can't collect

When you can't collect, check these three in order: the link didn't arrive, the way to read the amount didn't come across, or the due date doesn't fit the other person's schedule. Only after that should you question the person's character.

• Did the whole link arrive? A long URL may be cut off partway or broken across lines in an email, and then it won't open. The quickest fix is to ask the person, "Were you able to open it?"
• Do they know which amount is theirs? Even after opening it, some people aren't sure which row is theirs. Put the number in your first message: "B, your share is 31,000 yen."
• Is the due date earlier than the day they get paid? If you set a due date on the 20th for someone whose payday is at the end of the month, they'll be late without any bad intent. Work backward from the date the lease holder's rent is withdrawn, and pick a date when everyone can pay.

Frequently asked questions

How do I bill someone who moved in partway through the month?

Prorate it and enter it as a separate item. The formula is "monthly share × days of occupancy ÷ days in that month." For example, with a share of 30,000 yen and 10 days in a 30-day month, it's 30,000 yen × 10 ÷ 30 = 10,000 yen. Keep deposits and the first month's rent separate from the prorated amount, so the other person can check the breakdown later.

Do I need to worry about other people seeing the request link?

Anyone who has the link can open it, so don't paste it into a LINE group that includes people who aren't involved. Sending it individually to the person it's for is the basic rule. It's also important not to write personal information such as bank account numbers in the request's note field.

Where do I start with this month's request link?

There's one thing to do today. Write down this month's total for rent and utilities and each person's share ratio in a note, then enter them as-is into a group. As a rule of thumb, finishing this by one week before the due date is in time.

With Split The Bill, you can create this month's request link on the Free plan without registering a card.