When a roommate is moving out, the furniture you bought together goes to whoever wants it, and that person pays the leaver a fair share of what it is worth now, not what it cost new. If nobody wants it, you sell it and split the money, or you donate it. The trick is to agree on the value and the method before the boxes come out.
A familiar scene
It is the Sunday before Tom's last day. His boxes are in the hall, and the grey sofa is still in the middle of the living room.
"So, the couch," says Priya. "We paid £400 each, two years ago." Tom looks at it. Neither of them wants to be the one who says a number first.
That silence is where friendships get awkward. The fix is not a clever formula. It is a short, calm conversation with a plan.
Step one: list what you actually bought together
Start with an inventory. Write down every item, who paid, and how much. Include the small stuff only if it matters to someone.
Then sort it into three piles. Items one person bought alone stay with that person. Items you paid for together are the ones to settle. Gifts and hand-me-downs are nobody's to sell, so leave them out.
A shared note or a text thread is enough. Screenshots of receipts or order emails help if memories differ.
Step two: put a fair value on each shared item
Use today's value, not the original price. A sofa that cost £800 two years ago is a used sofa now, and a buyer would pay used prices.
The easiest check is to search for the same or similar items on a second-hand marketplace and look at what they are listed for. Condition matters, so be honest about stains, wobbles and scratches. If you cannot agree, take the middle of your two numbers.
Some people also look at online furniture depreciation calculators. They can be a useful starting point, but treat them as a guide, not a rule.
Keep, buy out, sell and split, or donate: a decision table
There are four sensible routes. Pick the one that fits the item, not one rule for everything.
| Option | Best when | Who pays whom | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep it (the leaver gives up their share) | Item is cheap or the leaver is generous | Nobody pays | Only fair if the leaver really is happy. Say it out loud. |
| Buy out | One person wants it and it is worth real money | Keeper pays the leaver their share of today's value | Agree the value first, in writing |
| Sell and split | Nobody wants it, or the new place is too small | Buyer pays the seller, then split the proceeds by what each of you paid | Someone has to do the listing and the carrying |
| Donate or recycle | It is worn out or hard to sell | Nobody pays | Check that a charity will take it before moving day |
Worked example: buying out a roommate in pounds
Here is how Priya and Tom could settle it. Tom is leaving. Priya wants to keep the sofa and the bookshelf. The rug was Priya's own purchase, so it stays with her and is not part of the sum.
| Item | Paid new | Value today (agreed) | Tom's half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofa (bought together) | £800 | £320 | £160 |
| Bookshelf (bought together) | £120 | £50 | £25 |
| Rug (Priya's own) | £150 | n/a | £0 |
| Total Priya pays Tom | £370 | £185 |
The sofa and bookshelf are worth £370 today. Tom put in half, so Priya pays him £185.
If they had not paid equally, you would split by what each person paid. Say Tom put in £300 of the £800 sofa. His share is 3/8 of £320, which is £120, not £160.
What if you do not have the cash right now?
Spread it out. Priya could pay £185 in two or three smaller instalments, or take it off a shared bill that Tom still owes. Just write down the plan so it does not drift.
A short script for the conversation
If you are the one who wants the item, you can open with this. Change the words to sound like you.
"I would love to keep the sofa. I looked at similar ones online and they go for about £320. Would you be happy with me paying you half, so £160? If you think it is worth more, tell me what you have seen and we can meet in the middle."
If you are the one leaving and you would rather sell, try this.
"I would rather we sell the sofa than argue about it. Can we list it for £350 this week and split whatever it sells for, based on what we each put in?"
Keep it light. You are two people sorting out a sofa, not two sides in a dispute. If the chat gets tense, our post on bringing up money a roommate owes has more wording to borrow.
Do it before someone moves out next time
The easiest fix is a rule written at the start. Decide who owns big items when you buy them, or agree now what happens if one of you leaves. For example: "the person who stays buys out the leaver at the used value."
It also helps to log shared purchases as you go. If you track flat costs in one place, the receipts and amounts are already there when someone leaves. Evens, our shared-expense app, lets you add a note to any cost and keeps an edit history, which is handy for that.
For the rest of the household money while you are at it, see how to split bills with roommates.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the original price as the value, which makes the buyout far too expensive.
- Splitting half and half when one person paid most of the cost.
- Agreeing out loud and never writing it down.
- Not setting a pay-by date, so the money quietly never gets paid.
- Letting a small item cause a big argument. Sometimes the generous move is worth more than a few pounds.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets the furniture when a roommate moves out?
Anything bought by one person stays with that person. Items you bought together go to whoever wants them, and they pay the other person their share of today's value. If nobody wants an item, sell it and split the money.
How do you value used furniture?
Look at what similar items are listed for on second-hand sites, and adjust for condition. If you disagree, meet in the middle. Use today's value, not the price you paid new.
Do I have to pay my roommate for a couch we split?
If you keep it, it is fair to pay your roommate their share of what it is worth now, unless they are happy to give it to you. Agree this before they leave. For anything legal, such as a tenancy dispute, check local rules.
What if my roommate takes things we bought together?
Stay calm and ask for a quick chat about the list. Offer a clear option: buy out your share, or sell and split. If they will not talk, keep your receipts and messages as a record.