Woman Questions Why Everyone Keeps Insisting Her Boyfriend Pay Half Her Rent Even Though She Can Afford It Herself
She wants her boyfriend to focus on his career instead of worrying about the rent.
True Touch Lifestyle | Shutterstock A woman has sparked a major online debate after sharing her living arrangements with her boyfriend. In a TikTok video, Michelle Sky admitted that she was confused by the reaction of people when she told them that she and her boyfriend were talking about moving in together, or more specifically, her boyfriend would be moving into her apartment.
The main problem seemed to be Sky's view on how rent would be paid once her boyfriend moved in. Considering how expensive it is to even rent an apartment in today's times, people naturally had questions about how much her boyfriend would be contributing.
Sky questioned why people thought her boyfriend should pay half her rent.
In Sky's video, she explained that she currently has her own apartment and pays her rent and all other bills by herself. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, still lives at home with his parents, but the two have been talking about him moving into her place.
"Here's the weird thing," she said. "Every single time I tell someone this, their immediate reaction is, 'He better be paying part of the rent.' Or, 'He's paying, right? You're not just gonna pay the whole rent.' Why is that the immediate reaction?"
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Answering her question in the comments, people, mainly women, pointed out that if they were living with a man, especially if that man was their boyfriend or long-term partner, there's no reason why he shouldn't also contribute to the rent and other bills instead of letting it fall completely on them. Sure, they were able to comfortably pay their rent on their own before, but it would only be fair to at least split the rent in half.
The woman claimed that when her boyfriend has money, he buys her anything she wants.
"He is not stingy about spending money on me right now. We're at the point where I'm making money, where I can pay the whole rent, and he needs to work on his career," Sky explained. "I just think it's so weird that that's the thing that everyone is pressed about."
Much of this debate about Sky paying the rent while her boyfriend seemingly lives in her apartment without paying a dime goes back to the 50/50 in relationships, which has always been a source of contention. Both women and men have differing opinions on who should be responsible for expenses in a relationship, from paying on the first date to covering the cost of rent or mortgage payments.
In response to Sky's video, another content creator named Q claimed that Sky and her boyfriend should be going 50/50 on rent, especially since they're both young. Q insisted that Sky shouldn't just let her boyfriend simply "mooch" off of her by moving in and not being responsible for paying anything.
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"What about your career? What about you?" Q questioned. "You're doing fine. Why would he ever move in with you? Let him focus on his career at his parents' house."
Relationship dynamics vary from couple to couple.
The entire 50/50 debate that permeates social media is tiring. Every couple is different, and everyone has different expectations for how they show up in a relationship and how they want their partner to show up. If you're someone who doesn't want to take their wallet out when going out with their significant other, then you should find someone who won't complain about paying, and if you're someone that feels more comfortable splitting bills and other expenses with your partner, then find someone who won't mind going 50/50.
It's all about what you want out of a relationship. If Sky and her boyfriend's arrangement works for them, then it works for them. With an estimated 22.4 million renter households — or half of renters nationwide — spending more than 30% of their income on rent, it's virtually impossible for people to afford to put a roof over their heads.
Given the number of people struggling to afford any kind of housing, Sky's ability to pay her own rent without her boyfriend's help speaks to her financial independence, which is a rare quality.
While Sky's video elicited divided reactions, her situation highlights that it shouldn't matter what other people are doing in their lives and in their relationships. The only thing that should matter to Sky is what works for them.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
