Split bills with housemates without the awkward spreadsheet
One of you pays the broadband, someone else does the Tesco run, and nobody can remember who bought the loo roll last. Tabby keeps your house share costs on one tab that opens from a link. No app, no accounts, and no monthly fee.
Why house share money gets messy
- Bills land on whoever's name is on the account, so one person ends up out of pocket every month.
- Shared shopping, cleaning stuff and takeaways add up in small amounts nobody tracks.
- Not everyone uses everything: one housemate doesn't drink, another works away half the week.
- Spreadsheets go stale, and the group chat is full of "I'll send it Friday".
- Asking new housemates to download yet another app (and make an account) rarely happens.
What to put on the house tab
Household bills
Energy, water, broadband, TV licence and streaming, added when they're paid.
The big shop
Shared groceries, milk, bread and the bits everyone uses.
House supplies
Loo roll, bin bags, washing-up liquid, cleaning products, light bulbs.
One-offs
A new kettle, the deposit for a cleaner, a house party, or a takeaway night.
How it works
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1
Start a tab for the house
Call it something like "14 Elm Road" and pick £. You get a private link straight away.
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2
Drop the link in the house chat
Each housemate opens it and picks their name. Nobody signs up.
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3
Add costs as you pay them
Whoever pays adds the amount and who it was for. Everyone sees the running balance.
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4
Settle up when it suits you
Monthly, or when someone moves out. Tabby shows who owes who; pay by bank transfer and mark it settled.
Fair splits in a shared house
Tabby splits each cost equally between the people you choose. That covers most house share situations without arguing over percentages.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Bills everyone uses | Add the bill and split it between all housemates |
| Someone doesn't use a subscription | Leave them off that expense |
| Rooms are different sizes | Keep rent between each person and the landlord, and use Tabby for the shared bills |
| A housemate moves out mid-year | Settle up their balance, then leave them off new expenses |
| A couple sharing one room | Add both names, or split as one and sort it between yourselves |
More ways to use Tabby
Questions
What's the fairest way to split bills with housemates? +
Split shared bills equally between everyone who uses them, and keep anything personal off the tab. Tabby lets you choose who each bill is for, so a housemate who doesn't use a subscription isn't charged for it.
Do my housemates need to download an app? +
No. Tabby runs in the browser from a private link, so it works on any phone or laptop without an account.
Can we keep one tab going all year? +
Yes. Keep adding costs to the same tab and settle up whenever you like, monthly or when someone moves out.
Does Tabby pay the bills or move money? +
No. Tabby only tracks who paid what and who owes who. You pay each other by bank transfer and mark it settled.
Is it free? +
Yes. No paid plan, no ads and no account.