How to split the costs of a shared holiday home

Three ways to split

Model	Works when	Downside
Split everything equally	You own and use the house about equally	Feels unfair if one family is there all summer
Everything by ownership share	Ownership shares differ	Ignores who actually uses the house
Fixed by share, usage by use	Most families – the fairest option	You need to keep track of days or meters

Fixed costs

• property tax
• insurance
• standing charges for electricity, water and waste
• road, owners’ association and chimney sweeping
• mortgage interest and repayments
• a regular maintenance fund for the roof, painting and decking

Usage

1. By number of days in the house – simple and often good enough.
2. By meter readings: read electricity and water on arrival and departure. Hyttio has a meters tab that shows usage.
3. Everyone pays their own: for example, you buy firewood and top up after yourself.

Avoid the usual arguments

• Keep every receipt in one place that everyone can see.
• Settle up regularly, for example every quarter or after the summer.
• Agree a spending limit for what can be bought without asking.
• Have a joint account for the fixed costs.

Let the app do the maths

In Hyttio everyone adds their own costs, ideally with a photo of the receipt. The app always shows who owes whom and suggests the fewest transfers to settle up. Costs can be split equally between everyone or just some of you, in euro or Danish, Swedish and Norwegian kroner.

Get Hyttio for free

The calculator is a guide. Agree the split in writing, ideally in your co-ownership agreement. See also 10 things to agree on when you share a holiday home.