I Lived in 8 Apartments in 8 Years. Here's What I Learned About Rent.

Eight apartments. Eight years. One city.

If you're doing the math, that's an average of one move per year. Some years it was two. One year it was zero, and that felt so luxurious that I almost forgot what moving was like. Then I moved again and remembered: moving is terrible.

But here's the thing about moving that often: you learn things. Not fun things, necessarily, but useful things. About rent. About roommates. About what "affordable" actually means when you factor in utilities, commute costs, and the emotional toll of living with someone who microwaves fish at 11pm.

Let me walk you through the journey.

Apartment 1: The College House — $450/month

This was a room in a five-bedroom house near Portland State. Five people. One bathroom. The rent was $450 and I thought I was getting a deal.

I was not getting a deal.

The house had been a rental for 20 years and it showed. The carpet was older than me. The kitchen had one working burner. The bathroom... let's just say I learned to shower quickly. But it was $450, and I was 23, and I didn't know any better.

What I learned: Cheap rent usually means expensive problems. I spent $200 on space heaters because the heating didn't work properly. I spent $50 on pest control because the basement had... visitors. The "cheap" apartment cost me way more than the rent suggested.

Apartment 2: The "Upgrade" — $650/month

Moved to a three-bedroom with two roommates. $650 each. Better neighborhood. Better kitchen. Still one bathroom, but at least it worked.

This was the apartment with Marcus. You know about Marcus. If you don't, go read the other article. I'm not reliving that trauma right now.

What I learned: A good apartment with a bad roommate is worse than a bad apartment with a good roommate. The space matters less than the people in it.

Apartment 3: The Temporary — $800/month

Sublet for four months while I figured out my life. A studio. Just me. $800 for 400 square feet.

It was glorious. No roommates. No shared bathroom. No one else's dishes in the sink. I played music at 2am. I left my clothes on the floor. I was a slob and nobody judged me because there was nobody to judge me.

But $800 for 400 sq ft was... a lot. That's $2 per square foot. My previous room had been $450 for about 120 sq ft, which is $3.75 per sq ft. Wait, that's worse. Huh. Math is weird.

What I learned: Living alone is expensive but worth it for short periods. It's like a reset button for your sanity. But it's not sustainable on a freelance income.

Apartment 4: The Group House — $550/month

Back to roommates. Four people in a big house. $550 each. This was the "no closet" apartment I wrote about in the equal split article. The garbage truck apartment.

What I learned: Equal rent splits are a scam if the rooms aren't equal. Also, natural light is not a luxury — it's a necessity. I didn't realize how much I needed sunlight until I lived in a room that got approximately 45 minutes of direct light per day.

Apartment 5: The "Good One" — $720/month

Three-bedroom with Sarah and a new roommate, Tom. $720 each. Good location. Good room. Good roommates. This was the apartment where we implemented proportional rent splitting and it actually worked.

We used the calculator on this site (well, an early version of it — I built the first draft in a Google Sheet during this apartment). We measured rooms. We assigned values to amenities. We had a written agreement. It was... almost pleasant?

What I learned: Good roommates + fair rent split + written agreement = actually enjoyable shared housing. Who knew?

Apartment 6: The Pandemic Apartment — $680/month

March 2020. Everyone was panicking. I found a two-bedroom with one roommate for $680 each. We both worked from home. We were in the apartment 24/7. It was... intense.

We split utilities differently because we were both home all day, using electricity and internet constantly. We split them per person rather than per room, which made sense because we were both using resources at the same rate.

What I learned: Working from home changes everything about utility splits. If everyone is home all day, the old rules don't apply.

Apartment 7: The "I Need Space" Apartment — $950/month

Post-pandemic. I was done with roommates. I found a one-bedroom for $950. It was 600 sq ft. It had a balcony. It was mine.

I stayed there for 18 months. The longest I'd stayed anywhere. I got a cat (Biscuit, obviously). I bought actual furniture that wasn't from Craigslist. I felt like an adult.

But $950 was a lot. More than half my income some months. I was rent-burdened by most definitions. I loved the apartment, but I was stressed about money constantly.

What I learned: There's a difference between "can afford the rent" and "can afford the rent without being stressed." The second one matters more.

Apartment 8: The Current One — $750/month

Back to roommates, but this time I did it right. Three-bedroom. Good roommates. Proportional split. Written agreement. $750 each. I've been here for 8 months and we haven't had a single money argument.

What I learned: After eight apartments, I finally figured out the formula. Good roommates + fair math + clear communication = sustainable shared housing. It took me eight years to learn this. Hopefully it takes you less.

The rent I've paid over eight years, roughly: - Year 1: $450 x 12 = $5,400 - Year 2: $650 x 12 = $7,800 - Year 3: $800 x 4 + $550 x 8 = $7,600 - Year 4: $550 x 12 = $6,600 - Year 5: $720 x 12 = $8,640 - Year 6: $680 x 12 = $8,160 - Year 7: $950 x 12 = $11,400 - Year 8 (so far): $750 x 8 = $6,000

Total: approximately $61,600 in rent over eight years. That's a lot of money. That's a down payment on a house in some places. That's a car. That's... my entire twenties, basically.

Was it worth it? I don't know. I have good stories. I have bad stories. I have a cat who judges my life choices. I have a rent split calculator that exists because of all of it.

If you're reading this while apartment hunting: measure the rooms. Ask about utilities. Meet your potential roommates in person. And use the calculator. The math doesn't lie, even when landlords do.

— Jake