I live with two roommates. One of them handles the internet bill, which is $66 a month, and asks us to pay her $22 each as our share. The other roommate has been refusing to pay her part lately. She claims it’s unfair because she had to pay a security deposit to the previous tenant when she moved in. Should we change the wifi password to push her to pay? I really don’t want to end up covering her part of the bill.
Changing the wifi password sounds like a fair move if she’s not willing to pay her share. It might get her attention.
@Davis
No, I do it manually. If the Venmo payment isn’t in by the 12th, I change their devices to a slow profile until they pay.
Brier said:
Change the password. She’ll probably pay the $22 quickly once she realizes she’s locked out.
Good idea, but I’d charge her extra for the hassle. Maybe $33 for the month to make a point.
If someone doesn’t pay, they shouldn’t get to use the internet. It’s that simple.
Stick to the agreement. No payment, no internet. If she doesn’t like it, she can move when her time is up.
Change the password. When she asks for it, tell her it’s available for $22.
I limit my roommates’ wifi speed to 100 Kbps if they don’t pay after a week. It’s slow enough to be annoying, and they always pay up.
demmylose said:
I limit my roommates’ wifi speed to 100 Kbps if they don’t pay after a week. It’s slow enough to be annoying, and they always pay up.
That’s a clever approach. They still have access, but it’s frustrating enough to make them pay.
@Claire
I’ve heard that called ‘wifi edging.’ It’s a funny but effective idea.
demmylose said:
I limit my roommates’ wifi speed to 100 Kbps if they don’t pay after a week. It’s slow enough to be annoying, and they always pay up.
How do you set that up? Do you use some automated process with router settings?
demmylose said:
@Davis
No, I do it manually. If the Venmo payment isn’t in by the 12th, I change their devices to a slow profile until they pay.
Just a heads-up: some phones now randomize MAC addresses, so they might bypass your restriction.
This post reminds me of when I was broke and had roommate issues like this. I don’t miss those days.
Why did she have to pay a security deposit to a former tenant? That doesn’t make much sense.
Darian said:
Why did she have to pay a security deposit to a former tenant? That doesn’t make much sense.
Not the person who posted this, but it’s common in shared housing. The new tenant pays the outgoing one, and then gets the deposit back from the landlord later.
@Frey
Yes, it’s very typical in student housing. This way, the landlord doesn’t have to process a new deposit each time someone moves in or out.
Keep the password but block her devices from the network using their MAC addresses.
Can the person who posted this explain more about the security deposit situation? Why did she pay it, and how much was it? Should that have been split among all of you? Without more details, it sounds like this issue has been going on for a while. If so, change the wifi password until she pays up.
@Ember
Usually, the incoming tenant pays the departing one their share of the deposit, and the landlord keeps the original deposit. This avoids extra work for the landlord.
Finch said:
@Ember
Usually, the incoming tenant pays the departing one their share of the deposit, and the landlord keeps the original deposit. This avoids extra work for the landlord.
If that’s how it works, then yes, change the wifi password. It’s fair.