The recent currency increase affected the rent, my roommate doesn't understand

Recently, rent prices have skyrocketed and I believe my roommate needs to cope with this too. But he opposes it by saying, ‘we’ve paid enough.’ We respect each other, but this situation is stressing me out a lot, and there’s an uncomfortable atmosphere at home. What kind of solution can I find?

The same thing happened in our house; we argued for two months and in the end, we shared the rent increase. But the peace was quite disturbed.

How much has the rent increase been? Is there really a significant difference that is causing all this trouble?

The @iki_dakika interest rate is around 35%, which isn’t a big number in fact, but it’s more of a principled issue that bothers me.

I think it’s wrong to just dismiss it as a small difference; after all, everyone has a different budget.

if the sharing rates are specified in the contract, check there. Otherwise, sit down and have a clear conversation from the beginning; make it official.

35 percent? Honestly, it seems too much to me.

You mentioned an unsettling principle issue, but that was left a bit unclear. Which principle? Are you saying that the rent increase should be automatically shared, or is it a feeling of “if I’m struggling, then they should struggle too”? Because if it’s the latter, this discussion will drag on.

You say it’s a matter of principle, but in roommate situations, what you call principle is always open to debate if it’s not written down. If the contract states that the increase will be shared, then you’re right; otherwise, it’s entirely up to the harmony between you. Is it worth disrupting peace over something that isn’t written there? Think about that.

You’re talking about the exchange rate, but maybe it’s a heavy burden compared to your friend’s income. I mean, no one wants to blow their budget for 35%, but is he protecting his own conditions, or is he resisting just for the sake of it? It’s important to understand well.

If your friend is resisting the rate increase, either they have found the rent too high from the beginning and this increase is just an excuse, or there’s a constraint in their own plans that they aren’t disclosing. It seems impossible to settle without asking, “What principle, what budget?” because perhaps they moved in with a different expectation from the start.

You mentioned it’s a matter of principle, but did you have an agreed-upon sharing model from the beginning? Or is this “everyone should contribute” situation something that emerged now? Maybe the guy thought from the start, “I’ll pay according to my own judgment,” and now you’re trying to bring order to it. If it wasn’t discussed openly from the start, this matter might drag on a bit.

I think your friend has been acting with some uncertainty from the very beginning. If there’s nothing clear about the sharing, then there’s really no point in pushing it now. As you said, maybe they are having an issue with their own budget, but it’s hard to come to an agreement as long as they don’t talk about it openly. So I believe addressing this situation directly and clearly is the best approach.

If your friend is resisting after the price increase, they might prefer not to disclose their financial situation to you. But if they’re stirring up a discussion about it under the guise of “principle,” the issue might be more personal than you think. Perhaps they’re actually upset about your spending, lifestyle, or something similar; the rent situation might just be a trigger point. Have you ever encountered such insinuating remarks from them?

Perhaps what he calls principle are the imbalances that come from sharing the same house with you. For example, if there are already underlying issues regarding cleanliness, grocery shopping, or shared space usage, this rent increase might just be an excuse. Did he ever imply that he was falling short in these areas?

You talk about principles, but when it comes to the increase in foreign exchange rates and the rent issue, it’s not an individual burden; it’s a collective fluctuation. So it’s not a personal injustice; it’s a market principle. When sharing a house, there’s no escape from currency fluctuations, so economic awareness is needed. If your friend isn’t seeing this, could it be that they set their budget according to a world without foreign currency?

If they say “principle,” and view the increase as an individual burden, they might have completely detached this issue from the number and turned it into something else. In other words, if principle is the excuse, they actually have a general discomfort about something but can’t articulate it. It’s hard to proceed without clarifying whether the subject is rent or something else. Ask clearly.

Maybe they’ve been saying “I’ll manage” from the beginning, but in reality they’re adjusting their budget according to you. This means that as what you pay increases, their comfort level may be decreasing. Because sure, currency rates are one thing, but not everyone earns the same salary; what you’re paying could look very different in their world. Have they ever made comments like “you’re earning a lot anyway”?

They talk about principles, but the reality of the rent increase is clear. The real question is this: is the rent increase something you determine? Is it a fact coming from the landlord? If it’s a fact, what he calls “principle” actually seems like an objection to the system, not to you. But he insists on discussing it with you; why doesn’t he talk directly to the landlord about this?

If they are talking about “principle” but not providing a reasonable explanation for the rate of increase, maybe the issue here is not their economic order, but a power issue regarding how the household operates with you. Who controls the decision-making process? Who is more decisive? This term “principle” might also be an effort to not remain passive in the overall functioning of the household. Has there ever been a time when they questioned your decisions?