Roommate Agreement Template

Have you ever heard the saying “You don’t truly know someone until you live with them”? Well, it’s one hundred percent true. Whether you intend to live with a close friend you’ve known all your life or a stranger who responded to your search ad, roommate agreements are a great way to avoid unnecessary conflicts and live in peace and harmony. 

What is a Roommate Agreement? 

A roommate agreement is a contract that is made between residents detailing house rules and mutual duties and responsibilities as agreed upon by both residents. People come from different backgrounds and have different habits and ways of living which can easily lead to disagreements. A roommate agreement is a good security for avoiding this. 

Why Is a Roommate Agreement Important?

Whether you’re a student moving out of your parents’ house for the first time or you’ve lived alone for years, who you live with is an important decision that you should give some thought to. Once you’ve made this decision, the next step to make sure that it doesn’t come back to bite you is to set out clear rules for living together. In the same way, your mother would communicate that she didn’t want to see your clothes scattered across your bedroom or dishes from the day before in the dishwasher, sharing your likes and dislikes for everyday living with your roommate and hearing theirs is a good way to maintain good relationships with your roommates and guarantee peace in your home. 

Roommate Agreement: What it should contain? 

As with every contract, remember that the terms of your roommate agreement are best determined by you and your roommate(s). It is an entirely customizable document, and what you decide to include should suit your individual preferences. 

Private Rooms

Avoiding invasion of your space or privacy is a popular reason why many people choose to live alone. A great place to begin is to decide which rooms are off-limits to residents other than yourself. A good example of this may be your bedroom. Some people don’t want clothes that have been worn outside to be on their beds or to have food in their bedrooms and making your bedroom a private room is a good way to ensure your wishes are respected. Agree on which rooms are common areas and which are not. 

Chores 

Agreeing who will do what chores and when means that your house or apartment will stay clean and organized. One person may love doing dishes while another may despise sweeping but love to dust. Discussing this will create a mutual understanding and make sure that nobody feels inconvenienced or as though they carry the entire burden of chores. If you all dislike chores entirely but can afford to get outside help with them, agreeing to split the costs could be a good idea.  

Quiet Hours 

Even extreme extroverts might enjoy some quiet time to themselves every once in a while. Different personalities enjoy company in different measures. Deciding which hours will be quiet hours leaves nobody feeling irritated or upset. Quiet Hours could mean no guests or simply no loud noises, giving roommates time to study, catch up on work, or rest. 

Pets 

It’s important to be kind and considerate of your roommate’s potential pet allergies or fears. Make sure that you’re not making each other feel uncomfortable in your own home by deciding ahead of time and including in your roommate agreement which pets will be allowed if any.

Money 

Let’s not forget this old-age friendship breaker. If you’re lucky, you and your roommate(s) can become good friends along the way.  However, financial conversations can easily lead to animosity and uncomfortable relations. So, it’s important to discuss and detail what percentage of the rent each party will pay, as well as which household bills and utilities (e.g. electricity, water, internet) will be paid by each party. You can agree on whether payments will be made to one person or directly to your landlord, as well as who buys what shared items for the house and how often. People can be very touchy about money so you can even go as far as to decide whether or not you can borrow items bought by the other roommate.  

Remember to customize the details of the agreement to effectively cater to your different personalities. 

How to write a roommate agreement 

The steps are simple. 

Download a free roommate agreement template

You can download a free apartment roommate agreement template or copy and paste the text sample below. 

Discuss the rules with your roommate

Remember that the template is simply a guide. Sit and discuss which terms you’d like to keep or disregard.  Deciding what terms will go into your agreement should be done as soon as possible, preferably before moving in or in the first week of living together. Write down a list of topics important to both of you, discuss each, and agree on the terms. Never assume that something goes without saying; if you’ve thought about it, include it! 

Fill in and sign the document

Complete the document and sign it. You can simply add your details to a free pdf roommate rental agreement template like the one below and sign it to bring it into effect. Alternatively, you can download and edit a sample to customize it to your preferences before filling it out and signing it. 

Roommate Agreement Sample (Text Version) 

ROOMMATE AGREEMENT 

This Roommate Agreement (herein referred to as this “Agreement”) is made this ___ day of ___________, 20___ (the “Effective Date”), by and among/between the following roommates: ______________________________ (each a “Roommate” and collectively the “Roommates”).

We, the Roommates, agree to abide by this Agreement and any other agreements made in connection with the leasing of the Premises.

1. The Premises: The residence being leased herein referred to in this Agreement as “The Premises” is described as:

Address: 

Bedrooms:  Bathrooms: 

Common Areas: Private Areas: 

2. Term and Purpose: The Roommates are tenants at the premises for a term beginning on ___________, 20___ and ending on ___________, 20___ . The Premises are subject to a lease or rental agreement signed by one or more Roommates with ___________, the landlord, on ___________, 20___ (the “Lease”). Each Roommate states he/she has read the Lease and hereby agrees to abide by the terms contained in the Lease and those in this Agreement and to share the responsibilities and obligations while living at the Premises

3. Rent: Each Roommate shall pay his or her share of the rent in the following amounts: 

The rent is due on the __________ day of each month to the landlord. Each Roommate will deliver his or her share of the rent to ___________ on or before the due date. If a Roommate does not pay the rent by the due date, any late fees that accrue or any other costs will be the sole responsibility of the Roommate(s) whose late payment caused the late fee.

4. Security Deposit: Each Roommate is responsible for a share of the security                deposit in the following amounts: 

5.  Utilities: The following utilities will be the shared responsibility of the Roommates:  

• Electricity 
• Gas 
• Water 
• Cable 

  The following utilities shall be the sole responsibility of [Full name of Roommate]: 

• Internet 

 The following utilities shall be the sole responsibility of [Full name of Roommate]: 

• Telephone 
• Trash 

6. Household Supplies: A detailed document (with item description, cost, and date of purchase) will be kept listing all supplies purchased by each roommate. The supplies may include things such as paper toilet paper, cleaning and dish detergent, trash bags, scrubbing brushes, and any other goods necessary for maintaining the home which will be shared by all roommates. Every two months, the purchaser will be rotated. 

7. Personal Property: All tenants agree to not use or borrow other roommates’ personal item(s) without the approval of the roommate who owns the property. Any exception(s) to this rule will be clearly stated and agreed upon, and the roommate who owns the property retains the right to change his/her mind about sharing his/her property.  If there is any damage to the borrowed  property, the Roommate responsible for the damage will be held liable.

8.  Cleaning: Each roommate agrees to share the responsibilities of cleaning and maintaining the common areas of the residence and individually clean and maintain their private areas of the residence. Cleaning will include:

• Dusting
• Vacuuming
• Emptying trash
• Sweeping and mopping floors
• Cleaning kitchen after cooking
• Doing individual dishes
• Cleaning bathrooms 
• Other:

9. Pets: Pets are NOT permitted on the Premises.

10. Smoking and Alcohol: are permitted on the premises.

11. Quiet Hours: Each Roommate agrees to limit his or her noise levels and observe quiet hours for sleep, work, study, and other purposes on weekdays __________ from _____:_____ AM/PM to _____:_____ AM/PM.

12. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall not be affected and shall continue to be valid and enforceable as though the invalid or unenforceable parts had not been included in this Agreement. 

13. Governing Law. The terms of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State/Republic of __________, not including its conflicts of law provisions.

This Agreement represents the complete and final understanding of the roommates’ intent. All preliminary discussions and negotiations by the roommates are merged into and superseded by this Agreement. Any modification to this Agreement must be in writing and signed by all roommates.

We, the undersigned, agree to the above terms.

ROOMMATE SIGNATURES:

 [Name]                                                                                           [Date]

 [Name]                                                                                           [Date]

 [Name]                                                                                           [Date]

How to find a good Roommate in five simple steps 

1. Ask friends, post on your socials, or post a listing on a website.
2. Schedule a viewing with your potential roommate. 
3. Conduct thorough searches such as criminal and credit history and call to verify the references they have provided.
4. Sign a lease agreement and write and sign a roommate agreement. 
5. Move in! 

Roommate Agreement vs. Lease Agreement 

A roommate rental agreement is not the same as a lease agreement. A lease agreement is between the landlord and tenants and is likely to include stipulations regarding the rights of the tenants, evictions, renovations to the property, and security deposits. A roommate agreement is between the tenants only and is an agreement that they will abide by the rules they agree upon regarding rent, chores, and any other living arrangements. 

Is a roommate agreement legally binding? 

Yes. A roommate agreement is binding until the completion date stated in the agreement. The governing law that will apply to the agreement will depend on where the shared premises are located.