Take advantage of our Roommate Rental Agreement template. It is a must for anyone going to share an apartment or house. Outline all financial obligations with your new roommate from the beginning.
Last Update April 30th, 2023

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- What Is a Roommate Agreement
- How to Write a Roommate Agreement
- What to Include in a Roommate Agreement
- Roommate Agreement Rules
- Roommate Agreement Template Sample
- Roommate Agreement FAQs
What Is a Roommate Agreement
A Roommate Agreement is a contract made between 2 or more people who are going to live together.
The purpose of this legal document is to make each roommate fulfill their financial obligations.
A Roommate Agreement lists each person’s duties, such as paying rent and cleaning. It also states what actions are prohibited and what areas of the apartment or house are common or private.
Each person named on the Agreement will be responsible for complying with each rule of the shared living space.
LawDistrict provides guidelines and examples to create different types of Roommate Agreements, including a College Roommate Agreement template.
Are Roommate Agreements legally binding?
Yes, Roommate Agreements are legally binding in the financial sense. It holds all parties accountable to pay their part of the rent.
It is not as binding when it comes to accountability for household chores. When making the contract, you can make the house rules as relaxed or demanding as you want.
How to Write a Roommate Agreement
To write a Roommate Agreement, you need to include a specific outline. Legal contracts need to be clear, or another party may not be enforced to stick to their part of the deal.
We provide clear steps below on how to write your Roommate Agreement.
Download a Roommate Contract template from LawDistrict. This will save you a lot of time and make the writing process much easier.
Go over the rules with your roommates. Review what housekeeping rules should be included apart from any financial obligations.
Include all conditions, especially the rent and payments that must be shared.
Sign the document with your roommates.
Easily create your document with our Roommate Agreement template. You will find a clear and concise document that you only need to fill in some information to complete.
What to Include in a Roommate Agreement
Legal contracts and documents must outline all details correctly, or you risk them becoming invalid.
In a Roommate Agreement, it is essential to understand what specific items you must include in your document.
Here is what should be included in a Roommate Agreement:
Details of the residence: This includes the address, any facilities, or parking.
Personal areas: State which areas are for private use, like the bedrooms.
Common areas: Write which parts of the home are shared, such as the kitchen and bathrooms.
Payments: Include when the rent is due, as well as utilities or any other payments.
Length of contract: State when the residency begins and when it will end.
Security Deposits: Fill in the amount of any security deposit that needs to be paid.
Roommate Agreement Rules
Sooner or later, you and a fellow roommate will disagree on responsibility or payment.
In your contract, you should include a Roommate Agreement checklist. The checklist explains everyone’s responsibilities in detail in your document.
The Roommate Agreement will settle the dispute by setting out everyone’s responsibilities from the start.
Besides paying rent, there are certain must-have topics in your document. Our template helps you to easily list the following topics.
Common-use items: In general, when you share a residence, some items are used by everyone. Cleaning supplies, plates, and silverware are often shared. How you and your roommate(s) pay for these items should be in the contract.
Tidying the home: Keeping your home neat is important. In your room, you may clean as much or as little as you want. There are common areas such as the kitchen and living room that need to be kept clean. In your Roommate Agreement, remember to include the different chores everyone must do and when.
Quiet Hours: If someone has to work early in the morning, there shouldn’t be parties late at night. Arrange the times you and your roommates should avoid making noise. Also, go over how much noise is acceptable.
Animals: If pets are allowed, set the rules for whose responsibility it is to clean up after the pet, where it can go in the house, and who takes care of it if the owner goes out of town.
Visitors: There are times when you or a roommate will want a friend or family member to stay over one night or longer. Include in your Roommate Agreement, where visitors can sleep and what can they use in the home.
Kitchen and food storage: Where you place your food in the kitchen is an important topic for roommates. Review the places in the pantry and refrigerator that are yours, so a roommate does not invade your space. Another key topic of discussion is the different times you would like to reserve the kitchen to cook.
Air-Conditioning and heat: During the summer and winter months, people sometimes disagree on the temperature settings. Go over the limits of the Air-conditioning and heating temperatures with your roommate(s).
Roommate Agreement Template Sample
To make a clear and concise Roommate Agreement, you must know what to include and how to outline your document.
We provide a sample Roommate Agreement template that comes in handy when you create your Agreement.
Have a look at the example provided below.

Roommate Agreement FAQs
To clarify any doubts regarding Roommate Agreements, we have included answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Check out the following answers to give yourself any additional details before you make your document.
Does a Roommate Agreement Need to be Notarized?
If your Roommate Agreement is written correctly and outlined in a legally acceptable way, it does not need to be notarized.
Use our Roommate Rental Agreement template to make a contract that fulfills all legal demands.
How to Evict a Roommate?
To evict a roommate, you must follow a few steps.
Give the roommate a formal notice
Submit the case to a local housing court
Deliver the complaint to your roommate
Go to the hearing in court
Following these steps, you can evict your roommate if he or she causes an incurable problem in your home.
How to Break a Roommate Agreement?
If you only want to leave a Roommate Agreement, generally you need to pay a fee. The fee is usually equal to a month’s rent.
Once the fee is paid, you are free to leave the shared residence.