A Roommate Agreement is a written contract that establishes the rights and responsibilities of people who share a living space. With a written agreement, the parties have a clear understanding of household rules and expectations, helping them avoid unspoken assumptions and potential disputes.

LawDepot’s Roommate Agreement template ensures all your bases are covered, giving you peace of mind and a happier living situation. You can easily customize the agreement to fit your needs, then download a PDF or print a copy for your records. 

A Roommate Agreement is also called a: 

• Room rental agreement
• House rules contract
• Shared living agreement
• Housemate agreement

If you’re in a romantic relationship and want to create a contract to live together, you can choose our Cohabitation Agreement instead. This contract addresses the rights and responsibilities that arise from your relationship.

A Roommate Agreement is beneficial for several reasons:

• It establishes living arrangements and expectations
• It sets clear house rules and restrictions
• It supports roommates who wish to reinforce rules amicably
• It lessens any anxieties or doubts about a living arrangement

It's best to communicate terms and conditions with your roommate at the beginning of your relationship to avoid potential arguments down the road. Reviewing a Roommate Agreement together encourages a constructive dialogue early on. 

A Roommate Agreement also helps roommates reinforce house rules. For instance, if one roommate stops performing a certain chore, the other roommate might politely point to the agreement to remind them of their agreed-upon responsibilities.

When you discuss things in advance, it's easier to reinforce rules, avoid conflict, and maintain a healthy relationship with your roommate.

Although a Lease Agreement and a Roommate Agreement both specify the terms and conditions of a living arrangement, a Lease Agreement only documents the relationship between a landlord and their tenants — not the relationship between two tenants.

In contrast, a Roommate Agreement might highlight the key terms of a Lease Agreement and its own terms. This contract is between the people who share a home. Unless the landlord also lives in the home, they are generally not a party to a Roommate Agreement, though it may include their contact information.

Ultimately, a Lease Agreement helps landlords and tenants manage a rental property, while a Roommate Agreement helps people manage daily living in a shared space.

Use LawDepot’s Roommate Agreement template to create a custom document in minutes. Simply follow these steps, and you’ll have a contract that covers all your bases and protects all parties. Your agreement can be as short or as comprehensive as you need it to be.

Remember to include all roommates in the creation of the document and inform your landlord of the agreement — especially if it changes the number of people living on the property. 

1. Provide an overview of the property, parties, and lease

Provide the full address of the property. If it is leased, note who the landlord is and when the Lease Agreement starts and ends.

Include the full names of all roommates living at the property. You can include as many roommates as you need (as long as you comply with any Lease Agreement).

2. State important rental terms

Next, determine when your Roommate Agreement will end. You can end it at the same time as the Residential Lease Agreement or at a fixed time. Alternatively, you can choose to automatically renew the agreement yearly, monthly, or weekly.

Include the rent details, if applicable. State when the roommates are required to pay rent. You can also specify whether one roommate is in charge of collecting, paying, and keeping records of rent payments. 

3. Divide rent, utilities, and costs

If utilities and household costs aren’t covered in the rent, you’ll need to note which expenses the roommates are responsible for. You can split costs equally, by percentage, or have each person responsible for a certain expense.

If a damage deposit is required, state the amount and how the roommates plan to divide the cost. Most roommates split the deposit when they pay it at the start and again if they get it back when moving out. 

The landlord isn’t required to return the deposit until all tenants vacate. If one roommate moves out before the lease ends, roommates can pay the departing roommate for their share of the deposit. If the departing roommate caused damage to the apartment, deduct the cost of that damage from the amount paid.

4. State any house rules, restrictions, and duties

When you’re establishing your Roommate Agreement rules, keep in mind that all roommates involved must agree to the clauses in the document. 

Our template prompts you to list any house rules, responsibilities, or restrictions regarding:

• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Illegal activities
• Parties, gatherings, and celebrations
• Quiet hours
• Guests
• Personal property

• Cleaning
• Pets
• Parking spots and costs
• Living arrangements (such as shared spaces)
• Property damage disagreements

Additionally, you should note whether one roommate can terminate another roommate’s tenancy. If this scenario is possible, state which of the following conditions must apply (e.g., breaking a contract term or by majority vote).

You can also specify how much notice a roommate must give before leaving. Specify the number of days or whether this matter is already discussed in the original Lease Agreement.

Make note of who the roommate should notify if they’re leaving the tenancy. You can choose to notify the other roommates, the landlord, or another party.

Additionally, state the number of days after leaving that the roommate must provide a mail forwarding address. You may also limit how many days they have to remove their property from the premises before the remaining roommates can discard their abandoned belongings.

5. Include final details

If there are any clauses you wish to include that aren’t previously covered above, our template allows you to write one yourself. In this case, we provide tips on how to do so. 

Finally, after completing the document, all parties should sign it to make it valid. Although it isn’t necessary, you can also choose to include witness signatures.

When executed properly, a Roommate Agreement is a legally binding document. If a roommate fails to uphold their end of the agreement, it’s possible you can reinforce your claims in court. However, there may be practical difficulties when trying to do so. 

For example, you might be able to take legal action against a roommate who has failed to pay their share of the rent. With a written agreement as evidence, you can show that your roommate previously agreed to certain financial obligations and get a court to enforce those obligations.

If your roommate is not living up to smaller, non-monetary obligations, then going to court is unlikely to result in a productive outcome. A judge cannot send a sheriff to force your roommate to take out the trash. 

In any case, creating a Roommate Agreement often helps roommates avoid legal battles by clearly outlining terms.

If you need to confront your roommate about an issue, you can easily point to your Roommate Agreement to remind them of their obligations and the pre-defined consequences of their actions. 

Your contract should specify what happens when certain problems arise, such as when a roommate stops paying rent. It might mention late fees, repayment timelines, or terms for taking action if the problem continues. An action plan might involve a meeting with a mediator or the landlord to help resolve the conflict.

Most importantly, a Roommate Agreement can state the conditions under which a roommate may be asked to move out. Commonly, these conditions include repeated violations of house rules, non-payment of rent, or by majority vote. 

If the situation escalates to the point where eviction is needed, your Roommate Agreement can provide a clear process for eviction. If they refuse to leave, you may need to seek assistance from your landlord or legal professionals to ensure the eviction proceeds in accordance with the law. 

A Roommate Agreement doesn’t need to be notarized to be legally valid. However, notarizing helps validate the signers' identities and intent to enter into a binding contract.