Whether it’s your first apartment or your fifth, sharing space with roommates is a delicate balance of setting expectations and respecting each other’s space. To make things transparent and avoid unnecessary conflict, you may want to consider a roommate agreement. Not familiar? We’ll provide a free roommate agreement template for you to use, plus we’ll explain what it is and who should sign one.
What is a roommate agreement?
Even if you’ve asked all the right questions before committing to a roommate relationship, conflicts can and do arise when people are living together. A roommate contract will help clarify expectations before there’s a problem and set out guidelines if issues do come up down the road.
A roommate agreement defines each renter’s responsibilities. These responsibilities can include behavior towards each other as well as duties to the apartment itself (such as cleaning and taking out the garbage). These are legal agreements, and they help prevent conflicts before they arise as well as resolve any possible disagreements.
Who needs a roommate agreement?
It’s a good idea to add a roommate agreement to your apartment checklist, whether you’re moving in with a close friend or a total stranger. Conflicts can happen even among the best of friends. It’s a good idea to set out expectations before there’s even a problem, so you know everyone sharing a space is on the same page.
8 essentials to include in your roommate agreement
Your apartment is your home, and you want your home to feel comfortable for everyone in it.
Here are a few things to consider including in your roommate contract:
1. Pets
Even if you don’t have pets, a contract between roommates should review what to do if one roommate gets a pet. Are there extra building charges that come with pet ownership? Are pets allowed on the furniture? Think about all possible pet problems and put them in the roommate agreement.
2. Schedules
Any contract for a roommate agreement should include some sort of monthly and/or weekly schedule. It should include things like when people go to work, when is quiet time, when one roommate likes to make breakfast, etc.
3. Temperature
Have an agreed-upon daytime and nighttime temperature in your roommate legal agreements. Also, have a part that discusses seasonal adjustments if necessary.
4. Buying of shared items
Some big-ticket items in the communal spaces include things like a television, fridge, and microwave. Have a roommate contract that covers how to pay for repairs or replacement of these items.
5. How to solve conflicts
Even if you cover every potential scenario in your roommate contract, conflicts will still arise between roommates. Plan for this by having an agreed-upon way to solve problems.
6. Chores
By addressing chores in your agreement, you can proactively prevent disputes and ensure that everyone contributes to maintaining a clean and organized living space. Clearly outline the chores and cleaning tasks that need to be done regularly. This may include vacuuming, doing the dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathroom, and more. Decide how frequently each task should be performed and create a chore schedule. For example, you can rotate responsibilities weekly, monthly, or as agreed upon by all roommates. Clearly state the consequences if a roommate neglects their chore duties. This might involve fines, penalty chores, or a structured system for resolving issues.
7. Guests and significant others
Establish a clear guest policy that specifies the maximum duration and frequency of guest visits. Define what constitutes a “guest” to distinguish between short visits and long-term stays. Determine how much notice roommates should give one another when they plan to have guests over. This can help ensure that everyone is aware of and comfortable with the presence of guests. Specify whether overnight guests are allowed and if so, how often they are permitted. This can prevent situations where roommates feel as though their space is being consistently occupied by others. Clearly outline how the presence of significant others will be handled. Address whether significant others will contribute to household expenses and chores, and how any potential conflicts will be resolved.
8. Bills
Sharing living expenses is a fundamental aspect of roommate life, and addressing how bills are divided in your roommate agreement is crucial for financial harmony. Begin by listing all shared living expenses. This typically includes rent, utilities (electricity, water, gas, internet, and cable), groceries, and any other costs associated with the household. Specify the agreed-upon method for dividing the rent. This can be equal shares among all roommates, or you can allocate based on room size, income, or another arrangement that all roommates find fair. Outline how utility bills will be divided and calculated. Be clear about whether you’ll split them evenly, allocate based on usage, or have one roommate in charge of specific utilities. Discuss how you will handle unexpected or emergency expenses, such as repairs or replacements, and how these costs will be divided.
Whether you’re apartment hunting with friends or finding someone to share the rent of your dream apartment, having a written agreement between roommates will help give you peace of mind.
Roommate agreement template
Ready to draft a roommate agreement but don’t know where to start? Use our easy-to-personalize roommate agreement template below, adding or taking away names depending on the number of people you’ll have living under the same roof.
ROOMMATE AGREEMENT AND CONTRACT
[Roommate 1 Name], [Roommate 2 Name], and [Roommate 3 Name]
We are all co-renters at the address [Street Address, City, State, Zip Code]. The aforementioned renters are under a [year-long/six-month/etc.] lease that expires on [Month/Day/Year your lease expires]. [If any of the renter’s leases differ, i.e., someone is on a month-to-month lease, but others are not, detail that here.] Each roommate has signed a lease with the landlord [Name of Landlord]. Additionally, each roommate has paid $[dollar amount] toward a security deposit. The total security deposit is $[dollar amount].
[Roommate 1 Name], [Roommate 2 Name], and [Roommate 3 Name] agree to the following:
1) Rent
The $[dollar amount] monthly rent will be shared equally among the renters, at $[dollar amount].
Or, if your rent amounts vary (in cases of different room sizes, rooms shared between couples, etc.):
The $[dollar amount] monthly rent will be split in the following manner: [Roommate 1 Name] will pay $[dollar amount] per month, [Roommate 2 Name] will pay $[dollar amount] per month, and [Roommate 3 Name] will pay $[dollar amount] per month.
[Roommate 2 Name] and [Roommate 3 Name] will each write a check for $[dollar amount(s)] by the [agreed-upon day] of each month. [Roommate 1 Name] will then write a check for the total month’s rent and mail it on behalf of all roommates to [Landlord’s address] by [agreed-upon day] of each month.
2) Bedrooms
[Describe here which bedrooms each renter will have. If two or more roommates are sharing a bedroom, include that information here as well.] For example:
[Roommate 1 Name] and [Roommate 2 Name] will share the largest bedroom with the adjacent balcony. [Roommate 3 Name] will have the smaller bedroom. [Roommate 3 Name] will pay $XXX more to have the room to themselves.
3) Overnight guests
[You can include any rules in this section depending on your wishes, such as no more than [#] different overnight guests per month, no overnight guests at all, etc. Here’s a sample:]
Each renter agrees to have no more than one overnight guest at a time. Each renter also agrees to inform the other roommates in advance of any overnight guests, if possible.
4) Cleaning
All roommates are responsible for cleaning their own bedrooms. Shared areas such as the bathroom, kitchen, living area, etc. will be cleaned according to the following schedule: [detail shared schedule here]. Cleaning includes: [list expectations such as vacuuming, dusting, etc.]. Each renter must also clean up after themselves after using the bathroom and kitchen.
5) Food
All roommates are responsible for their own food. Sharing food must be discussed ahead of time.
6) Utilities
Each roommate will pay an equal share of [list shared bills, such as internet, gas, electricity]. [Roommate Name] will have the bills under their name; [Roommate Name] and [Roommate Name] will pay their share of the costs at the end of each month.
7) Agreement violations
The roommates agree that, in the case of any serious and/or repeat violations of the agreement, the roommates may ask the violating party to leave. If the roommates ask a co-renter to leave the apartment, they will do so within [#] weeks.
8) Breaking the lease early
A renter will need to work directly with the landlord if they want to get out of the lease early. [Add any details about who will be responsible for finding a replacement renter here.]
Depending on the rental agreement terms, the landlord may not return the departing renter’s security deposit until a new renter moves in to replace them. In the case of needed repairs or damage, the roommates may lose all or part of the security deposit.
9) Additional information
[Add anything else you’d like to agree upon ahead of time here. This could include a notice about leaving town, informing other roommates in case of emergency, etc.]
Everyone signing below agrees to the terms set in this roommate contract.
[Signature of Roommate 1]: ______________________________________
Printed Name: _______________________________________
Date: __________________
[Signature of Roommate 2]: ______________________________________
Printed Name: _______________________________________
Date: __________________
[Signature of Roommate 3]: ______________________________________
Printed Name: _______________________________________
Date: __________________
Final thoughts
Drafting a roommate agreement is a practical and essential step in creating a harmonious and well-organized living environment when sharing space with others. This document not only clarifies expectations but also serves as a reference point for dispute resolution. An effective roommate agreement is a product of open and honest communication. Discuss every aspect of the agreement with your roommates and be willing to compromise on issues when necessary.
It’s a good practice to periodically review and update the roommate agreement. As circumstances change, the agreement should be flexible enough to adapt. Remember that a successful roommate agreement is not just a legal document; it’s a reflection of the mutual respect and understanding that should exist among those sharing a living space.
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