Roommate Agreement Guide: Avoid Common Rental Disputes

Roommate Agreement Guide: Avoid Common Rental Disputes

Roommate relationships start with goodwill and end, too often, in disputes over dirty dishes, unpaid rent, and phantom guests. A roommate agreement doesn't mean you don't trust each other — it means you've both decided to protect the friendship by clarifying expectations upfront.

What Is a Roommate Agreement?

A roommate agreement (also called a housemate or co-tenant agreement) is a contract between people sharing a living space. It supplements the main lease by defining each person's obligations to each other — things the landlord doesn't care about but you definitely do.

Note: A roommate agreement is separate from the formal rental lease. The landlord is a party to the lease; roommates are parties to the roommate agreement.

What to Cover in Your Roommate Agreement

Financial Responsibilities - How rent is split (equal shares or based on room size?) - Who is responsible for paying utilities in what proportions - Who collects money and pays the landlord - Deadline for each roommate to pay their share - What happens if one person can't pay their portion

Common Area Rules - Cleaning schedules and responsibilities (kitchen, bathroom, common areas) - Shared grocery or household supplies — who buys what, how costs are split - Noise policies and quiet hours - Guest policies — overnight guests, long-term guests ("how long before a frequent guest becomes a roommate?")

Private Space Boundaries - Which rooms belong to which roommates - Off-limits policies for personal space - Sharing (or not sharing) personal items

Shared Property - Furniture, appliances, and electronics that belong to whom - What happens to shared items when someone moves out - Who is responsible for damage to shared property

Moving Out Provisions - How much notice a departing roommate must give - Process for finding a replacement roommate - How the security deposit is handled — who gets what portion back - Early move-out penalties

Dispute Resolution - How disagreements will be handled (discussion first, then mediation) - What triggers can lead to a roommate being asked to leave

Subletting and Adding Roommates

If one roommate wants to leave and find a replacement: - Get the landlord's consent (required under most leases) - All remaining roommates should agree to the new person - Transfer of deposit contribution should be documented

Digital Tools for Shared Expenses

Apps like Splitwise, Venmo, and PayPal can track shared expenses between roommates digitally. Reference the platform you'll use in the agreement to reduce confusion.

The Lease vs. The Roommate Agreement

Remember: your landlord only cares about the lease. If a roommate doesn't pay their share to the rent-paying roommate, the landlord will still expect full rent on time — and can evict ALL roommates for non-payment, regardless of who was responsible internally.

The roommate agreement gives you legal recourse against your co-tenant if they fail to pay. Without it, your only recourse is small claims court and "I promise they said they'd pay."

Use iRunDocs to create a complete roommate agreement that covers all the terms of your shared living arrangement clearly and professionally.