Roommate agreement — free template
A roommate agreement is a private contract between people sharing a rented home. It prevents the most common roommate disputes — rent split, chores, guests, quiet hours, and what happens when one of you moves out.
What a good roommate agreement covers
- Rent and utility split — who pays how much for rent, electricity, water, internet.
- Bedrooms and shared space — assignment of private rooms and rules for common areas.
- Cleaning — chore rotation or shared cleaning service split.
- Guests and overnight visitors — limits and notice expected.
- Quiet hours — typical: 10pm–7am.
- Pets — whether pets are allowed and who pays any deposit.
- Security deposit split — how the deposit is divided when one or both move out.
- Move-out notice — how much notice a roommate must give before leaving.
FAQs
What is a roommate agreement?
A roommate agreement is a written contract between two or more people sharing a rented home. It sets out how rent and utilities are split, who uses which bedroom, cleaning duties, overnight guests, quiet hours, and how to handle a roommate moving out.
Is a roommate agreement legally binding?
Yes — a roommate agreement is legally enforceable between the roommates as a private contract. It does not bind the landlord, who only deals with the people named on the master lease.
Should the landlord see the roommate agreement?
No — it is a private agreement between roommates only. The landlord enforces the lease; roommates use this agreement to enforce house rules and cost-sharing among themselves.