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House sharing agreement

A house sharing agreement is a practical, written contract between live-in roommates that covers the money, the rules and the exit. Use it when a homeowner rents a spare bedroom, when one tenant invites someone to join an existing lease as an occupant, or when two or more people want to clarify their arrangement before moving in together. Putting the house rules on paper prevents most roommate disputes.

What the agreement should cover

Names of all roommates and the property address.
Bedroom assignment and shared-area access.
Monthly rent share and due date; security deposit contributions.
Utility split — how electricity, gas, water, internet and streaming are divided.
Grocery and cleaning supply split.
Chore rotation or cleaning service payment.
Overnight-guest rule and maximum nights per month.
Quiet hours, smoking policy, pet policy.
Notice to move out and deposit refund mechanics.

Sample house rules

House rules. (1) Quiet hours 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday. (2) Overnight guests may stay up to 7 nights in any 30-day period; extended stays require advance roommate consent. (3) Kitchen dishes washed the same day. (4) Shared bathrooms cleaned on a rotating weekly schedule. (5) No smoking or vaping inside the home. (6) Pets allowed only as named in this agreement.

Rent and utility split at a glance

Split basis	Best for
Equal share	Same-size bedrooms, equal amenities
By bedroom size	Master bedroom with en-suite vs small bedroom
By income	Partner arrangements with big income gap
Metered utility	When one roommate runs heavy appliances

Move-out and replacement

Give at least 30 days' written notice to the other roommates (more if the master lease requires it).
Find a replacement — or agree with the remaining roommates on how to cover rent.
Return any keys, fobs and remote controls.
Settle deposit contributions in proportion to damage responsibility.
Update utility accounts so the departing name is removed.

India practice

Flat-sharing in Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi commonly runs on a lead-tenant model: one person signs the leave-and-license with the landlord, and the flat-mates sign a simple internal sharing note. A short house sharing agreement on plain paper — covering rent share, deposit share, utilities and notice — is sufficient and is the document that small-claims courts will look to if a flat-mate leaves early.

FAQs

What is a house sharing agreement?

A house sharing agreement is a written contract between live-in roommates — or between a homeowner and a live-in roommate — that covers rent share, utilities, bedroom assignment, shared-space rules, guest policy and move-out notice. It is less formal than a master lease but still enforceable.

Is a house sharing agreement the same as a co-tenancy agreement?

They overlap. A co-tenancy agreement is specifically between people who are all on the same master lease. A house sharing agreement is broader — it can be used when only one person is on the lease (or owns the home) and the others live there informally.

Can you evict a roommate under a house sharing agreement?

In most states a person who pays rent and lives at the property has some tenant rights, regardless of what the agreement calls them. Eviction must usually follow the state's notice and court-filing process — "lockouts" are illegal. In owner-occupied homes, "lodger" rules may apply and the process is shorter.