Roommate Agreement Template

The conversation most roommates skip, written down. Fill in the blanks together before move-in day.

A roommate agreement is a written plan for how you share a home: who pays what and when, how chores and guests work, and what happens when someone moves out. It is separate from your lease with the landlord and doesn't change it; it sets the rules between the people who live together. Writing it takes an hour and prevents most of the arguments roommates have. Copy the template below, fill in each blank together and sign it.

Before you start

Sit down together, with everyone who will live in the home, before move-in. Read your lease first: the agreement can add rules between you, but it can't override what the lease says about rent, pets, subletting or guests. Whether an agreement like this is enforceable depends on your state and what it says, so treat it first as a clear record of what you all agreed.

1. The people and the home

Address of the home: ______
Roommates (full names): ______
Lease holder(s) and lease end date: ______
This agreement starts on ______ and ends when the lease ends or a roommate moves out.

2. Rent

Total monthly rent: $______
Each roommate's share: ______ pays $______; ______ pays $______
Rent is due to ______ by the ______ of each month, paid by ______ (app, bank transfer).
If a roommate pays late, they cover any late fee the landlord charges.

3. Security deposit

Total deposit: $______; paid by ______ ($______) and ______ ($______).
Deductions for damage in a roommate's own room are paid by that roommate; damage to shared spaces is split equally unless someone is responsible.
When a roommate moves out early, their share of the deposit is repaid by ______ (the incoming roommate or the remaining roommates).

4. Utilities, internet and shared costs

Bills in whose name: electricity ______, gas ______, internet ______, water ______
Split: equally / by room size / other: ______
Bills are settled by the ______ of each month.
Shared household supplies (cleaning products, paper goods) are bought by ______ and split ______.

5. Food and personal items

Groceries are: separate / shared / shared for staples only.
Borrowing food or personal items: ask first / OK for ______.
Shelf and fridge space: each roommate gets ______.

6. Cleaning and chores

Kitchen cleaned after each use by whoever used it.
Weekly chores rotate: bathroom, floors, trash and recycling, per this schedule: ______
Dishes are washed within ______ hours.
Common areas are kept clear of personal items.

7. Quiet hours, guests and parties

Quiet hours: ______ to ______ on weeknights, ______ to ______ on weekends.
Overnight guests: no more than ______ nights a week without asking.
Guests staying longer than ______ nights need everyone's agreement.
Parties or gatherings of more than ______ people are planned with ______ days' notice.

8. Pets, smoking and substances

Pets: allowed / not allowed / only ______ (and only if the lease allows).
Smoking or vaping: not indoors / only ______.
Alcohol and other substances in shared spaces: ______

9. Privacy, rooms and storage

Bedrooms are private; no one enters another's room without asking.
Room assignments: ______ has room ______; ______ has room ______.
Storage, parking spaces and outdoor space are shared as follows: ______

10. Moving out and replacing a roommate

A roommate who wants to leave gives ______ days' written notice.
The leaving roommate keeps paying their share until ______ (a replacement moves in / the notice ends).
New roommates must be approved by all current roommates and by the landlord if the lease requires it.

11. Settling disagreements

Raise problems directly and early, in person or by message.
Hold a short house check-in every ______ weeks.
If you can't agree, ask a neutral person (a friend, resident advisor or local mediation service) to help.

12. Signatures

We have read and agree to this roommate agreement.
Name, signature and date: ______
Name, signature and date: ______
Name, signature and date: ______

Common questions

Is a roommate agreement legally binding?

It can be treated as a contract between roommates, depending on your state and how it is written, but it never changes your lease with the landlord. Its main value is a clear record of what everyone agreed, which helps settle disputes before they grow.

Does the landlord need to sign a roommate agreement?

No. The agreement is between the roommates. The landlord's rules are in the lease, which the agreement can't override, so check the lease for rules on subletting, guests and pets first.

When should roommates sign an agreement?

Before move-in day, while everyone is still getting along and nobody's habits have become a problem yet. Revisit it when someone moves in or out.

What should a roommate agreement include?

Rent shares and due dates, the security deposit, utilities and shared costs, food, chores, quiet hours, guests, pets and smoking, privacy, moving out, and how you settle disagreements, as in the template on this page.