A roommate agreement is a written record of how you will live together: who pays what, how bills and chores work, and what happens when someone moves out. It won't settle every argument, but it gives everyone something to point to before a small problem turns into a big one.
What it is
A roommate agreement is a private contract between the people sharing a home. It sits alongside your lease and doesn't replace it. The landlord isn't part of it, so it doesn't change anything in the lease. If all of you signed the lease, each of you can usually be held responsible to the landlord for the full rent, whatever you agreed among yourselves. Where a roommate agreement helps is between you: it records your rent shares, how you split bills and the deposit, your house rules and what happens at move-out. Money terms are easier to rely on than rules about chores, which a court is unlikely to enforce.
What to include
- The names of everyone living in the home, and their rooms.
- The address, and the lease dates if there is a lease.
- The total rent and each person's share.
- When rent is due and how roommates pay each other.
- The security deposit, and how it will be shared back.
- The bills and who pays each one.
- House rules, such as guests, quiet hours, cleaning, pets and smoking.
- What happens when someone moves out, including notice and replacements.
- How you will handle disagreements.
- A signature and date from every roommate.
How to fill it in
- Read your lease first. Check who is named on it and what it says about guests and who can live there.
- Add everyone and their rooms.
- Set the rent split. You can split it evenly or by room size, and the helper does the maths.
- Say how rent and bills are paid between you.
- Choose the house rules you want and fill in the details.
- Agree how moving out will work.
- Read the preview together, download the file, and have everyone sign.
Common mistakes
- Splitting the rent out loud and never writing the amounts down.
- Assuming the agreement protects you from the landlord.
- Rent shares that don't add up to the total.
- Leaving out what happens when someone moves out in the middle of the lease.
- Adding rules that nobody really agreed to.
- Forgetting the security deposit.
- Letting someone live in the home who isn't on the lease without checking the lease.
- Not getting every roommate's signature.
What this agreement can and can't do
It can
- Record who pays what.
- Set house rules you agreed.
- Give you something to point to.
- Help you claim a share back from a roommate.
It can't
- Change the lease.
- Bind the landlord.
- Stop the landlord asking one roommate for the full rent.
- Force someone to do chores.
Frequently asked questions
Is a roommate agreement legally binding?
It can be a binding contract between the roommates, especially for money terms such as rent shares. Rules about chores or quiet hours are much harder to enforce, and a court is unlikely to order someone to clean. It doesn't bind the landlord.
Does it protect me if a roommate doesn't pay the landlord?
No. If you all signed the lease, the landlord can usually ask any one of you for the full rent. The agreement can help you claim your roommate's share back from them afterwards, but it doesn't change what you owe the landlord.
Do all roommates need to be on the lease?
Check your lease. Roommates who aren't on it have no direct rights against the landlord, and some leases limit who can live in the home. It is usually safer for everyone living there to be on the lease or approved by the landlord.
How should we split the rent?
Many roommates split it evenly. If the rooms differ in size or one has its own bathroom, you may prefer shares based on room size. The helper on this page does the maths and shows each share.
What happens if someone moves out early?
Write down the notice they must give, who finds a replacement and who pays until then. If the lease continues, the person leaving usually stays responsible to the landlord until it ends or the landlord releases them.
Should we include rules about guests and quiet hours?
Only if you all agree. Pick limits that fit how you live, and write them in so there is no confusion later.
Can we change the agreement later?
Yes. Agree the changes in writing and have everyone sign a new version.
Further reading
Independent publishers, not official sources.
- Legal risks and downsides of sharing an apartment or house with roommates(opens in a new tab) (Nolo)
Last reviewed October 5, 2026
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This page gives general information and a template. It is not legal advice.
Quicklet provides general document templates, not legal advice. Laws vary by location.