Documents / Real Estate
Roommate Agreement
Set house rules between co-tenants — rent shares, utilities, chores, guests, and what happens when someone moves out.
Self-help drafting template
Self-help drafting and electronic signing for ordinary adult transactions. Check the document-specific preparation steps before use.
State-specific. Terms, notices or signing steps change with your state.
Version 2026-09-09.8. No qualified legal review is recorded. Read the complete document and obtain advice for your circumstances.
Before you use this document
- Check the head lease and landlord consent; roommates cannot change the landlord's rights through this agreement.
- Allocate rent, utilities, deposits, shared-space rules and departure arrangements without waiving statutory tenant rights.
Guidance updated September 8, 2026. Source coverage is limited to the topics described; historical sources are identified. State, local and transaction-specific requirements still apply.
Time
~8 min
Questions
≤ 30
Steps
6
Export
PDF · Word
Answer guided questions, review your draft, and export or request signatures on supported documents.
What we will cover
- 01
Location
Choose the actual location so the preparation guidance and applicable safeguards follow your document.
- 02
The Roommates
This agreement is between the roommates themselves — it does not involve or bind the landlord.
- 03
The Home
- 04
Rent, Utilities & Deposit
- 05
House Rules
- 06
Co-tenants and individual contributions
This agreement allocates costs and house rules among co-tenants. An owner-occupant or head tenant renting a room needs the residential lease or sublease workflow and its tenant disclosures. Enter each additional party separately so each receives a signature slot.
- 07
Review and generate
Edit, export, and request e-signatures when the document meets its signing requirements.
About this document
A roommate agreement is a contract between the people sharing a home — not with the landlord. It records each person's rent share, how utilities are split, who contributed what to the security deposit, and the practical rules that cause the most friction: chores, quiet hours, overnight guests, and whether food and supplies are shared. Writing it down at move-in is far easier than arguing about it in month seven.
Read the head lease before dividing obligations. If it imposes joint liability, a landlord may pursue one tenant for the full rent even when the roommates agreed on separate shares. A roommate agreement does not itself change the landlord's rights or release a departing tenant. Record the allocation, departure notice and replacement process, subject to required consent and applicable tenancy rules.
Common questions
Is a roommate agreement legally binding?+
It can create enforceable obligations between the people who agree to it. Enforceability depends on the terms, circumstances and applicable law; a signature does not validate an unlawful fee, deposit or tenancy restriction. Household preferences can help cooperation without necessarily supplying a practical court remedy. Have each participating roommate agree to the final terms, and obtain any consent required by the head lease.
What happens if my roommate moves out and stops paying rent?+
Check the head lease, any individual room agreements and local law. Where joint liability applies, the landlord may seek the full amount from a remaining tenant even if the roommates agreed on separate shares. Any reimbursement claim, continuing liability, duty to reduce losses and replacement process depends on the agreements and applicable law. Document payments and releases; this agreement does not itself release anyone from the head lease.
Does my landlord need to sign the roommate agreement?+
No. It works between the roommates on its own and does not bind the landlord in any way. Anything that changes the lease itself — adding a new roommate, releasing someone from liability, transferring the deposit — has to go through the landlord in a separate written amendment.
General information, not legal advice — laws vary by state and change over time.
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