Roommate Agreement

Have you ever heard the saying “You don’t truly know someone until you live with them”? Well, it’s one hundred percent true. Whether you intend to live with a close friend you’ve known all your life or a stranger who responded to your search ad, roommate agreements are a great way to avoid unnecessary conflicts and live in peace and harmony. 

A roommate agreement is a contract that is made between residents detailing house rules and mutual duties and responsibilities as agreed upon by both residents. People come from different backgrounds and have different habits and ways of living which can easily lead to disagreements. A roommate agreement is a good security for avoiding this. 

Whether you’re a student moving out of your parents’ house for the first time or you’ve lived alone for years, who you live with is an important decision that you should give some thought to. Once you’ve made this decision, the next step to make sure that it doesn’t come back to bite you is to set out clear rules for living together. In the same way, your mother would communicate that she didn’t want to see your clothes scattered across your bedroom or dishes from the day before in the dishwasher, sharing your likes and dislikes for everyday living with your roommate and hearing theirs is a good way to maintain good relationships with your roommates and guarantee peace in your home. 

As with every contract, remember that the terms of your roommate agreement are best determined by you and your roommate(s). It is an entirely customizable document, and what you decide to include should suit your individual preferences. 

Avoiding invasion of your space or privacy is a popular reason why many people choose to live alone. A great place to begin is to decide which rooms are off-limits to residents other than yourself. A good example of this may be your bedroom. Some people don’t want clothes that have been worn outside to be on their beds or to have food in their bedrooms and making your bedroom a private room is a good way to ensure your wishes are respected. Agree on which rooms are common areas and which are not. 

Agreeing who will do what chores and when means that your house or apartment will stay clean and organized. One person may love doing dishes while another may despise sweeping but love to dust. Discussing this will create a mutual understanding and make sure that nobody feels inconvenienced or as though they carry the entire burden of chores. If you all dislike chores entirely but can afford to get outside help with them, agreeing to split the costs could be a good idea.  

Even extreme extroverts might enjoy some quiet time to themselves every once in a while. Different personalities enjoy company in different measures. Deciding which hours will be quiet hours leaves nobody feeling irritated or upset. Quiet Hours could mean no guests or simply no loud noises, giving roommates time to study, catch up on work, or rest. 

It’s important to be kind and considerate of your roommate’s potential pet allergies or fears. Make sure that you’re not making each other feel uncomfortable in your own home by deciding ahead of time and including in your roommate agreement which pets will be allowed if any.

Let’s not forget this old-age friendship breaker. If you’re lucky, you and your roommate(s) can become good friends along the way.  However, financial conversations can easily lead to animosity and uncomfortable relations. So, it’s important to discuss and detail what percentage of the rent each party will pay, as well as which household bills and utilities (e.g. electricity, water, internet) will be paid by each party. You can agree on whether payments will be made to one person or directly to your landlord, as well as who buys what shared items for the house and how often. People can be very touchy about money so you can even go as far as to decide whether or not you can borrow items bought by the other roommate.  

Remember to customize the details of the agreement to effectively cater to your different personalities. 

The steps are simple.

You can download a free apartment roommate agreement template or copy and paste the text sample below. 

Remember that the template is simply a guide. Sit and discuss which terms you’d like to keep or disregard.  Deciding what terms will go into your agreement should be done as soon as possible, preferably before moving in or in the first week of living together. Write down a list of topics important to both of you, discuss each, and agree on the terms. Never assume that something goes without saying; if you’ve thought about it, include it!

Complete the document and sign it. You can simply add your details to a free pdf roommate rental agreement template like the one below and sign it to bring it into effect. Alternatively, you can download and edit a sample to customize it to your preferences before filling it out and signing it. 

A roommate rental agreement is not the same as a lease agreement. A lease agreement is between the landlord and tenants and is likely to include stipulations regarding the rights of the tenants, evictions, renovations to the property, and security deposits. A roommate agreement is between the tenants only and is an agreement that they will abide by the rules they agree upon regarding rent, chores, and any other living arrangements.