What is a roommate agreement?
Quick answer
A roommate agreement is a written record of what the people sharing a home have agreed on: money, house rules and what happens at move-out. Only the roommates sign it. A lease is a separate document between the tenants and the landlord. This page says nothing about whether an agreement can be enforced, so check your local rules.
Key points
- A roommate agreement is a written record among roommates of money, house rules and move-out. Only the roommates sign it.
- A lease is between the tenants and the landlord. A roommate agreement sets what the roommates owe each other, such as $1,350 and $1,050 of a $2,400 rent.
- Five lines cover the money: rent shares, who pays the landlord, utilities, shared purchases and a settle-up day.
- This page says nothing about enforceability. Check your local rules and read your lease.
On this page
What is a roommate agreement?
A roommate agreement is a written record of what the people who share a home have agreed. It is signed by the roommates and by nobody else, and it records what they agreed.
Writing it down means everyone has the same version of the rent split, the bill rules and the move-out plan, instead of everyone remembering it a little differently.
What does a roommate agreement usually cover?
Most agreements fall into three groups.
- Money. Each person’s share of rent, who holds each utility account, shared purchases and when you settle up.
- House rules. Quiet hours, guests, cleaning and shared items.
- Move-out. How much notice to give and how the leaving roommate’s share is worked out.
How is it different from a lease?
A lease is between the tenants and the landlord, and a roommate agreement is only among the roommates. The two documents answer different questions.
| Point | Lease | Roommate agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Between | The tenants and the landlord | The roommates only |
| What it sets | What the tenants owe the landlord | What the roommates owe each other |
| Example line | “Rent is $2,400, due on the 1st” | “Maya pays $1,350 and Ben pays $1,050” |
If a rule in your agreement touches the lease, such as who may live there or subletting, read the lease and check your local rules.
What does a money clause look like?
Say Maya and Ben rent a two-bedroom for $2,400 a month. A five-line money clause might read:
- Rent is $2,400 a month, due to the landlord on the 1st. Maya pays $1,350 and Ben pays $1,050.
- Ben sends Maya his share by the 28th, and Maya pays the landlord on the 1st.
- Electric, gas and internet are split equally. The person on the account pays the bill, and the other pays them back within 5 days.
- Shared purchases over $30 need a yes from both of us first.
- We log what we owe each other as it happens and settle on the last day of the month.
The two shares add up to the rent: $1,350 + $1,050 = $2,400. For more clauses with fill-in wording, see what to include in a roommate agreement, and for the house-rules page you can print, use the roommate agreement template.
What do you do with the money lines day to day?
Line 5 needs a running balance. In EvenOut, a “Household” group (“Rent and bills”) keeps one: each shared cost is an expense with a payer and a split, and “Settle up” records the payment on settle-up day. What counts as shared is its own question, answered in what expenses roommates should split. If someone stops paying their share, what to do when a roommate is not paying bills has the next steps.
Frequently asked questions
How many lines does the money part need?
Five cover the basics: rent shares, who pays the landlord, utilities, shared purchases and a settle-up day, as in the sample above. The longer guide lists twelve clauses for households that want more detail, such as late payment and deposit shares.
Should the agreement write rent shares in dollars or percent?
Write dollars, then say how a change is shared. Shares of $1,350 and $1,050 on $2,400 are 56.25% and 43.75%. If rent rises to $2,520 and the shares stay in proportion, they become $1,417.50 and $1,102.50.
What can the agreement say about moving out mid-month?
It can say the leaving roommate pays their share up to their last day, counted in days. On a $1,050 share in a 30-day month, leaving after the 12th is $1,050 × 12 ÷ 30 = $420. Whether that works with the lease is a question for the lease.
Keep reading
- Template Roommate agreement template (free, printable) A free printable roommate agreement for house rules: quiet hours, guests, shared spaces, cleaning and shared items, with blanks to fill and defaults to circle.
- Guide What to include in a roommate agreement Twelve money clauses for a roommate agreement, each with fill-in wording: rent shares, utilities, guest costs, late payment, notice and move-out money.
- Guide What expenses roommates should split, and which to skip A table of 12 roommate expenses with a default split and one rule each, plus a three question test for new purchases and a spending limit.
- Guide Roommate not paying bills or rent: what to do Add up what your roommate owes, send one calm message with a number and a date, set a payment plan, and decide whether to cover the bill. Steps and sums.
- Glossary What is prorated rent? Prorated rent is rent for part of a month: rent × days you stay ÷ days in the month. $1,800 from the 12th of a 31-day month is $1,161.29, or $1,200 on 30 days.