When you can't afford to swing the rent for a home or an apartment by yourself, having one or more roommates may be a necessity. Living with roommates can be fun or it can be a nightmare, but either way, it's not always easy. However, you can help ensure you have a more pleasant experience by carefully selecting roommates and drafting a roommate agreement.
Unlike a mandatory, legally binding lease between you and your landlord, a roommate agreement isn't usually legally binding and is a voluntary agreement between the individual tenants renting a home. Since roommate disputes often arise due to poor communication and mismatched expectations, you can prevent many difficulties by outlining simple guidelines, or ground rules, in an agreement developed at the beginning of the living arrangement. Since it's too easy to forget what was initially agreed upon, informal discussions aren't always enough. Instead, put everything in writing to avoid misunderstandings. Each roommate must be willing to commit to the agreement and have equal say in what's included for it to work. When you're drafting the agreement, address key issues to ensure a mutually satisfying experience for everyone involved.
The most important issues involve money. Since you're likely living with roommates for financial reasons, thoroughly cover all money-related issues in your agreement. This includes how rent and utilities are divided and who's responsible for ensuring each bill gets paid every month, on time. To determine how much each roommate pays, either divide everything equally or divide it based on the square footage each person occupies (i.e. the person with the master bedroom pays a higher percentage than the those with smaller accommodations).
Also, include the amount each person paid towards the security deposit on the property and any utility deposits. Address extra charges above rent individually. For example, only the tenants with pets should cover pet fees/deposits, not the entire household. Divide fees for shared items, such as parking, equally, unless one person clearly doesn't benefit, such as a roommate who doesn't own a vehicle.
To regulate the price of utilities, include details that affect usage, such as thermostat temperature settings and, if applicable, how frequently the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer are ran each week. Decide whose name appears on certain bills for those companies that don't allow more than one name to appear. Since this person is ultimately (legally) responsible for ensuring the bill is paid, spread responsibility equally.
While most of your roommate agreement isn't legally binding, judges will enforce financial agreements. This includes signed agreements documenting how much each person pays for rent and other bills, so this section should be as detailed as possible.
No one likes it when a roommate's freeloading boyfriend stays overnight all the time and never pays a dime. Besides money, overnight or visiting guests can be one of the biggest sources of conflict in roommate situations. Outline how long the same guest can stay consecutively at the residence for both local or out-of-town guests and/or agree on the duration of each visit on a case by case basis prior to the guest's arrival.
Dividing household chores in writing safeguards each person from regularly being stuck cleaning the entire rental themselves. Each roommate is responsible for keeping their own living quarters clean, but divide cleaning duties in shared spaces like the bathroom(s), kitchen and living room. Create a cleaning schedule to alternate chores, so one person doesn't have the worst chores all the time. Cleanliness can be a hot issue, especially if one roommate doesn't pitch in. This includes constantly depositing their dirty dishes in the sink for someone else to wash, leaving piles of stuff in common areas or having a foul stench emitting from their bedroom.
Rules concerning smoking, alcohol, drugs and parties in the residence should be in-depth and coincide with rules included in the lease. If smoking isn't allowed in the building, include this stipulation in the agreement to further emphasize the point. If the complex has posted quiet hours, impose noise level regulations within the residence after this time. If one roommate is underage, address concerns of keeping alcoholic beverages onsite. Since everyone in the unit could be charged, if illegal drugs are on found on the premises, include a drug-free policy.
Although some sections of your agreement may seem trivial when compared to others, it's important to include guidelines covering any issue that could potentially turn into an argument later. If a dispute does arise, discuss it together and adjust your agreement, if warranted.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Cookie Settings
Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2024).
© 2024 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us).
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.
Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.
YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here.
