How to structure a fair roommate agreement
Name everyone, the address, the lease status, and the start date. State each person’s rent, utilities, deposit contribution, due dates, and payment method. Describe the bedroom or space each person uses.
Cover chores, groceries, pets, smoking, guests, quiet hours, parking, shared property, and repair reporting. Add a process for conflict: talk first, write down the decision, and set a response time for urgent expenses.
Include exits: notice between roommates, replacement process, move-out cleaning, shared-furniture buyout, and how deposits are settled. Everyone should sign and keep a copy.
An agreement cannot override the landlord lease or tenant-protection law. It can make the household’s own expectations far easier to enforce and remember.