Roommate Agreements: What to Put in Writing Before You Move In

Your lease governs your relationship with the landlord. It says almost nothing about your relationship with your roommates — that's what a separate roommate agreement is actually for, and most conflicts trace back to not having one.

Rent split and payment logistics. Not just the amount each person owes, but how and when — one person collecting and paying the landlord, or everyone paying separately? What happens if someone's late?

Shared expenses beyond rent. Utilities, internet, household supplies — who pays what, and how you'll settle up (a shared expense app, a monthly reconciliation, whatever works, agreed in advance).

Guest and overnight-guest expectations. How often, how long, and whether it needs a heads-up — a common source of unspoken resentment when it's never actually discussed.

Cleaning and shared-space expectations. Specific enough to actually be useful — "clean common areas" means something different to everyone; a rotating schedule or specific responsibilities avoid the ambiguity.

What happens if someone wants to leave early. Notice period, how a replacement roommate gets found and approved, and what happens to their share of the deposit — decide this before it's an actual, tense situation.

Quiet hours and noise expectations, if that's likely to matter given your schedules.

The practical format: it doesn't need to be a legal document — a shared doc everyone signs off on, dated, is enough to turn "we agreed on that" into something you can actually point back to.

Splitting rent unevenly too? See how to split rent fairly for methods that account for room differences.