Roommate agreement in your city: what to agree on before you move in
Updated October 25, 2026
A roommate agreement is a short written note between the people who live together. It sits next to the lease with the landlord, not instead of it. This is general guidance, not legal advice: rental rules differ from place to place, so for anything involving the lease itself, read your contract and check the local rules in your city.
Rent
- How rent is split: equally, or by room size and private bathroom or balcony.
- Who pays the landlord, and by which date each roommate pays their share.
- Who signed the lease. Everyone who signed is usually responsible toward the landlord for the full rent, not only for their share.
Bills
List every shared bill: electricity, gas, water, internet and any building or local fees, and check which are already included in the rent. Agree whose name each account is in, how you split it and how fast people pay back. A shared expense app such as Roomly Split keeps the running balance for you.
Deposit and guarantees
- Who paid the security deposit or provided a guarantee to the landlord, and how much each roommate put in.
- How the deposit is returned or passed on when one roommate leaves.
- Who covers damage to the apartment, and how it is split when it is shared space.
Living together
- Cleaning: a rota for the kitchen, bathroom and common areas, and how often.
- Trash and recycling: who takes it out, and when.
- Shared items: cleaning supplies, toilet paper, basic groceries. Split them or keep them separate.
- Guests: how often and for how long, and whether partners can stay several nights a week.
- Quiet hours on weeknights and weekends.
When someone leaves
- How much notice a roommate gives before moving out, for example 30 or 60 days.
- Who finds the replacement roommate, whether the others can say no, and whether the landlord has to approve.
- What happens if the room stays empty: does the leaving roommate keep paying until someone moves in?
Solving disagreements
Agree on one simple rule, such as a short house talk once a month, or bringing problems up within a few days instead of letting them build up. Most roommate fights are about money and cleaning, and both are easier once they are written down.
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