A roommate agreement is a private contract between the people sharing a home — it doesn’t replace the lease, but it settles the questions the lease never answers: who pays what, whose name is on which bill, and what happens if someone wants to move out early. Below is the field-by-field checklist, the mistakes that cause roommate disputes, and how to get it signed.
These are the fields and clauses a roommate agreement should cover. It’s a private agreement between roommates, not a legal filing, but the more specific it is up front, the fewer arguments there are later about money or chores.
Roommate names & address. Every adult living in the unit, using full legal names, plus the full address including unit number — this is what makes the agreement clearly about this specific household and no one else.
Rent split & due date. The exact share each roommate owes (equal, or adjusted for room size), how it’s paid — to the landlord directly or pooled through whoever is on the lease — and the day it’s due each month.
Security deposit split. How much each roommate contributed to the deposit and how it will be divided when the tenancy ends — this is the single most common source of move-out disputes when it isn’t written down.
Shared expenses (utilities, internet).Which bills are split, in what proportion, whose name each account is under, and how reimbursement works — a fixed monthly amount is usually simpler to enforce than splitting itemized bills every month.
House rules (guests, quiet hours, cleaning). Overnight guest policy, quiet hours, a cleaning schedule or rotation for shared spaces, and how shared supplies (like cleaning products) are paid for. Specific rules are easier to enforce than “be considerate.”
Move-out notice period. How much notice a roommate must give before moving out — commonly 30 or 60 days — and what happens to their share of rent and the deposit if they leave early or without notice.
Signatures & date. Every roommate signs and dates the agreement. An unsigned agreement is just a conversation — it becomes something you can actually point back to only once everyone has signed it.
Build these fields onto your own document and send it to your roommates for signature with a free Evenseal account — 3 documents a month, no card required. If everyone is together in person, you can also self-sign a shared copy for free at /sign-pdf.
Not legal advice — this is a private agreement between roommates and doesn’t replace or modify the lease with your landlord.