For most people, living with a roommate is an easier and cheaper alternative to renting independently. Besides providing meals, cleaning duties, and agreeing on regular mealtimes, there are other things that roommates can do. To make out of its best time and gain long-term relationships, you must follow certain guidelines.
The written agreement is most definitely your friend when you rent out a room in your home. Written agreements and arrangements are preferable for several reasons, especially if you and your prospective tenant do not know each other well.
What is a Roommate Contract?
Roommate agreements are a tool that sets the legal framework for your roommate relationship. These agreements can protect both you and your roommate while providing a clear guide to the obligations within the relationship.
A roommate agreement form is a beneficial contract protecting landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities. Roommate agreements should outline the allocation of utility payments, specific rules of conduct, and any other important information based on individual preference.
It is essential to be on the same page with your roommate regarding all aspects of living together. You should be aware of at least the basics of making and enacting a roommate agreement. This agreement will determine what you two are going to do, how you will do it, and when. Ensure that there is no shortage of information when you agree on the terms and conditions, whether explicit or implicit. If you have the relevant information, it will save you from any unwanted disturbances and troublesome situations.
This post will provide you with tips on drafting one and a free template ready to download.
9 Important Items to Include in a Roommate Agreement
Rent: The tenant is responsible for paying each tenant.
Security Deposit: Each tenant is responsible for paying the deposit amount.
Utilities: Every tenant amount will contribute to utilities.
Living Area Section: It is which bedroom it belongs to and which common areas, such as the living room, will be shared.
Early Transition: What if a roommate tries to get out before the lease expires?
Overnight Guests: Overnight guests are allowed and need confirmation from other roommates. How long can guests stay?
Food Division: Food will be shared, or each roommate will get their own food.
Household Department: Who will be responsible for household chores.
Quiet Hours: If roommates agree to quiet hours in addition to those imposed by the host.
Things you Need to Know before Making a Roommate Agreement.
Before you move on to make a room agreement, you need to think about its purpose of it. If you do not know why you are making one in the first place, it will be extremely difficult for you to facilitate it effectively. These are the two most vital things that you should take into consideration when coming up with a roommate contract;
Lease vs. Roommate Contract
Before drafting your roommate agreement, there are some significant differences between a lease and a roommate contract to discuss. First of all, a lease is different from the document that binds you and your roommates together. To put it simply, the most important difference between the two, from the tenant’s perspective, is that the terms of a lease are legally enforceable. The terms of an agreement with roommates are merely a private contract.
Willing to Make a Roommate Contract
The Willing to Make a Roommate Contract is a legal document used together to share the amenities of one accommodation. This contract helps both of you to agree to the terms and conditions. Both of you should be honest enough to understand it and sign in the presence of an attorney.
How to Make a Roommate Agreement Form?
When you are living with your roommate, things can get quite rough. Due to their personal traits, your roommate may be doing some activities that you don’t really like due to their personal traits. If you have made a contract with them and wrote everything down, it would be easier for both of you to live together without any hassles.
Basic Information
The first step in making a roommate agreement template is to put your basic information in the form. When you are making your agreement, the first information that should be written in your basic details, such as full names and addresses. You need to write their address in detail, showing the unit number or floor number and the apartment number if they reside in a complex. Both parties will easily know where they live and what they have signed with this information.
Agreement Purpose
The agreement’s purpose is perhaps the most critical aspect of a roommate agreement. It defines the power, rights, and obligations between the roommates. The purpose should be clear enough to avoid conflicts in the future. As it is with any contract, there are a variety of purposes why people want to agree. In general, they want people who share equal rights and obligations and have a few for different reasons.
Choice of Firm or Law
It seems that the important step of preparing an agreement was to add the signature lines of all parties, but this step has a lot more to it. In this section, you need to choose which law will govern the contract. A choice of law clause states which legal jurisdiction is governed in case of a dispute. The clause typically specifies a state or a country. A choice of law clause can also specify an alternative legal jurisdiction. The parties to the contract may choose to submit any disputes that may arise from their contract to a third party for resolution.
Division of Rent
Since you are a big boy, you are responsible for the money that is being spent on the rent. In a simpler sense, you are accountable for equal division of rent. It means that rent will go equally to all roommates and yourself. The concept of equal division of rent seems very simple and easy when it comes to calculation, but there are certain issues that every roommate will face at some stage during this process.
The Division of Rent is similar to a Deposit, in which each roommate deposits a certain amount of money as a security deposit. This deposit covers any damages to the apartment/house or any utilities not paid by the roommates. The sum of the deposit can be decided based on the monthly rent and utilities calculated at the beginning of the lease. However, it should be noted that this isn’t a refundable deposit.
Utilities
With so many bills to pay, it’s essential to keep track of each and every amount that you pay. This will help you keep an eye on excess spending. The following utilities usually come with monthly payments. Every person living in the house or unit pays for these expenses individually and then divides the expense between roommates if there are any.
Household Chores
A house is a place to live, and the place is usually shared by a number of residents who are either working together or having an agreement. The residents usually have something in common, and not everyone shares all the household chores together. They usually share based on their convenience. If you want to survive peacefully, it is essential that you make a list of household chores that will benefit you and the other people living with you.
Guests Policy
Guests are generally a good thing to have, but you might only want to do overnight guests if your place allows it. Before doing this, it’s best to sit down with your room partner and create a policy for guests. This policy should include step-by-step procedures for handling guest situations from beginning to end.
Pets
Pets come with a lot of responsibilities. No matter how loving you are to animals and how much you want them around, it would help if you were responsible because they create a mess as well. You can’t throw them away easily since you must provide them with all services needed for their survival. That’s why when both you and your roommate share the same space and ownership of pets, in this case, the room, one of you needs to make the party responsible for taking care of pets inside the shared room. If your roommate keeps pets, then he must realize that he is also responsible for cleaning up pet-related messes all over the house.
Smoking or Alcohol
Smoking and drinking are sensitive subjects, but it’s important to establish some ground rules. Before you move in, you should get your roommate’s permission if smoking is permitted and decide whether there are any limitations to the number of people who may live in the apartment and if there is a noise level, at which point the roommate agreement can be canceled.
Conclusion
If you live in another person’s house, you need to have a written roommate contract template. You can find roommate agreement contract templates online and download them at our website. We have separate templates for different kinds of roommates, such as business roommates and long-term roomies.
