What is a roommate agreement?
Most roommate arguments are about money and habits: who pays what, when, whose turn it is to clean, how often a partner stays over, and what happens when one person wants to move out. A roommate agreement puts the answers in writing while everyone still gets along, so there is something clear to point to later.
This template is for two people sharing a home. It sets out who has which room, each person's share of the rent and when it is due, how household bills are split, the chore arrangement, overnight guests, quiet hours, smoking and pets, how disagreements are raised, and how much notice a roommate gives before leaving. It sits alongside your lease rather than replacing it — the agreement says so, and where the two conflict, the lease comes first.
- Best for
- Two roommates, flatmates or housemates sharing a rented home
- Signed by
- Both roommates
- Covers
- Rent split, deposit, bills, chores, guests, quiet hours, smoking, pets, moving out
- Length
- About 2 pages
When to Use a roommate agreement
- Two friends moving into a rented flat together
- Taking in a new roommate when a previous one moves out
- Sharing with someone you found through a listing and don't know well yet
- Couples or siblings who want money and chores agreed in writing
- Resetting the rules in a shared home after a disagreement
What You Fill In
20 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: first roommate, second roommate.
1 The roommates
- First roommate's full name*
- Second roommate's full name*
2 The home
- Address of the home*
- Start date*
- Who has which room
3 Rent
- Currency*
- Total monthly rent*
- First roommate's share per month*
- Second roommate's share per month*
- Rent is due on day of the month*
- Who pays the landlord*
- Security deposit paid by each roommate
4 Bills
- Household bills are split* equally · in the same proportion as the rent · as set out in the bills notes
- Bills notes
5 Living together
- Chores*
- Overnight guests allowed per week without asking*
- Quiet hours*
- Pets* No pets without both roommates' written agreement · Pets are allowed if the lease permits
- Smoking and vaping* not allowed anywhere in the home · allowed only outside · allowed in the smoker's own room
6 Moving out
- Notice to move out (days)*
7 Who signs
- First roommate signature and date
- Second roommate signature and date
What the roommate agreement Covers
- Rooms
- Rent
- Bills
- Chores and shared items
- Guests
- Quiet hours and house rules
- Problems and disagreements
- Moving out
- General
Using the roommate agreement, step by step
1 Split the rent
Enter the total monthly rent and each roommate's share — an equal split, or more for the bigger room. Choose the due day and describe who pays the landlord: each of you directly, or one roommate collecting the other's share a few days before.
2 Agree the bills
Pick whether shared bills are split equally, in the same proportion as the rent, or as described in the bills notes. Use the notes to record whose name each account is in and how you settle up, for example monthly through a shared app.
3 Set the house rules
The chores box comes with a sensible default you can rewrite. Choose how many nights a week a guest can stay without asking, your quiet hours, and the rules on pets and smoking or vaping.
4 Choose the notice to move out and send
Thirty days is the default. The leaving roommate keeps paying their share until the notice ends or an approved replacement takes over. Add the other roommate's email and send — the signed copy is filed in Files and emailed to both of you.
Tips Before You Send It
- Read your lease first. The roommate agreement cannot give either of you rights the lease doesn't, such as subletting or keeping a pet the landlord hasn't allowed.
- Make sure the two rent shares add up to the total rent before you send it.
- Use the bills notes to record whose name each utility account is in — the account holder is normally the one the supplier chases if a bill goes unpaid.
- This template is written for exactly two roommates. If three or more people share the home, one agreement drafted for the whole household is clearer than several two-person ones.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Roommate agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a roommate agreement the same as a lease?
No. A lease is between the tenants and the landlord. A roommate agreement is only between the roommates, about how they share costs and live together. It doesn't change what either of you owes the landlord, and where the two conflict the lease comes first.
What happens if my roommate stops paying their share?
The agreement makes each roommate responsible for paying their own share on time, and says that if one covers the other, the money is repaid within 14 days. It gives you a written record of what was agreed, but how you recover unpaid money — and whether the landlord can pursue either of you for the full rent — depends on your lease and local law.
Is a roommate agreement signed electronically binding?
In the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an ordinary private agreement like this one. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and your roommate doesn't need a VergeHR login to sign.