I've had good roommates and bad roommates. The good ones paid rent on time, did their dishes, and communicated like adults. The bad ones... let's just say I've Venmo-requested someone for utilities for six consecutive months with zero response. The difference between a good and bad roommate situation usually comes down to one thing: whether you had clear agreements in writing before anything went wrong.
What to Cover
Rent. This seems obvious but it's where things get weird. Does everyone pay equal shares? Does the person with the bigger bedroom pay more? Is it per room, per person, or per square foot? Write it down. Don't do the "we'll figure it out" thing because you won't, and the first person who gets a smaller than expected paycheck will suddenly feel very strongly about the "fairness" of the split. Utilities. Who pays which bills? Are they all in one person's name with everyone else reimbursing them? What's the deadline for reimbursement — within a week of the bill arriving? Within 24 hours? Set a hard deadline because floating your roommate's share of the electric bill for three weeks while they "get around to it" is slowly corrosive to any friendship. Deposits. If you all contributed to a security deposit, how does it get divided when people leave? If one person moves out mid-lease and a new person moves in, the new person should pay their share of the deposit to the departing roommate, not to the landlord. The lease should document this flow of money so nobody's left holding the bag. Common areas and chores. I'm serious. Yes, it feels weird to write down "Kitchen: clean your own dishes within 24 hours." But three months in, when someone has left a pan soaking for the fifth day in a row, you'll be glad there's something to point at that isn't just your growing resentment. Guests. How long can someone stay before they're basically a roommate who should be paying rent? A week? Two weeks? Does this apply to significant others? (It should. Everyone's significant other becomes a de facto fifth roommate eventually.) Quiet hours. Especially if you work different schedules. If one person works nights and sleeps during the day, and another person likes to vacuum at 10am, you have a structural conflict. Address it now. Move-out procedures. How much notice does someone give before moving out? (30 days is standard.) Who finds the replacement? How is the deposit handled between the old and new roommate?
Conflict Resolution
Include a simple mediation step. Something like: "If a dispute arises, the roommates agree to discuss it at a scheduled house meeting within 7 days before involving any outside parties." This sounds silly, but the simple act of scheduling a conversation prevents the kind of impulsive "I'm moving out next week, good luck" moments that blow up housing situations.
Is This Enforceable?
Between the roommates who sign it — yes. It's a contract like any other. If someone breaches it and you end up in small claims court, a signed roommate agreement with specific dollar amounts is the kind of evidence judges love. It does NOT bind the landlord. The landlord only cares about the master lease. But it binds the roommates to each other, and in a multi-tenant situation, that's usually where the problems actually happen.
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Decode My LeaseFrequently asked questions
What if someone refuses to sign?
That's a red flag. If someone won't commit to basic, written agreements about money and responsibilities, they're telling you how they'll handle conflict before you've even moved in together. Believe them.