Roommate Agreement Template for Hosts of Shared Homes

A roommate agreement template gives everyone in a shared home the same written answers before the first disagreement. Use the fill-in sections below to write a short house-rules document for your home: quiet hours, shared spaces, guests, cleaning, utilities and how to raise a problem. This is general information, not legal advice, so have a Virginia attorney review the final wording before you rely on it.

A roommate agreement template you can fill in

A good agreement is short, specific and the same for every tenant. Two pages that people read beat ten that nobody does. Write each rule so a stranger could tell whether it was followed.

Keep it separate from your rental agreement unless your attorney tells you to combine them. The rental agreement covers rent and the tenancy. The house rules cover daily life in the shared parts of the home.

Our post on house rules for renters explains why house rules matter more in a shared home. This post gives you the structure to write them down.

Fill-in sections for your roommate agreement template

Copy the headings below into a document and fill in the blanks for your house. Delete what does not apply.

1. The basics

• Address of the home (keep it off public listings)
• Names of the people covered by the agreement
• The date the agreement starts
• Who to contact for house questions, and how

2. Quiet hours and noise

• Quiet hours begin at ___ and end at ___ on weeknights
• Quiet hours begin at ___ and end at ___ on weekends
• Music, calls and video are kept at a level that does not carry into other rooms

3. Kitchen and shared spaces

• How dishes are handled: washed the same day, or by ___
• How shelf and fridge space is divided
• How long food may stay in the fridge
• How the living room and laundry are shared, and any schedule for laundry

4. Cleaning and chores

• Which chores are shared (kitchen, bathrooms, trash, floors) and how they rotate
• When trash and recycling go out
• What "clean" means for each shared space, in one line

5. Guests

• How much notice you ask for before a guest visits
• How many nights a guest may stay in a month
• That tenants are responsible for their guests

6. Utilities and shared costs

• Whether utilities are included in rent or split among tenants
• How shared supplies, such as cleaning products, are paid for
• What happens if a bill is late

On CoRent, hosts can turn on shared utilities for a house. Each tenant then pays a share of electricity, water, gas and internet in the app, on top of rent. If you use that option, say so in your agreement so nobody is surprised.

7. Safety and property

• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms stay in place and are never disabled
• Doors and windows are locked when the last person leaves
• Report damage, leaks, mold or pests to ___ right away

8. Raising a problem

• Talk to the person first, in a calm moment
• If that does not work, contact ___ within ___ days
• How and when the rules get updated

Why these topics belong in writing

The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act already sets baseline duties for tenants. In Section 55.1-1227, tenants must keep their part of the unit as clean and safe as the premises permit, remove trash properly, report pests and moisture, and not damage the premises. They must also not tamper with a working smoke or carbon monoxide alarm the landlord installed, and they must follow reasonable landlord rules.

Your agreement turns those general duties into specific, shared-home habits. It should not try to override them. Whether a rule is reasonable, enforceable or lawful for your lease is a question for an attorney.

Keep the agreement fair and consistent

Write rules about behavior, not about people. Apply every rule to every tenant in the same way. Do not write rules that depend on who someone is, such as their race, religion, sex, family status, disability or national origin. If a rule would treat one tenant differently from another for a reason like that, delete it.

A few more habits keep the document fair:

• Give the same document to every applicant before they book.
• Let tenants ask questions, and answer them the same way each time.
• Write down changes, and give everyone the updated copy.
• Review the rules after each tenant change, because a new mix of schedules may need new quiet hours.

Hosts on CoRent review each application in the app and decide whom to approve. Sharing your rules before you approve a booking makes expectations clear for everyone.

Next step: list your rooms

Once your rules are written, you are ready to list. You can create a free host account and list each room. The host page explains the 5% platform fee, with no booking fee and no management fee, and our guide to renting rooms in your house on CoRent walks through the full process. CoRent serves Richmond, Petersburg and Colonial Heights, Virginia.

Frequently asked questions

Is a roommate agreement the same as a lease?

No. A lease covers the tenancy, including rent. A roommate agreement or house-rules document covers daily life in the shared parts of the home. Ask an attorney whether to attach it to your lease.

Do I need a lawyer to write one?

You can draft the plain-language rules yourself, but an attorney should review the final wording. Whether a rule is enforceable depends on your lease and Virginia law.

Can I make different rules for different tenants?

Apply rules the same way to every tenant. Never base a rule on a protected class such as race, religion, sex, family status, disability or national origin.