
While renting with roommates you may also find it helpful to have monthly or quarterly meetings to check in about house rules, utility bills, chores and responsibilities and address any concerns openly rather than waiting until the situation has escalated or someone is behind on their utility portion of the bill, for example. If you are listed on a rental agreement who turn out to not be responsible renters, you may end up having to pay for their irresponsibility. For more information head to Washington Tenants Union! Screen roommates well before you move in The landlord may have the new person moving in pass their deposit money to the tenant moving out. If it is not set out in your rental agreement, be sure to get thorough documentation of the amount each tenant pays, and what the landlord requires when one tenant leaves and another moves in. the amount of deposit money, if any, each tenant has given towards any deposits or feesĭeposit costs may be divided among each tenant moving into a unit, or may be paid individually.Lookout for whether the rental agreement accurately reflects: Read the details of your rental agreement If you are worried about your roommates not being able to pay rent, you might be able to ask for a separate rental agreement or lease when you move into the unit, so you will not be responsible for your roommate’s responsibilities if they can’t manage them. Think of yourselves as being one entity for legal purposes. In a household where all roommates are listed on the same lease, one tenant being late or not paying their rent can result in the eviction of everyone on the rental agreement unless the other roommates pay for it. If you are having trouble understanding the legal terms, make an appointment to sit down with one of our peer advisors! LEASES WITH ROOMMATES But your lease is a legal document and it’s important to understand what you are signing onto.

Maybe you don’t understand the terms or you are feeling pressured because you really need a place to live. We know it’s long and it’s got a lot of legal jargon in it.

But here’s the thing: The #1 most important thing you can do to make your renting experience a good one, is to: READ YOUR LEASE You’ve picked your place and you are ready to sign your lease! That’s great.
