Roommate Agreement

The majority of the properties in the Blacksburg area are multi-bedroom units, which means that there is a strong likelihood that you will be living with roommates. If that’s the case, not only try and pick your roommates, if this is an option, but also consider signing a written roommate agreement with all of your roommates.

A roommate agreement is a legally binding contract between you and your roommates. The lease usually only defines the relationship between a landlord and the tenant (or tenants), but does not define the relationship between the tenants themselves. This is where the roommate agreement comes in place. The roommate agreement can specify how the rent will be split between the roommates; how the utilities will be split; what happens if a roommate inflicts damages to the property; and other rights and obligations of each roommate.

Having all of this in writing not only can make each roommate understand what his/her rights and obligations are, but can also make it much easier to prove in court, in the event someone defaults and there is a lawsuit. The SLS attorney can provide sample roommate agreements to students upon request.

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For more information on roommate agreements, visit Student Legal Services.