Free Flatmate Agreement

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Create Your Free Flatmate Agreement

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Flatmate Agreement

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Is there a written agreement (lease) with the landlord?

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Flatmate Agreement?A Flatmate Agreement is a contract made between the residents of a rental unit. The agreement outlines the terms, conditions and responsibilities agreed to by each of the residents. Flatmate Agreements are sometimes referred to as Flatmate Contracts.

Your Flatmate Agreement

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Flatmate Agreement

The following flatmates (collectively the "Flatmates" and individually the "Flatmate") have signed this Flatmate Agreement (this "Agreement") on the ________ day of ________________, ________ for the following property:

________________________________________________________________ (the "Premises").

Flatmate No. 1: _______________________
Flatmate No. 2: _______________________

EXISTING RESIDENTIAL TENANCY AGREEMENT
The Flatmates acknowledge that one or more Flatmates have signed a tenancy agreement with ____________________, the landlord(s) for the Premises, which commenced on the 21st day of November, 2024 and ends on the 21st day of November, 2024 (the "Residential Tenancy Agreement").
This Agreement establishes the rights and responsibilities that the Flatmates have with respect to each other. It does not replace or eliminate the rights and responsibilities arising from the Residential Tenancy Agreement.
Except as provided in this Agreement, the Flatmates are liable among themselves jointly and severally for all duties and obligations of a tenant under the Residential Tenancy Agreement.
TERM
The term of this Agreement ends on the 22nd day of November, 2024.
RENT
The rent for the Premises is $______________ per week, due and payable on ____________________ of each week (the "Rent").
All Flatmates agree that if any act or failure to act by any of them results in any late fees or costs for failure to pay the Rent, including costs of collection, the Flatmate(s) who paid late or who did not pay the Rent will be jointly and severally responsible for all costs and fees of the Flatmates who paid on time.
BOND DEPOSIT
The Flatmates have collectively paid a bond deposit in the amount of: $____________.
Any deductions from the deposit will be shared by all the Flatmates in proportion to the amount of deposit paid. However, any damage caused by one of the Flatmates and/or their guests will be paid only by that Flatmate and will accordingly be deducted from that Flatmate's portion of the bond deposit.
Each Flatmate understands that, unless there is an explicit agreement with the landlord to the contrary, the landlord is obligated only to return the deposit to any one of the Flatmates. Each Flatmate agrees that if he or she is the one to whom the landlord returns the deposit, he or she will immediately return to the other Flatmates their share of the deposit.
Each Flatmate agrees to repair and/or pay for any damage he or she causes to the Premises. Each Flatmate agrees that if the landlord makes deductions from the bond deposit for which that Flatmate is responsible, he or she will reimburse the other Flatmates for the resulting loss of deposit money.
UTILITIES
The Flatmates agree that they share a duty to pay for the utilities that are not included in the Rent.
The Flatmates understand that if one or more of them does not pay his or her share of a utility bill, the other Flatmate(s) must pay the unpaid share(s) or the utility may be discontinued. Each Flatmate agrees that if other Flatmate(s) pay his or her share of a utility bill, he or she will reimburse the other Flatmate(s) as quickly as possible. Each Flatmate agrees to pay his or her full share of any utility bill incurred during his or her occupancy of the Premises on or before the date payment is due.
Copies of all bills will be provided for inspection to any Flatmate who requests to see the bills. All bills will be kept in a safe place agreed upon by all Flatmates to ensure they are available in the event of dispute.
HOUSEHOLD RULES
All Flatmates agree to act reasonably in their dealings with each other and to refrain from any behaviour, action or inaction that they know, or reasonably ought to know, will interfere with the other Flatmates' quiet enjoyment. All Flatmates agree to discuss concerns frankly and in a timely manner, and to refrain from emotional outbursts. Should negotiation become necessary, all Flatmates agree to negotiate in good faith. All Flatmates agree to respect each others' property, privacy and sleep schedules and to comply with all reasonable requests wherever possible.
TERMINATION OF TENANCY
No Flatmate has the authority to force another Flatmate to involuntarily end his or her occupation or tenancy unless otherwise agreed in writing.

We, the undersigned, hereby indicate by our signatures below that:

we have read this full agreement;
we understand all it contains; and
we agree to be bound by its terms and conditions.

________________________________________
Flatmate 1

________________________________________
Flatmate 2

_______________________
Date

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Last Updated February 29, 2024

Reviewed by

Connell Parish

Connell Parish, BA, JD

Connell Parish is a Legal Writer for LawDepot. Connell completed his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Alberta and particularly enjoyed researching various legal topics...

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Rebecca Koehn has been working in content creation and editing for over ten years and search engine optimization for over five years. Koehn is the Content Marketing Manager for LawDepot...

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What is a Flatmate Agreement?

A Flatmate Agreement is a document created between two or more residents of a rental unit that outlines house rules, restrictions, and duties in order to avoid unnecessary conflict or tension. It’s a good idea to create a Flatmate Agreement for any shared accommodation situation.

A Flatmate Agreement is also known as a:

Housemate agreement form
Flatmate contract
Roommate contract
Roommate agreement
House share agreement
Flatmate agreement contract

What is the difference between a tenant and a flatmate?

A tenant is someone renting property from a landlord. The tenant and landlord usually have a signed contract called a Residential Tenancy Agreement, which outlines the details of a lease.

Flatmates are people who live together. A flatmate shares accommodations with the tenant or landlord (if the landlord lives on the property). A flatmate isn’t necessarily a tenant unless they have their name on the tenancy contract. Even if all flatmates are listed as tenants, a flatmate agreement can still be used to outline the responsibilities between tenants.

The Tenancy Agreement may include all flatmates or just one depending on the agreement. However, you should include all flatmates in a Flatmate Agreement.

Why is a Flatmate Agreement important?

A Flatmate Agreement allows everyone living under the same roof to establish a clear understanding of what they expect of each other in order to avoid misunderstandings or conflict.

Creating a Flatmate Agreement requires people living together to have thorough conversations about financial responsibilities, house rules, and household duties. These conversations help establish a mutual understanding between flatmates or roommates as to what they expect of each other. Additionally, it allows the chance to discuss any potential issues in advance and outline a method for resolving disputes, if they should arise in the future.

Is a Flatmate Agreement legally binding?

While some aspects of a Flatmate Agreement, such as the division of household duties, would be difficult to enforce in court, it may be possible to take legal action against a roommate who fails to uphold the financial duties outlined in the document. For example, if one of the flatmates in the agreement fails to pay rent or their share of utilities, it may be possible to use a Flatmate Agreement as evidence of the arrangement.

While the cost of legal fees may not make it worthwhile to pursue these matters in court, it’s still a good idea to create a Flatmate Agreement. Having a document that clearly outlines what is expected of everyone involved can help avoid these kinds of conflicts altogether.

What is the difference between a Flatmate Agreement and a Residential Lease?

A Residential Lease outlines the terms and conditions of a tenancy. Use this document if one party is renting residential property from another. This document outlines the responsibilities of the tenant or tenants and the landlord, the cost of rent, property details, and more.

On the other hand, a Flatmate Agreement is a document created amongst tenants, flatmates, or housemates to establish rules and obligations amongst themselves. The landlord isn’t involved in the making of a Flatmate Agreement and isn’t provided with a final copy of the agreement. However, the landlord’s name may be included in the Flatmate Agreement.

If you are renting a property and living with another person at that property, both documents are vital.

How do I write a Flatmate Agreement?

If you’re moving in with a flatmate, follow these steps to ensure you create a thorough Flatmate Agreement that protects all parties. Include all flatmates in the creation of the document.

1. Provide property and lease details

Start by providing the full address of the property where the flatmates will be living. If this is a leased property, include the lease start date and note when the Residential Lease Agreement ends.

2. Provide details of all parties

Include the full names of all flatmates living at the property. You can include as many flatmates as you need.

If there is a lease involved, include the landlord’s name as well.

3. State the terms of the agreement

Determine when your Flatmate Agreement will end. You can choose for it to end at the same time as the Residential Lease Agreement or at a fixed time. Alternatively, you can choose for the agreement to automatically renew yearly or monthly.

Include the rent details, if applicable. Specify when the flatmates are required to pay rent.

If a bond deposit is required, state the amount and how the flatmates plan to divide the cost. Most flatmates split the bond deposit when they pay it at the start and again when they get it back once they move out.

However, if one flatmate moves out before the lease is up, the landlord isn’t required to return the bond deposit until all tenants vacate.

One common solution to this problem is to have the new flatmate pay the departing flatmate their share of the bond deposit. If the departing flatmate caused some damage to the apartment, then the new flatmate should deduct the cost of that damage from the amount paid.

4. Divide utilities and costs

If the flatmates are responsible for paying utilities and these details aren't already specified within the Residential Lease Agreement, note which services the flatmates are responsible for and how they will handle utilities. Flatmates can split bills equally or unequally, or have one person responsible for a bill.

In addition to dividing utilities, determine how flatmates will divide additional household costs and expenses.

5. State any house rules, restrictions, and duties

List any house rules and restrictions, including rules regarding:

Smoking
Alcohol
Illegal activities
Parties, gatherings, and celebrations
Quiet hours
Guests
Personal property
Other

Determine how to divide household duties and responsibilities, including:

Cleaning
Pets
Parking spots and costs
Living arrangements (such as shared spaces)
How to mediate disagreements of damage
Other

Additionally, you should note whether one flatmate can terminate another flatmate’s tenancy. If this is possible, state which of the following conditions must apply for this to take place:

Majority vote
Flatmate failing to pay rent
Flatmate failing to pay for household expenses
Flatmate violating an obligation under the Residential Tenancy Agreement
Flatmate violating an obligation under the Flatmate Agreement
Other

You can also specify how much notice a flatmate must give before leaving the Lease. Specify the number of days, or if this matter is addressed in the Rental Agreement, note that this matter is discussed in that document.

Make note of who the flatmate should give notice to if they’re leaving the Rental Agreement. Choose to notify the other flatmates, the landlord, or another party.

Additionally, provide the number of days after leaving that the flatmate must provide a mail forwarding address, as well as how many days they have to remove their property from the premises before the remaining flatmates can discard their abandoned belongings.

6. Include additional clauses

If there are any clauses you wish to include that aren’t previously covered above, you can choose to add them.

7. Sign the document

After completing the document, all parties should sign it in order to make it valid. You can also choose to include witness signatures, although it isn’t necessary.

Can you evict a flatmate?

If you and your flatmate are co-tenants, you usually don’t have the ability to evict each other, even if the flatmate in question fails to fulfill their financial obligations. The landlord is usually the only person who can evict a tenant.

However, if the flatmate you wish to evict isn’t a tenant (meaning they aren’t part of the Residential Agreement with the landlord), you may be able to evict them. There is a section of our Flatmate Agreement template that allows you to include a clause stating whether or not flatmates are able to evict each other.

If you decide to evict a flatmate, you will still need to follow proper procedure. Provide a written notice to the flatmate you’re evicting in advance and adhere to any other eviction policies (e.g., the amount of days notice you must give) you outlined in your Flatmate Agreement.

Don’t evict the person by changing locks or removing their belongings from the residence. Wrongful evictions can have financial ramifications later in court. Additionally, if an eviction turns violent and the authorities become involved, you may be asked to let the flatmate in question back into the property.

You also may be able to apply to your state or territory’s civil tribunal. Some of these tribunals can provide orders removing co-tenants (such as ACAT).