California · Roommate · Free to generate and download
California Roommate Agreement
A roommate agreement is a contract among occupants, not with the landlord. It will not keep someone on the lease if the landlord never approved them, and it will not rewrite the master lease. Use it to split rent, deposits, chores, and quiet-hours rules.
- This is not a substitute for the residential lease with the landlord.
- Spell out each person’s share of rent and how a departing roommate is replaced.
- California security-deposit rules still bind the landlord; roommates should track who paid what.
Related California documents
- California Residential Lease Agreement. A fixed-term residential rental contract built around the property’s state rules.
- California Sublease Agreement. An agreement for a tenant to rent all or part of the premises to a subtenant.
- California Move-In Condition Checklist. A condition inventory completed at move-in. It is not a lease.
- California Rent Receipt. A written record that rent was paid for a stated period. It is not a lease and not a waiver of other amounts still due.
Frequently asked questions
Plain-language answers about California roommate papers. LeaseGen.io is not a law firm. Confirm current statutes before anyone signs.
- What is a roommate agreement?
- A roommate agreement is a private contract among people sharing a rental. It covers rent splits, utilities, chores, guests, and quiet hours. It does not replace the master lease with the landlord.
- Does a roommate agreement bind the landlord in California?
- No. Only parties who sign the master lease have rights and duties against the landlord. Roommates who are not on the lease are not tenants of the landlord unless the landlord adds them in writing.
- Who gets the security deposit back?
- The landlord returns deposit money to whoever is named on the lease, following California’s 21-day rule. Roommates should agree in writing how to split any refund among themselves.