Roommates
Do all roommates need to be on the lease?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
Ideally, yes. Being on the lease gives each roommate legal rights to live there and makes everyone responsible to the landlord. A roommate who is not on the lease has fewer protections, and the landlord may not even allow them to live there, so check the lease before anyone moves in.
There are three common setups, and each spreads risk differently:
- Joint lease: everyone signs one lease and each person can be held responsible for the full rent. Most common for apartments shared by friends or new roommates.
- Individual leases (often called by-the-bed): each person has their own lease for their room and is only responsible for their share. Common in student housing.
- Master tenant: one person holds the lease and rents rooms to others. That person carries the risk and acts much like a landlord toward the others.
Being left off a joint lease sounds like less liability, but it cuts both ways. If you are not on the lease, the landlord may treat you as an unauthorized occupant, and your roommate may be able to ask you to leave more easily than a landlord could. Many leases limit who can live in the unit and for how long a guest can stay.
If you are the one holding the lease, get the others approved and added if the landlord allows it. If they will not, write a clear agreement with each roommate covering rent, notice and deposits. Adding and removing people from a lease is covered in leases and deposits.
Want the whole picture? Read How to Find a Roommate You Can Actually Live With.