Don’t Get Stuck With Your Roommate’s Rent: The Must-Have Lease Addendum That Protects You

Don’t Get Stuck With Your Roommate’s Rent: The Must-Have Lease Addendum That Protects You

Introduction

If you’ve ever shared a rental with roommates—or you’re about to—you need to know one brutal truth: when someone moves out early, the landlord usually doesn’t care who pays the rent, as long as someone does. That “someone” is almost always you. Too many renters get blindsided when a roommate bails and leaves them holding the bag for the full lease.

But you don’t have to be one of them. With one simple addendum, you can legally protect yourself and force the landlord to go after the person who broke the lease, not the person who kept their word. Below is a clear, ready-to-use Roommate Responsibility Addendum. Print it, share it, and attach it to every lease you sign.

Sample Roommate Responsibility Addendum

ROOMMATE RESPONSIBILITY ADDENDUM

This Addendum is attached to and forms part of the Residential Lease Agreement dated ________________ (the “Lease”) for the property located at ___________________________________________ (“the Premises”).

PARTIES:

• Landlord: ___________________________________________
• Tenant 1: ___________________________________________
• Tenant 2: ___________________________________________
• Tenant 3 (if applicable): _______________________________
  (Collectively, the “Tenants”)

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1. Rent Allocation

Each Tenant shall be responsible for the following portion of the total monthly rent of $__________:

• Tenant 1: $__________ per month
• Tenant 2: $__________ per month
• Tenant 3: $__________ per month (if applicable)

2. Payment Obligation

Each Tenant agrees to pay their allocated portion of the monthly rent directly to the Landlord. The Landlord agrees to accept each Tenant’s payment as fulfillment of that Tenant’s obligation under the Lease.

3. Tenant Departure

If any Tenant permanently vacates the Premises before the Lease ends, the Landlord agrees:

• To pursue the collection of the unpaid portion of rent from the Tenant who vacated.
• Not to demand the unpaid portion from the remaining Tenant(s), except to the extent the remaining Tenant(s) voluntarily agree in writing to assume it.
• To make reasonable efforts to assist the remaining Tenant(s) in finding a replacement Tenant acceptable to the Landlord, in line with applicable law.

4. Legal Recourse

The Landlord agrees that in the event of non-payment by a departed Tenant, the Landlord’s sole legal recourse for that portion shall be against the departed Tenant, not the remaining Tenant(s).

5. No Waiver

This Addendum does not release any Tenant from their obligation to pay their share. It ensures that no Tenant shall be forced to pay more than their allocated portion due to another Tenant’s abandonment.

6. Entire Agreement

This Addendum modifies the Lease to the extent of any conflict. All other terms of the Lease remain unchanged and in full effect.

7. Signatures

Landlord: ___________________________ Date: _______________

Tenant 1: ___________________________ Date: _______________

Tenant 2: ___________________________ Date: _______________

Tenant 3: ___________________________ Date: _______________

Conclusion

Protecting yourself is as simple as demanding that your landlord sign this addendum before you hand over your deposit. Don’t assume your roommate will keep their word—put it in writing that if they don’t, you won’t pay for it.

Use it. Keep it. And sleep easier knowing you won’t get stuck with your roommate’s rent when they disappear.

Written by Bill Conley — #1 Life Coach in America