RoomitRoommate compatibility checklist & living-agreement builder
Discuss sleep, cleaning, guests and shared costs before moving in together. The builder turns your answers into a draft Ontario living-agreement PDF, with space for each housemate’s signature and the details you still need to agree. Free, no login, no email.
Outside Ontario, or just starting the conversation? Use the 15 discussion questions below without completing the agreement builder. The questions are a discussion aid; check local housing resources before relying on agreement terms.
Heading to McMaster or Mohawk? Pair this with our roommate & housing guides.
Your home
The place and the money basics. Skip anything you haven't settled — it'll show as “To be agreed.”
Roommate compatibility checklist: questions to discuss together
Use this checklist on its own or alongside the builder above. Answer separately first, compare concrete examples, then write down what you agree and what remains unresolved. You do not need identical habits; you need expectations everyone can accept.
- Sleep and schedules. When do you usually sleep, and which hours need to stay quiet?
- Cleaning. How soon should dishes and shared messes be cleared, and who cleans each space?
- Everyday noise. What level of music, conversation, and activity feels comfortable at home?
- Work and study. When does either person need uninterrupted time at home?
- Guests. How often can guests visit, and how much notice should housemates give?
- Overnight stays. What expectations do you have for a partner or guest staying overnight?
- Borrowing. Which belongings can be shared, and which require permission?
- Time together. Do you want a social household, independent routines, or a mix?
- Groceries and supplies. Which purchases are separate, and how will shared supplies be paid for?
- Smoking and vaping. What boundaries do you need around smoke, vaping, and cannabis?
- Pets. Are pets part of the household, and who handles their care and costs?
- Shared money. When are payments due, how are costs split, and how will you discuss a shortfall?
- Disagreements. How should someone raise a concern, and when will you revisit it together?
- Moving out. What will you discuss if someone wants to leave earlier than expected?
- Dealbreakers. Which expectations are essential, and which can you negotiate?
Turn an answer into a practical agreement
Instead of “keep the kitchen clean,” try “each person clears their dishes by bedtime; we alternate the weekly kitchen clean and check in after two weeks.” Treat this as a conversation example and adapt it together.
What this checklist can tell you
This is a discussion aid, not a validated personality assessment or a prediction of whether a household will succeed. The builder turns your selections into prompts and a draft living agreement. It does not verify another person or establish that a home is safe. The agreement builder is presented for Ontario; readers elsewhere should use the discussion questions and consult their local housing resources before relying on agreement terms.
For additional perspectives, see the University of Toronto roommate compatibility checklist and Binghamton University’s roommate checklist. These are independent resources; their inclusion does not imply endorsement of Roomit.
Continue with Roomit’s roommate compatibility guide or explore how to plan sharing rent.
Roommate agreement templates by country & province
A roommate agreement is a private contract between the people sharing a home — it sits alongside your lease, not inside it. The essentials are the same across Canada, the US, UK and Australia; the tenancy rules behind them differ by country and region. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm details with your province’s tenancy authority before you rely on any term.
Ontario
Roomit’s builder generates an Ontario-oriented agreement PDF. Roommates who are not on the lease are generally not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, so a signed roommate agreement is your main tool for accountability. See the Landlord and Tenant Board.
British Columbia
In BC, occupants who are not on the tenancy agreement usually fall outside the Residential Tenancy Branch’s dispute process, so put your terms in writing. Use the 15 questions above and adapt them. See the BC Residential Tenancy Branch.
Alberta
Alberta roommates who are not co-tenants generally settle disputes between themselves or in small claims, not through the RTDRS. A written agreement is strongly recommended. See Alberta residential tenancies.
United States
A roommate agreement in the US is a private contract between roommates and is separate from your lease with the landlord. Landlord-tenant law varies by state, so adapt terms to your state and city. General tenant-rights information: HUD tenant resources.
United Kingdom
In the UK your legal position depends on whether you are joint tenants, have separate agreements, or are a lodger. A written house-share agreement still helps you set expectations. See GOV.UK private renting.
Australia
Share-house rules in Australia are set by each state and territory, and a co-tenant or occupant is treated differently from the head tenant. Put your arrangement in writing and check your state’s fair-trading or consumer-affairs office (for example, NSW renting).
Roommate agreement FAQ
- Is a roommate agreement legally binding in Canada?
- A roommate agreement is a private contract between the people sharing a home. If you are not co-signers on the lease, provincial tenancy tribunals (Ontario's LTB, BC's RTB, Alberta's RTDRS) generally do not resolve roommate disputes, but a written, signed agreement still helps you hold each other accountable and can carry weight in small claims court. It is not legal advice — check your province's tenancy resources.
- What should a roommate agreement include?
- At minimum: how rent and the deposit are split, who is named on the lease, how utilities and shared costs are divided, cleaning responsibilities, quiet hours, guest and overnight-guest rules, shared purchases, and how much notice someone must give before moving out. Roomit's free builder turns your answers into a plain-language PDF covering these.
- What is the difference between a roommate agreement and a lease?
- A lease is between the tenant(s) and the landlord and is governed by provincial tenancy law. A roommate agreement is between the roommates themselves — it covers day-to-day living and how you split costs, and it does not change your obligations to the landlord under the lease.
- Is there a roommate agreement template for Ontario?
- Yes. Roomit's free builder generates an Ontario-oriented roommate agreement PDF from 15 short questions — no login, no email. For British Columbia and Alberta, use the same discussion questions and adapt the terms to your provincial tenancy rules (see the province notes on this page).
- Do I need a roommate agreement if we are friends?
- Especially if you are friends. Most roommate conflicts are about unspoken expectations — cleaning, guests, noise, money. Writing them down before you move in protects the friendship and gives you something to point back to.
- Do roommate agreements work outside Canada (US, UK, Australia)?
- Yes — a roommate agreement is a private contract between the people sharing a home in every one of these countries, sitting alongside (not replacing) your lease. The must-have terms are the same everywhere: rent split, deposit, utilities, cleaning, guests, quiet hours, and move-out notice. The surrounding tenancy law differs by country and by state or province, so adapt the terms to your location and check the official housing resource for your region.
- Is Roomit's roommate agreement builder free?
- Yes — it is free, requires no signup or email, and you can print or save the PDF immediately.