The Kentucky roommate agreement (“room rental agreement”) is a contract between two or more tenants sharing the same rental property (“co-tenants”). This document details the financial obligations required of each co-tenant, as well as the terms and conditions of the shared space. All co-tenants must sign the contract.
In the state of Kentucky, a room rental agreement, which can also be called a roommate agreement in some areas, can be used when a tenant wishes to split the cost of the rent and the utilities with another individual. Instead of letting the rent fall behind of forfeiting the rental agreement, the tenant may look for another responsible individual that can move into the unit and share the space with them.
This is an agreement that will basically add another party to the original lease without them signing the original document. This will make managing the rent easier to do, and the document will even be something that can be used when the responsibilities of the tenant are not withheld. When it is time for the lease to be renewed, the new roommate will be able to sign on to the new contract when it is drawn up.
Since this is a legal document, it will need to discuss all of the terms of the original lease as well as the amount that the new tenant will be paying for their share of the rent. Other things that will concern the tenants’ of the unit like a cleaning schedule and performing repairs on the unit should be covered in this document as well.
Kentucky Room Rental Agreement Requirements
With this type of lease agreement, it will become an addendum to the original lease, so there are going to be certain aspects that will need to be included. They may not be required, but some of the information that should be included can help the tenant be more aware of the information about the property before moving in.
A Security Deposit
Before a new tenant moves into the unit, they are going to need to put down a portion of the security deposit in case they happen to cause damage to the area where they are staying in the unit. The security deposit is typically used to remedy and concerns in the unit when it is vacated. In some cases, the landlord will request an additional security deposit be added for any roommate agreement that is put into place.
A Pet Deposit
When a new tenant has a pet that they would like to move into the unit with them, any rules that the landlord has regarding pets on the property will need to be stated in this section. In fact, they should be printed here even if the new tenant does not have a pet. This will help them be aware of what to expect if they decide to adopt one. Sometimes, a landlord may ask for a certain amount per month for the pets that live in the unit. They may also have rules about having certain breeds in the unit as well as the number of pets per unit that are allowed.
Notices and Disclosures
In the state of Kentucky, disclosures that have to do with the property are not uncommon, and because of this, and disclosures that were included with the original lease should be included in a room rental agreement. This may consist of anything that has to do with mold or lead-based paint. There is a federal law when it comes to rentals that will require a landlord to disclose that lead-based paint can be inside of buildings that were built before the year 1978. There are even brochures that the government provides for the landlord to give to tenants who are just moving into the property.
Contact Information
Another piece of information that the new tenant will need to have is the information to contact the landlord. This should include the address where the check is dropped off each month as well as a phone number where the landlord or the management company can be reached. If there are additional roommates who already live in the unit, their phone numbers can be added here as well so that they can easily be reached.
Writing a Room Rental Agreement in Kentucky
When writing a room rental agreement in the state of Kentucky, there is going to be certain information that is required on the document, just like there would be on a traditional residential lease. Some of the information and the sections that will need to be added in this document will include:
Define the Date
When the room rental agreement is being written, the first thing that should be seen at the top of the document is the date. This will help to ensure that new tenant that the new agreement is legal. In addition, the dates of the original lease should be added to this section as well so that the new roommate will have an idea of when the lease will need to be renewed as well as the steps that will need to be taken so that the new tenant can continue living on the property.
Define the Parties
After the dates have been established, the next thing that will need to be listed in the document are the names of the parties that are entering into the agreement. This will include the name of the original tenant as well as the name of the new tenant. It will also include the names of any co-tenants who are currently residing in the unit. Make sure to include a space for each individual to include their phone number as well so that they can be reached if the need arises.
Name the Property
In the next section of the document, make sure to clearly define the unit that is going to be rented. This will include the full address of the property, which will include any unit numbers of additional information that may be added to the address. Also, make sure to include the county where the unit is located as well as any identifying pieces of information that may be helpful when it comes to identifying the unit. Naming the cross streets is a good idea, and don’t forget to mention if there is a pool, storage, or something else on the property that the tenant will want to know about.
Rental Terms and Security Deposit
Next, it is important to address who pays what when it comes to the amount of rent that is due each month. Make sure that the total rent that is due each year is listed here as well as the amount that each tenant is going to be responsible for paying.
Don’t forget to include the security deposit for the unit as well. There is not a cap in the state of Kentucky, but typically, this amount will equal about a month’s rent. Make sure that this amount is divided in the document so that there is a clear record of who paid what, which will make returning the security deposit much easier. Some roommates will decide that they prefer to split the cost of the security deposit equally; however, it can also be divided based on the percentage of space that they are using in the unit.
When it comes to the rent being paid on time, make sure that all of the tenants know about the late fee that will apply to the rent that is due. If a tenant is late, then they will be responsible for taking care of this fee.
Additional Expenses
When several people are living in the same space, it’s likely that they are going to be sharing more than the rent that they pay each month. Other utilities will need to be split as well so that one roommate is not required to take care of a single utility alone. The details of how the utilities will be broken down will need to be written out in the document as well.
Additional Agreements
In addition, there are other things that do not cost money that the tenant will need to share. Cleaning up the shared space is something that should be done by everyone, which means that there can be a rotating schedule that can be used to ensure that chores get taken care of. Since the kitchen is going to be a shared space, will the food that is purchased be shared amongst the roommates or will each person purchase their food individually? Make sure that all of this is clearly discussed in the document so that all of the roommates know what to expect while they are living in the unit.
Signature
Lastly, the final section of the room rental agreement that will be needed to make this a legally binding document will be the signature section. In this section, all of the parties will need to print and sign their name. Under the signature of each person, there should also be a line where the person can date the document. If the landlord required their consent for such a contract to occur, then there should also be a line for them to sign and date the document as well.
