The Montana roommate agreement (“room rental agreement”) is a contract between two or more tenants sharing a rental property. This document lays out the particulars about financial responsibility, rules, terms, and conditions associated with the shared spaces. All tenants living on the property must sign the contract.
An arrangement like this provides the roommates who aren’t the primary lease signer with a means of having legal rights as pertaining to the unit under the eyes of the state of Montana.
What to Include in a Montana Roommate Agreement
- Date the agreement. For most agreements, this means that the lease end and the beginning should be included. Also, include whether the lease is renewable.
- Room for roommates and any add-ons. This means that there should be at least six spaces for roommate names. Room should also be provided for existing roommates that may be on the lease.
- The physical address of the unit as well as any identifying side streets or characteristics.
- The rental value that’s payable by each roommate. With a room rental agreement, roommates that have smaller spaces may pay less rent – this should be covered in the agreement.
- The breakdown of the security deposit as well as the period of time that the deposit will be returned (either 10 days or a month).
- The utility breakdown and who is responsible for paying which utility.
- The signature of each roommate as well as their printed name. Each should also date their consent.
Roommate’s Rights in Montana
When it comes to having roommates, it’s critical to understand that the landlord is not required by the state to give as much weight to a roommate as they might a primary tenant. That being said, roommate agreements are designed to provide roommates with a degree of protection so that they can file for constructive eviction should the landlord fall below the requirements of the lease. Also, Montana courts will recognize roommate agreement as legally-binding documents, but not every aspect of an arrangement like this will be recognized by a court. An example of this would be roommate chore assignments.
