The New Hampshire roommate agreement (“room rental agreement”) is a contract shared by two or more “co-tenants” in a shared living situation. This document explains the financial obligations of each co-tenant, as well as the terms and conditions that must be met to share the space.
Having roommates can make paying rent more manageable, and since the roommates will contribute to the utilities as well, roommate agreements are becoming increasingly popular. These documents not only bind roommates to one another in a legal way, but they also provide a degree of protection and rights for every roommate that opts to sign the arrangement.
What to Include in a New Hampshire Roommate Agreement
- A copy of the original lease so that the terms of the document can be understood by all roommates.
- The date of the document.
- The names of all of the roommates that plan on taking part in the agreement.
- The street address of the property.
- The payable values for the rent, utilities, and the security deposit. This can vary from agreement to agreement based on how the unit space is divvied amongst the roommates.
- Which roommates will be handling which utilities. Typically, utilities have to be in someone’s name, and this should be established in the agreement.
- Whether or not the lease can be renewed after it expires.
- Any essential house rules that are held in addition to the lease rules.
- The signatures of the roommates involved. There needs to be ample space for add-on roommates, and there should also be space for printed names and dates of signing.
Roommate’s Rights in New Hampshire
In just about every state, a roommate that hasn’t signed the lease but has signed the roommate agreement has rights. These include the rights to safe and healthy habitation, and in the state of New Hampshire, the roommate agreement binds the roommates to the primary tenant. These agreements, since they are legal documents, are also invaluable when the roommates must go to court against a landlord or even each other. Roommates have rights to habitable premises, reasonable repairs, and cannot be discriminated against based on federal and state law.
