The New Jersey roommate agreement (“room rental agreement”) is a document shared between two or more “co-tenants” sharing a rental property. This contract describes the financial expectations of each co-tenant, as well as the rules and terms associated with living on the property.
Sometimes, when a tenant’s income level changes, making the rent payments that they agreed to make when they signed the lease can become more difficult. In these circumstances, a housing unit that has more than one bedroom can often bring in roommates for the additional space. The rent will be divided based on the allotted space that each person has, and the utilities will be divided as well.
What to Include in a New Jersey Roommate Agreement
- The names of all of the roommates should be included. This should include the original tenant as well as the other roommates that currently reside in the space.
- The location of the rental property. This should include the full address and any cross streets that can help identify the unit.
- The amount of rent that each person is going to be responsible for as well as the security deposit that each person is going to pay. This is typically divided based on the amount of space each room has.
- The date that the roommate arrangement goes into effect, as well as the last day of tenancy, should be included as well.
- The rules of the house that every roommate will need to follow. This can include a pet policy, a smoking policy, a parking policy, and other house rules.
- Every roommate will be required to sign and date the document to give their consent to the agreement.
Roommate’s Rights in New Jersey
In the state of New Jersey, a roommate agreement will not hold the same weight as a regular residential lease. This is because the landlord and the original tenant have signed the lease; the roommate contract is only between the tenants living in the unit. With the roommate agreement being signed, it gives some of the rights to the other roommates so that they can live in a safe environment and get repairs in the unit when they are required.
