The Utah roommate agreement (“room rental agreement”) is a document that outlines the responsibilities of each tenant in a shared living situation. This contract details each co-tenant’s financial obligations, as well as rules and terms associated with living on the rental property.
The agreement is not between the roommates and the landlord, so there will always be a main tenant with this type of arrangement that will need to talk to the landlord and turn in the rent. This type of agreement will make the rental unit much more manageable, especially since the tenant will split the cost of the rent and the utilities with the other roommates. The way that the rent is divided will typically depend on the size of the bedroom that each tenant lives in, so a two-bedroom house with equal-sized bedrooms, the rent will be split in half.
What to Include in a Utah Roommate Agreement
- The date that the roommates move into the rental unit, and the date that the rental agreement ends. Also, include whether there is a chance of the roommates being added onto the lease when it renews.
- The names of all of the roommates must be included.
- The amount of rent that each roommate is responsible for paying.
- The security deposit that the roommates will need to pay.
- How the utilities will be divided and the roommate whose name the utilities will be under.
- The terms of the rental agreement. A copy of the original lease should be included with this information.
- Any house rules that the roommates will need to be aware of before they move into the unit.
- The signature of all of the roommates.
Roommate’s Rights in Utah
When a person signs a roommate agreement, they are automatically going to have fewer rights than if they would have signed a lease, but the fundamental rights that any resident of Utah should have will still be granted. This means that they have the right to safe housing, they have the right to receive repairs in the unit, and they have the right to have the same privacy as the primary tenant. If there are any issues legally, the roommates will also have the right to take the landlord to court.