Roommate Agreement in Iowa

An agreement between roommates on rent shares, bills, chores and moving out. It is a contract between you — it does not change your lease with the landlord.

What Iowa law says

Roommate not on the lease	Under Iowa's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law, a "tenant" is a person entitled under a written or oral rental agreement to occupy a dwelling unit to the exclusion of another, and a "landlord" includes a sublessor. Separately, a person in possession of real estate with the owner's assent is presumed to be a tenant at will until shown otherwise. A roommate the owner has allowed to live there may therefore have tenant rights even without signing the lease. Whether a roommate is a tenant of the landlord, a subtenant of the leaseholder, or neither depends on the facts. Source: Iowa Code §§ 562A.6(5), (11), (16); 562.4
Removing a roommate or subtenant	A leaseholder who sublets is the roommate's "landlord" under the Act. The roommate's tenancy must be ended with the required written notice (for example, 30 days for month to month, or a 3-day notice for unpaid rent), and the roommate removed through a forcible entry and detainer case in court. A landlord who unlawfully removes or excludes a tenant, or cuts off essential services, owes actual damages, up to twice the monthly rent in punitive damages, and attorney fees. Source: Iowa Code §§ 562A.6(5), 562A.34, 562A.26; 648.1

Roommate not on the lease

Under Iowa's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law, a "tenant" is a person entitled under a written or oral rental agreement to occupy a dwelling unit to the exclusion of another, and a "landlord" includes a sublessor. Separately, a person in possession of real estate with the owner's assent is presumed to be a tenant at will until shown otherwise. A roommate the owner has allowed to live there may therefore have tenant rights even without signing the lease.

Whether a roommate is a tenant of the landlord, a subtenant of the leaseholder, or neither depends on the facts.

Source: Iowa Code §§ 562A.6(5), (11), (16); 562.4

Removing a roommate or subtenant

A leaseholder who sublets is the roommate's "landlord" under the Act. The roommate's tenancy must be ended with the required written notice (for example, 30 days for month to month, or a 3-day notice for unpaid rent), and the roommate removed through a forcible entry and detainer case in court. A landlord who unlawfully removes or excludes a tenant, or cuts off essential services, owes actual damages, up to twice the monthly rent in punitive damages, and attorney fees.

Source: Iowa Code §§ 562A.6(5), 562A.34, 562A.26; 648.1

Fill it in

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ROOMMATE AGREEMENT for [rental address]

Roommates: [roommate names]

Rent: total $[total rent] per month. Shares: [each roommate's share]. Each share is paid to [who pays the landlord] by [due date].

Security deposit paid by each roommate: [deposit shares]. When someone moves out, their share is returned [how and when].

Utilities and internet: [how bills are split and who holds each account].

Rooms and shared spaces: [who has which room; shared areas].

Cleaning and chores: [chore plan]. Quiet hours: [quiet hours]. Guests: [overnight guest limits].

Moving out: a roommate who leaves gives [notice period] written notice to the others and [finds a replacement approved by the landlord / pays their share until the lease ends].

Disputes: we will first try to talk it out, then [mediation or small claims court].

Signatures and dates: [signatures]

Roommate Agreement for other states · Iowa tenant rights

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.