Roommate Agreement in Louisiana

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 Louisiana law says

Roommate not on the lease	A lease is a contract to give someone the use of a thing for a term in exchange for rent, so a roommate who pays rent to the leaseholder under an oral or written agreement is a sublessee; a lessee may sublease unless the lease expressly prohibits it. A roommate who lives there without paying rent, by permission of the owner or another occupant, is an "occupant" for eviction purposes rather than a tenant. Whether a roommate is a sublessee or an occupant depends on whether rent was agreed. Source: La. C.C. arts. 2668, 2713; La. C.C.P. art. 4704
Removing a roommate or subtenant	For eviction purposes, "lessor" includes a sublessor and "owner" includes a lessee, so a leaseholder can evict a subtenant or occupant roommate. The leaseholder delivers a written notice to vacate giving at least five days (for a lease with no fixed term, the notice required to end the lease also counts), then files an eviction suit if the roommate stays. A month-to-month lease is ended by notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month (La. C.C. art. 2728). Source: La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 4702, 4704

Roommate not on the lease

A lease is a contract to give someone the use of a thing for a term in exchange for rent, so a roommate who pays rent to the leaseholder under an oral or written agreement is a sublessee; a lessee may sublease unless the lease expressly prohibits it. A roommate who lives there without paying rent, by permission of the owner or another occupant, is an "occupant" for eviction purposes rather than a tenant.

Whether a roommate is a sublessee or an occupant depends on whether rent was agreed.

Source: La. C.C. arts. 2668, 2713; La. C.C.P. art. 4704

Removing a roommate or subtenant

For eviction purposes, "lessor" includes a sublessor and "owner" includes a lessee, so a leaseholder can evict a subtenant or occupant roommate. The leaseholder delivers a written notice to vacate giving at least five days (for a lease with no fixed term, the notice required to end the lease also counts), then files an eviction suit if the roommate stays.

A month-to-month lease is ended by notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month (La. C.C. art. 2728).

Source: La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 4702, 4704

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 · Louisiana 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.