Roommate Agreement in Ohio

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 Ohio law says

Roommate not on the lease	Under Ohio's landlord-tenant law, a tenant is a person entitled under a rental agreement to use and occupy residential premises to the exclusion of others, and a rental agreement can be written or oral. An occupant not on the written lease can be a tenant if they have their own oral or written agreement with the landlord. 'Landlord' includes a sublessor, so a tenant who sublets to a roommate becomes that roommate's landlord. Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.01(A), (B), (D)
Removing a roommate or subtenant	No roommate-specific statute. A sublessor counts as a landlord, so a tenant who sublets ends a month-to-month subtenancy with notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date (7 days for week-to-week). If the roommate holds over, removal is through a forcible entry and detainer (eviction) case in court, which must be preceded by a written three-day notice to leave the premises. Termination notice: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-5321.17. Eviction grounds: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1923.02. Source: Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.01(B), 5321.17, 1923.02(A)(1), 1923.04(A)

Roommate not on the lease

Under Ohio's landlord-tenant law, a tenant is a person entitled under a rental agreement to use and occupy residential premises to the exclusion of others, and a rental agreement can be written or oral. An occupant not on the written lease can be a tenant if they have their own oral or written agreement with the landlord. 'Landlord' includes a sublessor, so a tenant who sublets to a roommate becomes that roommate's landlord.

Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.01(A), (B), (D)

Removing a roommate or subtenant

No roommate-specific statute. A sublessor counts as a landlord, so a tenant who sublets ends a month-to-month subtenancy with notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date (7 days for week-to-week). If the roommate holds over, removal is through a forcible entry and detainer (eviction) case in court, which must be preceded by a written three-day notice to leave the premises.

Termination notice: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-5321.17. Eviction grounds: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1923.02.

Source: Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.01(B), 5321.17, 1923.02(A)(1), 1923.04(A)

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 · Ohio 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.