Roommate Agreement in Virginia

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 Virginia law says

Roommate not on the lease	Virginia's landlord-tenant act defines three categories. A tenant is a person entitled only under the terms of a rental agreement to occupy a unit to the exclusion of others (including a roomer). An 'authorized occupant' is a person entitled to live in the unit with the landlord's consent who has not signed the rental agreement and so has no financial obligations as a tenant. A 'guest or invitee' has the tenant's permission to visit but not to occupy. A roommate not on the lease is an authorized occupant if the landlord consented, and is not a tenant. Source: Va. Code § 55.1-1200
Removing a roommate or subtenant	No roommate-specific statute. 'Landlord' includes a sublessor, so a tenant who sublets ends a month-to-month subtenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date (7 days for week-to-week), unless the agreement says otherwise. If the occupant stays, removal is by an unlawful detainer case; an order of possession requires the plaintiff to present a proper termination notice to the court, and the summons must be served at least 10 days before the return day. Notice periods: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1253/. Source: Va. Code §§ 55.1-1200, 55.1-1253(A); 8.01-126

Roommate not on the lease

Virginia's landlord-tenant act defines three categories. A tenant is a person entitled only under the terms of a rental agreement to occupy a unit to the exclusion of others (including a roomer). An 'authorized occupant' is a person entitled to live in the unit with the landlord's consent who has not signed the rental agreement and so has no financial obligations as a tenant. A 'guest or invitee' has the tenant's permission to visit but not to occupy. A roommate not on the lease is an authorized occupant if the landlord consented, and is not a tenant.

Source: Va. Code § 55.1-1200

Removing a roommate or subtenant

No roommate-specific statute. 'Landlord' includes a sublessor, so a tenant who sublets ends a month-to-month subtenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date (7 days for week-to-week), unless the agreement says otherwise. If the occupant stays, removal is by an unlawful detainer case; an order of possession requires the plaintiff to present a proper termination notice to the court, and the summons must be served at least 10 days before the return day.

Notice periods: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1253/.

Source: Va. Code §§ 55.1-1200, 55.1-1253(A); 8.01-126

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 · Virginia 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.