Lease / Rental Agreement – Roommate Add-ons – Part I

Tenants wishing to split the rental burden with a roommate, or just needing to replace a departing roommate, it is always makes for a good idea to check with your landlord, before allowing anyone to move in. And, you will find most landlords are firm about ensuring your new roommate is listed as a co-tenant, having the same rights and responsibilities as you in the rental lease or agreement.

Before, agreeing to take on a new roommate, ensure he / she is financially stable and temperamentally well-suited to you. However, being satisfied with your prospective co-tenant does not mean your landlord will agree with you. To increase the chances of getting an official thumbs up, consider the following questions before approaching your landlord:

1. Whether, adding a roommate will exceed the occupancy limit? State laws entitle landlords to set reasonable limits on the number of occupants per rental unit. A general rule of thumb is two persons per bedroom, though certain cities, such as, New York City allow more.
2. If, your new roommate will meet your landlord’s ideal-tenant criteria? As you know, most landlords make prospective tenants undergo a thorough tenant screening process i.e. credit checks, employment and rental history, including reference checks. Therefore, it would be a good idea to get your prospective roommates to obtain a credit report. Hand it over to your landlord, along with your proposed roommate’s rental application. No doubt, your landlord could get the report himself / herself, however, doing it first allows you to think up a plausible explanation for any negative information, such as, a prior eviction or bankruptcy.

Unless, you are good personal terms with your landlord, it would be better to ask in writing, whether you can add a roommate to your lease or rental agreement.