College Roommate Agreement: Free Template and 40 Questions to Ask

A college roommate agreement is a short written plan you and your roommate fill out in your first week or two together. It covers sleep, noise, guests, cleaning, shared stuff and how you'll raise problems. Many residence halls require one, and even where it's optional, it turns awkward guesses into clear answers before anyone gets annoyed.

Below you'll find a free template to copy, a filled-in example for two roommates with opposite schedules, 40 questions to ask your college roommate, and a plan for when the agreement gets broken.

What a College Roommate Agreement Is and Why Schools Require It

A college roommate agreement is a list of house rules you and your roommate write together, sign, and often hand to your RA. It isn't a contract with your school. Think of it as the notes from your first serious conversation about sharing a room.

Plenty of schools make it mandatory. Elon University asks first- and second-year residents to complete one within their first week of living together, and Tufts requires one from every resident, whatever their class year.

Why bother if you get along fine? Because the agreement isn't for the easy weeks. It's for midterms, when one of you is up until 2 a.m. and the other has an 8 a.m. lab, and you need a neutral page to point to instead of arguing about who said what in August.

Your agreement can't override hall policy, though. At Western Washington University, for example, courtesy hours run 24 hours a day and weeknight quiet hours start at 10 p.m. Your room's rules can be stricter than your hall's, never looser.

What to Include in a Roommate Agreement

A complete roommate agreement covers ten areas: sleep, studying, guests, cleaning, shared costs, food, temperature and lights, locks, how you raise problems, and a review date. Settling all ten up front means fewer surprises in November. The example rules below are illustrations, so swap in your own times and details.

If they apply, add a line on alcohol and vaping (your hall's policy and the law come first) and on health needs, such as allergies or a medical device that runs at night.

Free College Roommate Agreement Template (Copy and Paste)

Copy this roommate agreement template into a shared Google Doc or print it, fill in every blank together, and both sign. Cut any line that doesn't fit, add anything your school's form asks for, and give your RA a copy if your hall collects them.

Roommate Agreement

Names: ____________ and ____________. Room: ______. Date: ______.

1. Sleep and quiet hours

• Quiet time in our room starts at ____ on weeknights and ____ on weekends.
• Alarms: ____ (for example, one alarm, no snooze, vibrate when the other person is asleep).
• When one of us is asleep, the other will ____.

2. Studying in the room

• Quiet study hours: ____.
• During midterms and finals, we will ____.
• Phone calls and online classes happen ____.

3. Guests and overnight visitors

• Daytime guests are fine ____ (anytime / with a text first / not during study hours).
• Overnight guests: no more than ____ nights a week, with ____ notice.
• Either of us can say no to an overnight guest without having to explain.

4. Cleaning

• Trash and recycling: ____.
• Vacuuming and surfaces: ____.
• Dishes get washed within ____. Shared bathroom (if any): ____.

5. Shared items and costs

• Shared: ____. Not shared: ____.
• Shared purchases are split ____ and paid back within ____.
• Anything not on the shared list: ask first.

6. Food

• Shared food: ____. Off-limits food: ____.
• Allergies or restrictions to respect: ____.

7. Temperature and lights

• Fan, window or thermostat setting: ____.
• Overhead light off by ____; desk lamps OK until ____.

8. Locks and security

• The door is locked ____.
• We don't lend our keys or ID cards to anyone.
• Guests stay in the room alone only if ____.

9. How we raise problems

• We bring up issues in person within ____ days, not by text, social media or notes.
• If we can't sort it out ourselves, we'll ask our RA to help us talk it through.

10. Review date

• We'll revisit this agreement on ____ and whenever one of our schedules changes.

Signed: ____________ and ____________. Date: ______.

Roommate Agreement Example: Early Riser and Late-Shift Worker

Here's a filled-in roommate agreement example for two roommates whose schedules barely overlap. The names and details are made up, but the clauses are the kind that hold up once the semester gets busy.

Priya has 8 a.m. chemistry labs four days a week and is asleep by 10:30 p.m. Sam works the closing shift at a campus coffee shop until midnight three nights a week and studies best late.

Notice what makes it work. Every rule has a time or a place, each chore fits someone's existing routine, and Sam has somewhere to go when the room needs to be dark.

40 Questions to Ask Your College Roommate

The best questions to ask your college roommate are about habits, not hobbies: when you sleep, how you study, how clean is clean, and how you handle conflict. Ask the first 20 by text or video call before move-in. Save the next 20 for your first week, because they double as college roommate agreement questions: each answer becomes a line in your agreement.

20 Questions to Ask Before Move-In

1. What time do you usually go to bed on weeknights? On weekends?
2. What's your earliest class this term?
3. Are you a light sleeper? Do you need it fully dark to sleep?
4. Are you a one-alarm person or a five-snoozes person?
5. Will a job, sport or rehearsal schedule shape your week?
6. Do you study best in the room, the library or somewhere else?
7. Do you play music or videos out loud, or mostly use headphones?
8. How often do you call home, and where do you like to take calls?
9. On a scale of 1 to 10, how tidy do you like your space?
10. Do you have allergies to food, dust, pets or fragrances?
11. Are there foods that can't be in the room at all?
12. Do you run hot or cold at night?
13. Who's bringing the mini-fridge, rug or TV, and what does our hall allow?
14. Is there anything you'd rather not share, even if asked nicely?
15. Will a partner or friends from home visit? How often?
16. How do you feel about overnight guests in general?
17. Do you have strong feelings about alcohol or vaping around you?
18. Do you need alone time to recharge, or do you like the room busy?
19. When something bothers you, do you say so right away or let it sit?
20. What are you most nervous about when it comes to sharing a room?

20 Questions for Your First Week Together

1. What time should quiet hours start in our room on school nights?
2. Is the overhead light OK when one of us is asleep, or only a lamp?
3. How do we handle alarms on mornings when only one of us has class?
4. When is the room for studying, and when is it social?
5. What changes during midterms and finals?
6. Do you want a text before I bring someone over?
7. How many overnight guests a week feels fair, and with how much notice?
8. Can either of us say no to a guest?
9. Who takes out the trash and recycling, and how often?
10. How often should we vacuum and wipe down surfaces?
11. What's shared and what's off-limits?
12. How do we split shared purchases and pay each other back?
13. Can we eat each other's food if we ask first? What if we can't ask?
14. Should the door stay locked even when one of us is in the room?
15. Can a guest stay in the room when their host isn't there?
16. What fan, window or thermostat setting can we both live with?
17. What's the best way to tell you something's bothering me?
18. Would you rather hear about problems right away or at a weekly check-in?
19. When should we sit down and review this agreement?
20. What's one thing a past roommate or sibling should have known about you?

How to Deal with a Bad Roommate in College: The Conflict Ladder

To deal with a bad roommate in college, climb one step at a time: talk directly, revisit the agreement, ask your RA to mediate, and request a room change only if mediation fails. Most "bad roommates" are really mismatched ones, and many schools expect you to try the early steps first.

Step 1: Talk Directly Using "I" Statements

Pick a calm moment and talk in person. CU Boulder warns that raising problems by text, social media or sticky note often leads to misunderstandings. The University of Mary Washington suggests a four-part "I" statement: I feel, when you, because, and I would like. It sounds like this:

"I feel stressed when the overhead light comes on after midnight, because I have an 8 a.m. lab and can't fall back asleep. I'd like us to switch to desk lamps after 11. Would that work for you?"

Then listen. Your roommate may have a reason you didn't know about, like a new late shift.

Step 2: Revisit the Agreement Together

Find the clause and ask whether it still fits. Rules usually break because they were vague or someone's schedule changed. Rewrite it, both sign, and give it a fair trial. Tufts suggests living with new agreements for about two weeks.

Step 3: Ask Your RA to Mediate

If talking doesn't fix it, ask your RA to run a sit-down with both of you. RAs are trained for this, but as Mary Washington puts it, they won't solve the problem for you. At some schools, including Tufts, mediation is required before a room change is approved.

Step 4: Request a Room Change

Most schools allow room changes, but timing and rules vary. Elon doesn't make changes in the first two weeks or the last three weeks of the fall term, and Tufts' fall 2026 request form closes November 20. Moves also depend on open space, so check your housing office's room change page.

Skip the ladder if you feel unsafe. Threats, harassment or theft go straight to your RA, hall director or campus police, or 911 in an emergency. If roommate stress is wearing you down, your campus counseling center can help, and our guide to academic burnout in college covers the warning signs.

Are Roommate Agreements Legally Binding?

A dorm roommate agreement generally isn't legally binding. It's a set of house rules between students, while your actual housing contract is with the university. Elon says its agreement "is not intended to create a binding obligation between any individuals or with the University."

That doesn't make it toothless. Hall staff use it during mediation, and Elon notes that ignoring agreed changes can lead to more meetings or an administrative room change. Breaking hall policy is a separate issue, handled under your housing contract and code of conduct.

That contract is often a license, not a lease. American University's 2026–27 agreement, for example, calls itself "a temporary revocable license agreement" between the university and the student, so the school sets the rules and can reassign rooms.

Off-campus is different. Your lease with the landlord is the binding document, and most student leases are joint and several, which means you can be responsible if a roommate misses rent or causes damage. A roommate agreement still helps with bills and chores, but read the lease closely, check your state's tenant laws, and ask your school's student legal services, if it has one, before you sign. This is general information, not legal advice.

Protect Your Study Time: Quiet Hours, Sleep and Exam Weeks

Your roommate agreement doubles as a study plan, because the clauses on quiet hours, sleep and exam weeks decide whether you can actually work in your room. Write them with your class schedule in front of you.

• Sleep. The CDC recommends at least 7 hours a night for adults 18 to 60 and 8 to 10 hours for teens, in a bedroom that's quiet, relaxing and cool. Put lights-out and alarm rules in writing.
• Exam weeks. Many halls switch to 24-hour quiet hours during finals. Add an "exam mode" clause: no overnight guests, headphones only, and a plan for who uses the room when.
• A backup study spot. No roommate can make a room silent on demand. Pick a library floor you can retreat to, and use these tips on how to focus on homework when the room is noisy.
• Matching schedules. If you peak at different hours, figure out the best time to study for you, then block it out with a study plan template so exam weeks don't sneak up on you.

If a rough stretch with a roommate has left you behind in a class, a tutor can walk you through the material or give feedback on your own drafts. You can request tutoring or feedback when you're ready to catch up.

Common Mistakes When Writing a Roommate Agreement

The most common mistake is writing rules too vague to settle anything. "Keep the room clean" means something different to everyone; "vacuum every Saturday" doesn't.

• Rushing it. Ten minutes in front of your RA on move-in day isn't enough. Have the real conversation first.
• Agreeing just to be nice. If three overnight guests a week is too many for you, say so now, not in November.
• Leaving out suitemates. Everyone who shares the bathroom or common room belongs in those sections.
• Never reviewing it. Schedules change at midterms and again in spring, so put a review date on the page.
• Using it as a weapon. Texting clause numbers at each other starts arguments. Use the agreement to restart a conversation, not to win one.
• Expecting a best friend. Your roommate needs to be respectful, not your whole social life. For a wider circle, see our guide on how to make friends in college.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Every College Require a Roommate Agreement?

No, but many do. Elon requires one from first- and second-year residents, and Tufts requires one from every resident. Other schools make it optional or leave it entirely up to you. Ask your RA or check your housing website. Even if it's optional, writing one in your first couple of weeks heads off most of the common fights.

Can You Switch Roommates in College?

Usually, yes, but not right away. Many schools freeze room changes for the first two weeks of the term, and most expect you to try a direct conversation and RA mediation first. Approval also depends on open space, and some schools close room change requests partway through the semester. Check your housing office's room change page for your school's dates and steps.

Do You Get a New Roommate Every Year in College?

Not necessarily. If you get along, many schools let you request each other again when you sign up for next year's housing. If it didn't work out, you can choose someone new or go random. Rules for suites, apartments and upperclass halls vary, so check your housing portal for when roommate requests open and close.

What Should Be in a Roommate Agreement?

A good roommate agreement covers sleep and quiet hours, studying in the room, guests and overnight visitors, cleaning, shared items and costs, food, temperature and lights, locks and security, how you'll raise problems, and a date to review it. Make every rule specific, with a time, a place or a number, so nobody has to guess what it means.

When Should You Fill Out a Roommate Agreement?

Fill it out within your first week or two together, once you've seen each other's real class and work schedules. Some schools set the deadline for you, so check with your RA. Start the conversation before move-in with a few questions, sign the agreement once classes begin, and revisit it after midterms and at the start of spring.

What If My Roommate Ignores the Roommate Agreement?

Bring it up in person first. Point to the clause you both signed and ask whether it still works or needs changing. If nothing improves, ask your RA to mediate. An RA can't make you friends, but they can hold you both to the agreement and hall rules, and ongoing problems can lead to a room change.

Do You Have to Be Friends with Your College Roommate?

No. You need to respect each other, not be best friends. Plenty of roommates share a room comfortably while keeping separate friend groups. A clear agreement makes that easier, because neither of you has to guess the rules. If you want more friends, look to classes, clubs, your floor and campus jobs rather than relying on your room.