Roommate Release Agreement

A Roommate Release Agreement is a document used by a roommate who is moving out of a rented property and the remaining roommates who are staying in the property. Using this document, the roommates are able to agree that the remaining roommates will take over all of the departing roommate's responsibilities and liabilities for the properties under the lease. The departing roommate will no longer be held financially responsible for payments such as rent or be held liable for any damage to the property. This is especially useful for group houses where a large number of people live together and there are roommates regularly moving in and out of the home. This document ensures that the departing roommate will not be legally bound up in a property where they no longer live and that the remaining roommates do not have to worry about tracking down a former roommate to pay for damages or rent to be in compliance with the lease.

This document is primarily made between the departing roommate and any remaining roommates. However, since the roommates are currently under a Residential Lease Agreement, this agreement will most likely require the approval and signature of the landlord. The landlord can join in reviewing and signing the agreement. By doing so, they are agreeing that the departing roommate is released from their obligations and responsibilities to the landlord under the lease. So, the landlord is effectively agreeing that they will not come after the departing roommate for future rent payments or damages to the property. This document is also used to nullify an existing Roommate Agreement if there is one between the roommates.

This document is used for a single roommate who is moving out of a property. If all of the roommates are leaving the property, they should inform the landlord using a Termination of Tenancy Letter instead.

How to use this document

This document includes all of the information necessary to draft a thorough and complete Roommate Release Agreement, including the following details:

• Pertinent identifying information for the involved parties, including the departing roommate and any remaining roommates;
• Address of the current rental unit that the departing roommate is leaving and their contact address going forward;
• Important dates such as when the original lease was signed, when the departing roommate is leaving, and when this document will go into effect;
• Whether the departing roommate will be relinquishing their security deposit to the remaining roommates when they move out; and
• An option for the landlord to sign on to this roommate release.

Once all of the required information has been inputted into the document, it should be printed out and signed by all involved parties. The parties should keep copies of this document for their own records going forward and for use in the future in case of disagreement or dispute.

Applicable law

Lease Agreements in the United States are generally subject to the laws of individual states.

The Environmental Protection Agency governs the disclosure of lead-based paint warnings in all rentals in the states. Distinct from that, however, required disclosures and lease terms will be based on the laws of the state, and sometimes county, where the property is located.

How to modify the template

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.