Roommate agreement (Chicago)
Legal advice recommended before use.
If you and your roommate(s) are both named on your lease, your landlord can typically demand the full rent from any one of you if the others don't pay — that's a matter of Illinois joint-and-several-liability practice, and this agreement doesn't change it. What this agreement does do is give you something enforceable directly against your roommate: the rent split, the deposit share, and what happens if someone leaves early. It's a private contract between roommates, not with your landlord. See our roommate agreements guide for more detail.
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This is a template for a private agreement between roommates — it does not modify your lease with your landlord and is not legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a roommate agreement legally binding?
Yes, as an ordinary private contract between the roommates who sign it — enforceable between you and your roommate, including potentially through Illinois small claims court, but it doesn't bind your landlord, who isn't a party to it.
Does this change what I owe my landlord?
No — your obligations to your landlord are governed by your actual lease, not this agreement. If you're jointly liable on the lease, your landlord can still seek the full rent from any tenant named on it regardless of this agreement's internal split.
How should we split the security deposit?
That's exactly what Section 3 of this template is for — document upfront how much each roommate contributed and how any returned deposit (after lawful RLTO deductions, if applicable) will be divided, since your landlord will typically issue one combined return, not per-roommate checks.
What if a roommate breaks this agreement?
This is a private contract, so the usual contract remedies apply — for a monetary dispute (an unpaid share, an unfair deposit split), Illinois small claims court is generally the fastest, most accessible option. See our small claims court guide.
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