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Washington Roommate Agreement

The Washington rules that shape the document: the six-month right to apply to the lease when the tenant vacates, no lodger-removal shortcut, and Seattle's add-a-roommate overlay.

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Introduction

A roommate agreement is a private contract between co-tenants who share a rental unit in Washington. It settles rent splits, chores, and house rules, and it does not touch the lease or bind the landlord. In Washington, the state-specific differences sit at the edges of the tenancy: a roommate who has coresided with the tenant for at least six months gains a statutory right to apply to become a party to the lease if the tenant permanently moves out (RCW 59.18.650(3)); Washington has no lodger-removal shortcut, so a paying roommate can only be removed through ordinary unlawful detainer; and Seattle separately requires landlords to let a tenant add a roommate at all (SMC 7.24.030(H)). Rent liability among roommates and splitting the security deposit are left entirely to this agreement, because no Washington statute sets a default for either.

Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    In Washington, a roommate who has coresided with the tenant for at least six months gains a statutory right to apply to become a party to the lease if the tenant permanently vacates; the landlord must give 30 days notice under RCW 59.18.650(3).

  2. 2

    Washington has no equivalent of California's owner-occupier lodger statute. A paying roommate, even in an owner-occupied home, is a full tenant under RCW 59.18.030 and can only be removed through ordinary unlawful detainer proceedings under RCW 59.12.

  3. 3

    This agreement is a contract between roommates only. It does not bind the landlord or alter the lease, and Washington law leaves it to the lease whether the landlord must consent to a roommate moving in at all, outside Seattle.

  4. 4

    Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.030(H) requires landlords in Seattle to let a tenant add one roommate who is not immediate family, subject to ordinary screening and to that roommate becoming a party to the lease within 30 days. This rule does not apply outside Seattle and exempts owner-occupied units and accessory dwelling units.

  5. 5

    No Washington statute sets a default joint and several liability rule among roommates on one lease. The lease itself controls what the landlord can collect, so this agreement should state plainly who owes what among the roommates.

  6. 6

    Washington's security deposit statute, RCW 59.18.260, is written for the landlord-tenant relationship only and says nothing about dividing a shared deposit when one roommate moves out. That division is left entirely to this agreement.

  7. 7

    If a court issues a protective order excluding one roommate, such as in a domestic violence matter, RCW 59.18.585 lets the protected roommate have the landlord change the locks without filing an eviction. The excluded roommate can remain liable for rent unless that roommate is the protected party.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Roommate Agreement in Washington, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Roommate Agreement guide walks through them.

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Washington Roommate Agreement (Compact State Terms)

This compact set states the Washington-specific terms of a Roommate Agreement. Use it together with the full national Roommate Agreement template, which contains the general provisions on rent splitting, shared expenses, chores, guests, and house rules.

1. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules.

2. This Agreement Does Not Bind the Landlord. This is a contract between the Roommates only. It does not modify the lease, and it does not obligate the landlord to accept, screen, or recognize any Roommate as a tenant. Whether a Roommate must be approved by the landlord before moving in is governed by the lease itself, except where Section 6 (Seattle) applies.

3. Status of a Roommate Not on the Lease. Under RCW 59.18.030(35), a Roommate who has not signed the rental agreement is an occupant, not a co-tenant or subtenant, until the landlord adds the Roommate to the lease or the Section 5 succession right applies.

4. No Lodger Exception; No Self-Help Removal. Washington has no equivalent of California's owner-occupier lodger statute. A Roommate who pays to live in the unit, even in an owner-occupied home, is a full tenant under RCW 59.18.030 and may be removed only through ordinary unlawful detainer under RCW 59.12. Nothing here authorizes a Roommate to change the locks, remove another Roommate's belongings, or otherwise force a Roommate out without the landlord and the courts, subject to Section 5's protective-order exception.

5. Right to Apply to the Lease When the Tenant Vacates; Protective-Order Lock Change. If the Tenant named on the lease permanently vacates, RCW 59.18.650(3) requires the landlord to give any remaining Roommate who coresided with the Tenant for at least six months a 30-day notice to either apply to become a party to the rental agreement, subject to the landlord's ordinary screening, or vacate. Separately, if a Roommate obtains a court order excluding another Roommate, such as in a domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking matter, RCW 59.18.585 lets the protected Roommate have the landlord change the locks, at the protected Roommate's expense, without filing an eviction. The excluded Roommate remains liable for rent unless that Roommate is the protected party.

6. Seattle Overlay. If the unit is in Seattle and is not an owner-occupied unit or accessory dwelling unit, SMC 7.24.030(H) requires the landlord to let the Tenant add one non-immediate-family Roommate, subject to ordinary screening and to that Roommate becoming a party to the lease within 30 days. This overlay does not apply anywhere else in Washington.

7. Rent Liability Among Roommates. No Washington statute sets a default rule for whether Roommates are liable for the whole rent or only a share if one fails to pay. The lease controls what the landlord can collect. As among themselves, the Roommates agree to the rent allocation stated in the national template regardless of what the lease provides.

8. Security Deposit Between Roommates. RCW 59.18.260 addresses only the landlord's handling of the deposit and does not address how Roommates divide a shared deposit when one departs. The Roommates agree to divide the deposit as stated in the national template's deposit section.

9. Execution. This Agreement is effective when signed by the Roommates. No notarization or witness is required. This is general information, not legal advice; attorney review is available.

Washington Requirements for Roommate Agreement

Washington Right to Apply to the Lease on the Tenant's Departure

Under RCW 59.18.650(3), a roommate who coresided with the tenant for at least six months before the tenant permanently vacates must be given a 30-day notice by the landlord to apply to become a party to the rental agreement or vacate. The agreement should tell roommates to document their move-in date to support this right.

Washington Has No Lodger Removal Shortcut

Unlike California, Washington treats a paying roommate as a full tenant under RCW 59.18.030 regardless of whether the home is owner-occupied. Removal requires ordinary unlawful detainer under RCW 59.12. The agreement should not suggest any faster, informal removal process exists.

Seattle Add-a-Roommate Overlay

Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.030(H) requires landlords in Seattle, outside owner-occupied units and accessory dwelling units, to let a tenant add one non-immediate-family roommate, subject to screening and to that roommate joining the lease within 30 days. Flag this as a Seattle-only rule, not a statewide one.

Washington Protective Order Lock Change

RCW 59.18.585 lets a roommate with a court order excluding another roommate, such as in a domestic violence case, have the landlord change the locks without an eviction filing. The excluded roommate remains liable for rent unless they are the protected party.

Washington Silent on Rent Liability and Deposit Splitting Among Roommates

No Washington statute sets a default for joint and several rent liability among roommates, and RCW 59.18.260 does not address dividing a shared deposit. The agreement should state both allocations explicitly since the lease and state law leave them open.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a private contract between roommates sharing a rental unit in Washington. It covers rent splitting, shared expenses, chores, and house rules. It is separate from the lease and does not involve or bind the landlord.

No. A roommate agreement is between the roommates only. It does not modify the lease, and it does not require the landlord to accept, screen, or recognize a roommate as a tenant. Any change to who is on the lease is governed by the lease and by Washington law, not by this agreement.

No. Washington has no lodger statute like California's, so a paying roommate, even in an owner-occupied home, is a full tenant under RCW 59.18.030. Removing that roommate requires an ordinary unlawful detainer action through the landlord and the courts under RCW 59.12, not self-help.

Under RCW 59.18.650(3), if you coresided with the tenant for at least six months before they permanently vacated, the landlord must give you a 30-day notice to either apply to become a party to the rental agreement, subject to ordinary screening, or vacate. Without that history, you have no separate right to stay.

Statewide, no. Whether a landlord must accept a new roommate is left to the lease. The one exception in Washington is Seattle: SMC 7.24.030(H) requires Seattle landlords to let a tenant add one non-immediate-family roommate, subject to screening, unless the unit is owner-occupied or an accessory dwelling unit.

No Washington statute sets a default joint and several liability rule among roommates. The lease terms control what the landlord can collect and from whom. Because Washington leaves this open, your roommate agreement should state directly how the roommates will cover a shortfall among themselves.

Washington's deposit statute, RCW 59.18.260, governs the landlord's handling of the deposit but says nothing about dividing it among roommates. That split is left entirely to what the roommates agree to in writing, which is why your roommate agreement should address it explicitly.

Yes, in a narrow case. If a court issues a protective order excluding one roommate, such as in a domestic violence matter, RCW 59.18.585 lets the protected roommate have the landlord change the locks without filing an eviction. The excluded roommate can still owe rent under the lease unless they are the protected party.