Texas Roommate Addendum
A roommate addendum is the signed addition to a Texas lease that adds, replaces or removes a roommate with the landlord's written approval. It records who is now a tenant, who is responsible for the rent, and how security-deposit shares will be handled when someone leaves.
What it is
A roommate addendum modifies an existing lease's list of tenants. It is different from a private roommate agreement between housemates about chores and split bills: the addendum is signed by the landlord as well, which is what actually makes the new roommate a tenant under the lease — and what releases a departing roommate, if it says so.
When to use it
- An existing tenant wants a new roommate to move in and be added to the lease
- One roommate is leaving mid-term and an approved replacement is taking their place
- A guest has effectively become an occupant and needs to be a signed tenant or leave
- Roommates are renewing and the group on the lease is changing for the new term
What to include — checklist
Print this page to use the checklist on paper.
- The original lease identified by date, property address and unit number, and a statement that this addendum is part of that lease
- Full legal names of every tenant staying, leaving and joining — no nicknames or initials only
- The landlord's written approval of the incoming roommate, after whatever application and screening the lease and the landlord's consistent policy require
- The effective date the new roommate becomes a tenant and the departing roommate's responsibility ends, if it does
- Whether all tenants are liable for the full rent and lease obligations together, stated in the addendum rather than assumed
- How the incoming roommate's security-deposit share is paid, and how a departing roommate's share is settled — between the roommates, or at final surrender
- Any change to total rent, utilities or other charges that comes with the change in occupants, stated as its own line
- A statement that all other lease terms stay in force, except as this addendum changes them
- Signatures and dates for the landlord and every tenant — staying, joining and, where the addendum releases them, leaving
Texas-specific requirements
- No Texas-specific mandated roommate addendum form or notice requirement was verified for this page. Adding a roommate in Texas is lease-contract mechanics: it works through the written lease and a signed addendum, so the wording of your lease controls most questions.
- Liability is whatever the signed documents say. Leases for co-tenants commonly make each tenant responsible for the full rent, not just a personal share — read your lease's liability language before signing, and state the arrangement in the addendum instead of assuming a split protects anyone.
- The internal split between roommates (who pays which share of rent or utilities) is an agreement among the roommates. It does not, by itself, change what the group owes the landlord under the lease.
- Texas Property Code §92.103(a) and §92.104(c) still govern the deposit at the end: refund on or before the 30th day after surrender, with a written description and itemized list if any part is retained. The addendum should say how shares are settled when one roommate leaves early, rather than leaving the whole deposit to be argued about at final move-out.
- Texas Property Code §92.107: a forwarding address in writing is part of the deposit process at surrender. A departing roommate who expects a share back should leave one and keep proof.
Statute references are included only where verified for this pilot. Where a rule depends on your lease or local court, the page says so instead of guessing.
Common mistakes
- Letting a new roommate move in on a verbal okay, so the person living there is a tenant under no signed document at all
- Signing an addendum that adds a roommate but never says whether the departing roommate is released from the lease
- Assuming a 50/50 split between roommates limits what the landlord can collect — the lease's liability wording is what governs the landlord's claim
- Saying nothing about the security-deposit share, then fighting over it when the first roommate leaves
- Forgetting that a guarantor on the original lease may need to be addressed if the tenant group changes — check what the guaranty actually covers
- Only the roommates signing. Without the landlord's signature, the addendum does not change the lease.
Where landlords get this form
These providers publish Texas-specific landlord forms and document tools, including roommate and lease addendums. We describe them here for comparison; the LawDepot link below is live, and the others will be linked as their partnerships are approved.
| Provider | Best described as | What to check before you buy |
|---|---|---|
| LawDepot | DIY legal-document builder covering leases, applications and notices, form by form or by subscription. See LawDepot's landlord forms | Whether the Texas version is included in a free trial, subscription, or single-document price. |
| ezLandlordForms | Landlord-focused forms library built specifically around rentals, screening and state lease packages. | Whether you need a single form or its Texas state package, and what updates are included. |
| Rocket Lawyer | Document builder bundled with membership options that can include attorney Q&A services. | What the membership includes after any trial, and how cancellation works. |
| LegalZoom | Well-known legal-services platform, strongest on business formation and broader legal products, with some landlord documents. | Whether the exact landlord form you need is offered for Texas, versus a business product. |
Disclosure: LawDepot links on this page are affiliate links — if you buy through them, this site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Other providers are listed for comparison and are not yet linked.
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Frequently asked questions
- Does Texas require a specific roommate addendum form?
- No Texas-specific mandated roommate addendum form or notice requirement was verified for this page. The addendum works as a signed change to the written lease, so use a thorough written form, get the landlord's signature, and make the liability and deposit terms explicit.
- If my roommate stops paying, am I responsible for their share?
- Check the lease first. Co-tenant leases commonly make each tenant responsible for the full rent, not just a personal share, and a private split agreement between roommates does not change what is owed under the lease. If your lease is written that way, the remaining tenants generally must cover the full rent and pursue the departing roommate separately.
- Can a landlord refuse to add a roommate?
- That depends on the lease and the landlord's consistent screening policy — which is exactly why approval should be in writing before anyone moves in. Do not treat silence, or a property manager's casual comment, as approval.
- What happens to the deposit when one roommate leaves?
- The Texas deposit rules in §92.103 and §92.104 are written around surrender of the premises and the deposit accounting at the end of the tenancy. Unless the addendum says otherwise, a share is usually settled between the roommates or at final surrender — write the arrangement into the addendum so no one has to guess.