The Rent by the Room Starter Kit
Six things, in the order you will need them: check the numbers, sign each room, set the rules, move people in, split the bills, and turn the room over when someone leaves.
Free. No signup, no email.
- 1
Check the numbers
Before anything else, see whether rooms actually beat renting the whole house once you count the extra utilities, furniture and turnover.
Whole house$2,0005 rooms at $650$3,250An example month, before the extra costs.
- 2
Sign each room on its own lease
One lease per bedroom means each resident owes only their own rent, and one person leaving never puts the whole house up for renewal.
Room lease- BedroomBedroom 2
- Monthly rent
- Lease dates
Resident signature - 3
Set the house rules
Quiet hours, guests, the kitchen and the trash, written down before anyone moves in, so a warning points at something they signed.
- Quiet hours
- Guests
- Kitchen
- Trash
- 4
Move each resident in
Walk the room together and photograph it on day one. It is the only fair way to settle the deposit later.
- Walls
- Floor
- Mattress
- Closet
- 5
Split the utility bill
Split each bill by the days every resident actually lived there, so the person who moved in on the 16th pays for 15 days, not 30.
Split by days$210.00- 30d$60.00
- 30d$60.00
- 15d$30.00
- 30d$60.00
- 6
Turn the room over
In a shared house rooms turn over all year. Most of the work can happen before the last resident even leaves.
- 1 of 4Notice
- 2 of 4Move-out
- 3 of 4Clean
- 4 of 4Deposit
Room turnover checklist
From the day a resident gives notice to the day the next one moves in.
When they give notice
Weeks before move-out- Confirm their last day in writing, and when their keys come back or their door code stops.
- List the room the same day, so the next person can see it while it is still lived in.
- Tell the housemates the date a new person is coming.
- Book the cleaner for the day after they leave.
On move-out day
Their last day- Walk the room against the move-in checklist they signed, with them if you can.
- Photograph every wall, the floor, the mattress, the closet and their bathroom if it is theirs alone.
- Collect keys, fobs and any parking pass, or turn off their door code.
- Empty their shelf in the fridge and the pantry, and anything left in shared spaces.
Before the next resident
The days in between- Deep clean: wash or replace the mattress protector, wipe the closet and drawers, clean the window and blinds.
- Patch and touch up the walls, and replace any burnt-out bulbs.
- Test the bedroom lock, the window lock and the smoke alarm.
- Set a new door code. Never reuse the last resident's.
- Take their name off the shelf labels, the mailbox and the house group chat.
- Take fresh listing photos once the room is clean.
Close out the money
Within your state's deadline- Send the security deposit statement on time, with a photo behind every deduction.
- Bill their last utility share by the days they actually lived there.
- Prorate the final month only if their lease says to.
Deposit return deadlines and what may be deducted are set by your state. Check yours before move-out day.
Co-Living Operator Playbook
The why behind each step: pricing rooms, picking housemates who last, and keeping house rules meaning something.
Read the playbookCommon questions
Is all of this really free?
Yes. Every calculator runs in your browser, every form downloads as a PDF, and nothing on these pages asks for your email or an account.
What is the real co-living lease link?
A co-living lease a working rent-by-the-room landlord signs with residents today, shared read-only. Names, rent and dates are left blank, so you can see how a real one handles bedrooms, shared spaces, guests and utilities.
Will the lease work in my state?
Use it as a starting point, not legal advice. Deposit limits, return deadlines, late fee caps, notice periods and how many unrelated people may share a home vary by state and city. Have a local attorney review your lease before you rely on it.
Why turn the room over before they leave?
Every empty day is rent you do not get back. Listing the room when notice is given, and booking the cleaner ahead, lets the next resident move in days after the last one leaves instead of weeks.
This kit is educational and is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules on room rentals, occupancy, deposits, fees, notices and fair housing vary by state and by city. Check your own requirements before relying on anything here.
One lease per bedroom, and every room run from your phone.
RentCaddie signs each room on its own lease, collects every resident's rent separately, splits the utility bill by the days each person lived there, and gives each resident their own door code that stops on their last day.
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