House rules agreement template
A lease covers rent and the big obligations. The day-to-day rules of living in a building, like quiet hours, where the trash goes, how long a guest can stay and whether the grill can go on the balcony, usually live in a separate house rules agreement. This template is that document: a signed addendum to the lease that every resident gets, with a fair process for when a rule is broken.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Resident
- Landlord or manager
House Rules Agreement
These House Rules (the "Rules") apply to Property name and address (the "Property"), managed by Landlord or management company. They are part of the lease or rental agreement for unit Unit, signed by Resident name (the "Resident"). If the Rules and the lease conflict, the lease controls. The Rules apply to the Resident, everyone living with them and their guests.
1. Quiet and consideration
Quiet hours are Quiet hours every day. At all times, music, television, instruments and voices are kept at a level that doesn't disturb neighbors. Moving furniture, power tools and laundry machines aren't used during quiet hours, except in an emergency.
2. Guests
Guests may stay overnight for up to Guest nights in a row nights in a row and Guest nights in six months nights in any six months; longer stays need written approval, because a long-term guest is an occupant under the lease. The Resident is responsible for guests' conduct and for any damage they cause, and won't give guests keys, fobs or codes.
3. Short-term rentals and subletting
The unit may not be listed or rented on short-term rental sites, or sublet in any way, without the landlord's written consent, whether or not the Resident is present.
4. Smoking, grills and fire safety
- Smoking and vaping of any substance: Smoking policy.
- Charcoal and gas grills and fire pits are used only where local fire code and this rule allow: Grill rules.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are never disabled. The Resident tests them monthly and reports any problem right away.
- Hallways, stairs, balconies and exits are kept clear of bikes, shoes, furniture and storage.
5. Trash, recycling and pests
Trash is bagged and placed in the bins at Trash and recycling location, and recycling is sorted as posted. Bulky items are disposed of by arrangement, never left by the bins. The Resident keeps food sealed and reports signs of pests promptly so treatment can start early.
6. Shared spaces and amenities
Laundry rooms, gyms, pools, roof decks and other shared spaces are open Amenity hours, and are used at the Resident's own risk, following the posted rules. Shared spaces are left clean after use. The Resident takes laundry out promptly and doesn't reserve machines or furniture.
7. Parking and vehicles
Residents park only in their assigned space or as follows: Parking rules. No repairs beyond minor emergency fixes, no inoperable or unregistered vehicles, and no parking in fire lanes. Vehicles that break this rule may be towed as the law allows.
8. Inside the unit
- No painting, wallpaper, nails beyond small picture hooks, lock changes or new fixtures without written approval.
- Water beds, aquariums over a set size, space heaters and portable air conditioners need approval first.
- The Resident reports leaks, mold and anything needing repair promptly through How to request repairs.
- Window coverings visible from outside are Window covering rule.
9. Packages, security and keys
Entry doors and gates are kept closed and locked; no propping. The Resident doesn't let strangers in behind them. Packages are collected promptly from Package location. A replacement key, fob or remote costs Replacement key charge, and a lockout during business hours is handled as follows: Lockout procedure.
10. Pets
Pets are allowed only as the lease or a signed pet addendum permits. Assistance animals are not pets and are handled under the law on reasonable accommodations.
11. Other rules
Other house rules
12. If a rule is broken
The landlord will give a written notice describing the problem. If it continues or happens again, the landlord may charge the cost of any resulting cleanup, repair or towing, charge a fee only where the lease and the law allow it, and treat a serious or repeated breach as a breach of the lease. Rules apply equally to every resident and are enforced consistently.
13. Changes to the Rules
The landlord may adopt reasonable new rules, or change these, with at least Days of notice for rule changes days' written notice, as long as they don't take away a right the lease gives the Resident. Electronic signatures on these Rules count as original signatures.
Resident phone: Resident phone Email: Resident email
I have read these Rules and will make sure the people living with me and my guests follow them.
Resident
Landlord or manager
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why keep house rules separate from the lease
Rules change more often than leases. A new recycling contract, a gym opening on the ground floor or a city fire code update shouldn't mean rewriting every lease. Keeping the rules in their own signed document, attached to the lease, lets you update them with notice under section 13 while the lease stays as it is.
It also makes enforcement easier. When a resident gets a notice about guests overstaying or bikes in the stairwell, you can point to a specific rule they signed, not a sign in the lobby they may never have read.
What the template covers
- Scope: the property, unit and resident, that the rules are part of the lease, and that the lease wins any conflict.
- Quiet hours: the hours, and which noisy activities wait until morning.
- Guests and short-term rentals: limits on overnight stays, no keys for guests, and no listing the unit on short-term rental sites.
- Fire safety: your smoking policy, grill and fire pit rules, alarm testing and clear exits.
- Trash, pests and shared spaces: where trash goes, bulky items, amenity hours and laundry room manners.
- Parking: assigned spaces, no repairs or dead vehicles, and towing as the law allows.
- Inside the unit: changes needing approval, appliances like space heaters, and how to request repairs.
- Security and keys: no propped doors, packages, replacement keys and lockouts.
- Enforcement and changes: written notice first, costs and fees only where lawful, and notice before rules change.
Mistakes that make house rules unenforceable
- Rules aimed at who people are instead of what they do. A rule that kids can't play in the courtyard, or must be supervised in the hallway at all times, can be familial status discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. Write rules about behavior that apply to everyone.
- Fines the lease doesn't allow. In many places, a landlord can only charge fees the lease provides for and the law permits; section 12 leans on actual costs instead.
- Enforcing rules for one resident and not the next. Inconsistent enforcement invites a discrimination claim. Log every notice and treat the same breach the same way.
- Changing rules overnight. Give written notice before a new rule takes effect, and don't use the rules to take away something the lease gives.
- Forgetting assistance animals. A no-pets rule doesn't apply to an assistance animal approved as a reasonable accommodation.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Make the building's version
Choose Use this template, then fill in the gray blanks that stay the same for the whole property: quiet hours, guest limits, smoking and grill rules, trash location, amenity hours, parking and how to request repairs.
- 2
Send it with each new lease
Put the rules in the same envelope as the lease, so new residents sign both in one sitting. Give the resident role the same name in both templates and the roles merge, so each resident signs everything from one link.
- 3
Resident signs on any device
Each resident opens the link, adds their phone and email, ticks that they'll share the rules with their household and guests, and signs. No app or account needed.
- 4
Countersign and keep it
You sign last. The signed PDF, with its certificate of completion, goes to both of you and sits with the lease for the next time a rule is tested.
Rolling out new rules to every resident
When rules change across a building, bulk send gives every current resident their own copy to sign. One spreadsheet row per resident with their name and email, plus a Unit column matching the gray blank, and each person gets an envelope with their unit filled in. Save from Excel as CSV UTF-8, then watch the results file to see who still needs a reminder.
Questions? Answers.
Are house rules legally binding on tenants?
When they're part of the lease or a signed addendum to it, yes, as long as they're reasonable, lawful and applied equally. Rules posted on a notice board that a tenant never agreed to carry much less weight.
Can a landlord fine tenants for breaking house rules?
Only if the lease allows it and your state's law permits that kind of fee. Many landlords stick to charging the actual cost of cleanup or repairs, which is what section 12 does by default.
Can I change house rules during a lease?
Usually you can add reasonable rules with written notice, if the lease allows it, but you can't use new rules to take away something the lease already gives the tenant, like a parking space or a pet.
Does this work for a shared house or a single tenant?
Yes. Fill in only the rules that apply. For people sharing a home on one lease, a roommate agreement covers the money between them; for renting a room in your own home, the room rental agreement has house rules built in.