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7 Money Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Lease With a Roommate
A two-bedroom in Toronto rents for $2,800. Split down the middle, that's $1,400 each, except one bedroom is 180 square feet with an ensuite, and the other is 110 square feet facing a brick wall. If you and your future roommate can't agree on how to price that gap before signing, you'll argue about it every month for the length of the lease.
Here are the seven conversations that prevent those fights.
1. How do we split rent if the rooms aren't equal?
Square footage isn't the only factor. The bedroom with the ensuite, the balcony access, the street-facing windows, or the better closet should cost more. Use a calculator like Splitwise's rent division tool, which lets you assign point values to amenities, or agree on a percentage split upfront (e.g., 55/45 instead of 50/50). Write it into a roommate agreement, not the lease, which the landlord controls, so there's no confusion six months in.
2. Are we both on the lease, or is one person the primary tenant?
Under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act and similar provincial laws, only people named on the lease have legal protections. If you're not on the lease, you're considered an "occupant" or "guest," which means you can be asked to leave with little notice and you have no standing to dispute rent increases or maintenance issues. Joint and several liability is standard in Canadian rental agreements: if your roommate skips town, the landlord can pursue you for the full rent amount, not just your half. Both names on the lease is the safer move.
3. What's the plan for splitting utilities and internet?
Fixed-rate all-inclusive leases are rare in 2026. Heating, electricity, internet, and water usually run $150 to $250 per month per person in a two-bedroom, but winter heating in older Ontario or Quebec buildings can spike. Decide now: do you split the actual bill 50/50 each month, or does one person pay and get reimbursed? If it's the latter, set a reimbursement deadline (e.g., within 5 days of receiving the bill) and use Interac e-Transfer with a memo line that says "September utilities." The memo is your receipt if a dispute arises.
4. How do we handle the communal spend, toilet paper, dish soap, cleaning supplies?
The "invisible" costs add up. Two strategies work: buy-your-own (each person stocks their own bathroom and food), or communal fund (you pool $40 each per month for shared items). The communal fund requires more coordination but prevents the resentment of one person always buying the paper towels. If you go communal, keep a shared Google Sheet or use an app like Splitwise to track who paid for what.
5. Who covers tenant insurance, and do we need separate policies?
You do need separate policies. Your roommate's tenant insurance does not cover your belongings. Neither does the landlord's building insurance. A basic tenant policy in Canada runs $15 to $30 per month and covers theft, fire, and liability if your overflowing bathtub floods the unit below. Shop through Square One, TD Insurance, or Sonnet. Do not skip this because you assume you're covered, you aren't.
6. What's the notice period and the replacement protocol if one of us moves out early?
Most leases in Ontario and BC are 12 months, but people leave early. Standard roommate etiquette is 60 days' notice and the departing person is responsible for finding a replacement that the remaining tenant approves. Write this into your roommate agreement. If the departing person can't find a replacement, they're still on the hook for their share of rent until the lease ends or a new tenant is found. The remaining tenant's financial health depends on this being clear from day one.
7. How do we document income stability without crossing privacy lines?
You don't need to see each other's tax returns, but you do need proof of ability to pay. Ask for a recent paystub, a letter of employment, or, for freelancers, three months of bank statements showing regular deposits. Under joint and several liability, your roommate's missed payment becomes your problem. A credit score range (e.g., "mid-600s" vs. "above 750") gives useful context about repayment history.
The split that feels fair in September still needs to feel fair in March. Write it down.
A two-bedroom in Toronto rents for $2,800. Split down the middle, that's $1,400 each, except one bedroom is 180 square feet with an ensuite, and the other is 110 square feet facing a brick wall. If you and your future roommate can't agree on how to price that gap before signing, you'll argue about it every month for the length of the lease.
Here are the seven conversations that prevent those fights.
1. How do we split rent if the rooms aren't equal?
Square footage isn't the only factor. The bedroom with the ensuite, the balcony access, the street-facing windows, or the better closet should cost more. Use a calculator like Splitwise's rent division tool, which lets you assign point values to amenities, or agree on a percentage split upfront (e.g., 55/45 instead of 50/50). Write it into a roommate agreement, not the lease, which the landlord controls, so there's no confusion six months in.
2. Are we both on the lease, or is one person the primary tenant?
Under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act and similar provincial laws, only people named on the lease have legal protections. If you're not on the lease, you're considered an "occupant" or "guest," which means you can be asked to leave with little notice and you have no standing to dispute rent increases or maintenance issues. Joint and several liability is standard in Canadian rental agreements: if your roommate skips town, the landlord can pursue you for the full rent amount, not just your half. Both names on the lease is the safer move.
3. What's the plan for splitting utilities and internet?
Fixed-rate all-inclusive leases are rare in 2026. Heating, electricity, internet, and water usually run $150 to $250 per month per person in a two-bedroom, but winter heating in older Ontario or Quebec buildings can spike. Decide now: do you split the actual bill 50/50 each month, or does one person pay and get reimbursed? If it's the latter, set a reimbursement deadline (e.g., within 5 days of receiving the bill) and use Interac e-Transfer with a memo line that says "September utilities." The memo is your receipt if a dispute arises.
4. How do we handle the communal spend, toilet paper, dish soap, cleaning supplies?
The "invisible" costs add up. Two strategies work: buy-your-own (each person stocks their own bathroom and food), or communal fund (you pool $40 each per month for shared items). The communal fund requires more coordination but prevents the resentment of one person always buying the paper towels. If you go communal, keep a shared Google Sheet or use an app like Splitwise to track who paid for what.
5. Who covers tenant insurance, and do we need separate policies?
You do need separate policies. Your roommate's tenant insurance does not cover your belongings. Neither does the landlord's building insurance. A basic tenant policy in Canada runs $15 to $30 per month and covers theft, fire, and liability if your overflowing bathtub floods the unit below. Shop through Square One, TD Insurance, or Sonnet. Do not skip this because you assume you're covered, you aren't.
6. What's the notice period and the replacement protocol if one of us moves out early?
Most leases in Ontario and BC are 12 months, but people leave early. Standard roommate etiquette is 60 days' notice and the departing person is responsible for finding a replacement that the remaining tenant approves. Write this into your roommate agreement. If the departing person can't find a replacement, they're still on the hook for their share of rent until the lease ends or a new tenant is found. The remaining tenant's financial health depends on this being clear from day one.
7. How do we document income stability without crossing privacy lines?
You don't need to see each other's tax returns, but you do need proof of ability to pay. Ask for a recent paystub, a letter of employment, or, for freelancers, three months of bank statements showing regular deposits. Under joint and several liability, your roommate's missed payment becomes your problem. A credit score range (e.g., "mid-600s" vs. "above 750") gives useful context about repayment history.
The split that feels fair in September still needs to feel fair in March. Write it down.
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