The novel coronavirus can spread easily between people living together, so we’re put together this sample roommate agreement for students living off-campus that outlines steps you can take to reduce your risk.

We’ve provided this sample agreement based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local public health guidance. You can adapt this or create your own. Either way, we recommend starting the conversation with your roommates now.

 

Roommates agreement for maintaining health and safety and preventing the spread of COVID-19

The best way to prevent COVID-19 illness in ourselves and prevent spreading it to others is to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition to vaccination, we can protect ourselves and others by taking daily steps to avoid being exposed to the virus and making a plan in advance in case someone in our shared residence gets sick.

As members of the University of Washington community, we will care for each other by complying with health and safety laws, orders, ordinances, regulations and guidelines of the state of Washington and the University of Washington, including taking all necessary precautions outlined in this agreement.

Together, we will:

  • Determine collectively how this agreement will be used to protect the health and safety of all household members.
  • Follow all public health guidelines when we’re outside our residence.
  • Consider any special needs or accommodations we need to make for higher-risk people in our building, neighborhood or campus community such as older adults and anyone who has underlying medical conditions.
  • Talk to each other proactively and respectfully if we have concerns for our health and safety, or the health and safety of others. The pandemic has affected our personal and public lives in a variety of ways. Everyone in our community deserves kindness and respect regardless of our similarities or differences.

 

Vaccination and health precautions

Together we will:

 

Face coverings

Together, we will:

  • Wear a well-fitting, multi-layer face covering as required by the UW Face Covering Policy and local and state public health orders.

 

Gatherings and visitors

Together, we will:

  • Ask visitors not to come over if they are feeling ill or are awaiting COVID-19 test results.
  • Plan to gather with visitors outdoors when possible. If we have visitors to the household we will host them in indoor areas with fresh-air flow and will encourage people to distance from each other as possible, especially if not fully vaccinated or while eating and drinking.
  • Talk with each other before inviting visitors to our residence, especially if a roommate is at increased risk for serious illness from COVID-19, or plans to visit someone who is at increased risk for serious illness from COVID-19 infection within the next 14 days.

 

Keep a clean and healthy household

Together, we will:

  • Practice good hand hygiene, including washing our hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer at key times. This is the most reliable way to prevent getting infected with viruses after touching surfaces.
  • Establish a daily schedule to clean high touch surfaces in the home (doorknobs, light switches, remote and gaming controls, computer keyboards and mice), and shared bathrooms, kitchen and living spaces.
  • Stock up on soap, clean towels and hand sanitizer, as well as disinfecting wipes in case someone gets sick and we want to disinfect shared surfaces.
  • Store our toiletries in our rooms, rather than the bathroom, if possible.
  • Wash dishes well and avoid sharing dishes, glasses and utensils.

 

If one of us gets sick or has COVID-19 symptoms

Together, we will:

  • Limit contact. Have the ill person stay in their room, self-isolate from others and take the precautions listed in the FAQ “What do I do if I feel sick?”
  • Have the ill person get tested for COVID-19.
  • Wear face coverings in shared areas of the house outside of our bedroom, when a roommate is sick or symptomatic.
  • Designate, if possible, one bathroom for any roommate who tests positive or becomes ill. If not, we will set a regular cleaning schedule for any shared bathrooms.
  • If a roommate tests positive for COVID-19 we will agree on a process for cleaning and disinfecting everything the sick roommate may have touched in the last 24 hours.
  • Where safe and possible, allow for fresh-air flow in common spaces of the home.
  • Ask visitors to stay away from the home until that roommate has recovered.
  • Support that roommate and each other (e.g., ask an ill person how they are feeling, bring food/ supplies to roommates who may need to isolate or quarantine in their rooms).
  • Keep the COVID-positive person’s laundry separate from other laundry.
  • Follow additional tips for caring for someone sick at home.

 

Things to remember
  • Regardless of your vaccination status, if you test positive for COVID-19, immediately self-isolate and contact the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206.616.3344 for public health guidance.
  • Regardless of your vaccination status, if you had close contact with anyone with COVID-19, contact the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team for public health guidance and get tested for COVID-19.
  • Seek emergency care (call 9-1-1) if any resident has: trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, a fever above 103 degrees Fahrenheit, sudden confusion, the inability to wake or stay awake, or pale, gray or bluish lips or face. Notify responders that the ill person has or may have COVID-19.

 

Resources