A College Student’s Guide To On Campus Legal Agreements
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Roommate agreements
Living with a roommate is never easy. A roommate agreement is a great way to establish expectations and to ensure that you and your roomie are on the same page with regards to house rules.
Specific terms will vary depending upon whether you’re living in a dorm or in off campus housing, but a few items you may want to consider when drafting your roommate contract are:
- Cleaning Responsibilities
- Paying Utilities
- Trash Duty
- Grocery Shopping / Food Rules
- Guests
- Pets
- Quiet hours/Noise
- Parties
Summer sublets
If you’re leaving campus for the summer and need someone to take over your apartment/room in the interim, you can use Shake to create a sublease contract.Among the items the contract should include are:
- The name of all occupants
- The rental fee
- The move in and move out dates
- Payment schedules – upfront deposit, due dates, etc.
- Residential restrictions (i.e., no smoking, no pets, etc.)
- Penalties for not complying with the terms
Please check the terms of your lease/consult with your landlord before subletting.
Tutoring
Tutoring can be a great way to earn some extra cash as well as to help other students. If you work as a tutor, you can use the General Freelance template to create a contract between you and your student (or your student’s parent depending upon age) stating how often you’ll meet, what the fee is, and outlining any key milestones.
Group projects/study groups
Anytime you work on a project that involves more than one person, there is room for conflict or misunderstanding. When working on a group assignment, it’s a good idea to create a simple agreement outlining:
- Individuals’ roles
- Key duties
- Deliverables
- Milestone Dates
- Regular Meeting Schedules.
Selling electronics/furniture/books
If you’re graduating (congrats!), and you need to get rid of a few items before moving on to the next stage on your life, you can create an agreement via the Buy/Sell template. A Buy/Sell agreement provides you with a written record that the transaction occurred and can provide proof of ownership. This can be especially helpful if you’re selling high-value items such as computers, TVs and other electronics.
Found a startup
Google, Facebook, Venmo, Snapchat, Reddit, and Warby Parker are among the list of companies that were founded at universities. Things can move pretty quickly in the startup world and it’s not uncommon for founder disputes to arise. A simple founders agreement is a great way to protect your business and your friendship.