New roommate wants me to sign “legally binding” rules contract
Note: I am the boyfriend in this, but I am posting this with permission from my girlfriend from her perspective.
I (20F) rent a room in a shared house in Ontario. I’ve lived here over a year and just renewed my lease, which is signed. My old roommates moved out and three new roommates are set to move in this September.
Before move-in, the three incoming roommates and I started an Instagram group chat. One of them (18F) opened by sending a Google Doc of house rules and asking everyone to sign it, saying she wants it to be “legally binding.” Of the other two new roommates, one is fine with the rules; the other has the same concerns I do and also doesn’t want to sign.
After some back-and-forth, the rules were revised slightly (both versions below), but the roommate who wrote them isn’t willing to negotiate much further on account of her being Muslim and these are “her religious accommodations”. My main issues:
- She doesn’t want my boyfriend to ever sleep over, and is only reluctantly okay with him visiting occasionally. (Applies to any guys coming over)
- She’s calling it a “party” if my boyfriend and a mixed-gender friend group (8 people total) come over, even though we’re not hosting anything like a party.
My landlords (a married couple) had a call with the three incoming roommates and told them that if I’m not willing to “cooperate,” I should find somewhere else to live even though I have a signed, renewed lease and have already been living here for a year. This was relayed to me secondhand by the roommate who also doesn’t want to sign.
My questions:
1. Am I legally obligated to sign a roommate-drafted “contract” like this or even negotiate on one?
2. Can my landlord actually pressure me to move out or end my lease over this, given that I have a signed lease and haven’t breached it?
3. Does it violate any religious accommodation laws that my boyfriend sleeps over or comes to the house for long periods of time?
4. Is this something I need a paralegal/lawyer for, orders. or is there a simpler first step (e.g. LTB, tenant advocacy group)? Neither my boyfriend nor I can afford a lawyer.
Rules:
Note: though some of the rules don’t seem that bad they’re generic and aren’t how they sound (e.g. 8 people coming over being considered a party)
Before revision:
- Please do not have any men over when I'm home or overnight. (This means no male guests, friends) Please inform me if there are any males in the house if it's an absolutely inevitable situation. Please inform us all if you have guests coming over, even if they're female.
- Please ask me if you need to borrow something
- Please knock loudly at my door and wait for me to answer before entering.
- Please keep the house as clean as possible, wash your dishes right after you use them, and do not leave them in the sink.
- Please do not host parties at our house.
- Wipe the bathroom sink, counter and toilet seat after using it. Replace the toilet paper if it's empty. I will have a jug of water to use for the toilet / might install a bidet if allowed
- Please take out the trash before it overflows, I will do the same.
- No loud music or noise from 10 PM to 7 AM. Headphones only after 10 PM.
- We can split bills fairly or take turns paying for stuff like groceries/online food orders.
- If there is a guest over, they need to stay in shared spaces (living room, kitchen) or your
- room.
- Lock the front door and windows EVERY time you leave or go to sleep. Do not give out our address or lend keys to anyone without checking in with everyone else.
- Please talk to me directly if there is anything wrong.
After revision:
- Please do not have any guests over without informing everyone, especially men.
- Please knock loudly at my door and wait for me to answer before entering.
- Please keep the house as clean as possible, wash your dishes right after you use them, and do
- not leave them in the sink.
- Please do not host parties at our house.
- Wipe the bathroom sink, counter and toilet seat after using it. Replace the toilet paper if it’s
- empty. I will have a jug of water to use for the toilet / might install a bidet if allowed
- Please take out the trash before it overflows, I will do the same.
- No loud music or noise from 10 PM to 7 AM. Headphones only after 10 PM.
- We can split bills fairly or take turns paying for stuff like groceries/online food orders, but in
- general everyone pays for their own groceries.
- If there is a guest over, they need to stay in shared spaces (living room, kitchen) or your
- room.
- Lock the front door and windows EVERY time you leave or go to sleep. Do not give out our
- address or lend keys to anyone without checking in with everyone else.
- Please talk to me directly if there is anything wrong.