Roommate removal / addition notice
By Justin Winter · Updated August 22, 2026
The short answer
A formal notice of a roommate change leaves your landlord no room to say they were not told. Send it Certified, $12.99 all-in: USPS records when it was mailed and tracks it to delivery. Preview the exact pages free. Check your lease for how notice must be given.
The math
The math on one certified letter.
| Option | Cost | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| paperplane, Certified Mail | $12.99, all in | About two minutes |
| At the counter | USPS fees, plus printing, an envelope and the trip | About ten minutes at the counter, plus the drive and the line |
USPS charges the same fees whoever hands the letter over. The difference is the trip, the form and the slip you keep for a year.
Most leases name every occupant, which means adding a new roommate or having one move out is not just a household matter — it is a change to who the landlord believes lives there. Even a friendly, low-drama swap can create a problem later if there is no written record that the landlord was told and when.
Why this needs to go to the landlord, not just get mentioned
Many leases require written consent before adding an occupant, and most require landlords to be notified when someone named on the lease moves out. Skipping that step can put you in technical breach of the lease even if the landlord would have said yes — and if a dispute ever comes up over who is responsible for rent or damage, the landlord's position is stronger if they can say they were never told. A dated letter closes that gap: it shows exactly when you disclosed the change and gives the landlord the chance to respond, request a lease amendment, or run a background/credit check on a new occupant if your lease calls for one.
What to include
Name the person being added or removed, the effective date of the change, and the rental address. If a new roommate needs to go through screening or sign onto the lease, say so and offer to provide their information — landlords are more likely to respond quickly to a notice that anticipates their next question rather than one that just states a fact and stops.
How it works
- Open the template, fill in the occupancy change and effective date.
- Pay $12.99 (Certified Mail, all-in) — mailed the next business day.
- Keep the tracking number and mailing receipt as your dated record of notice.
Whether written consent is required, how much notice you owe, and what happens if a landlord objects all depend on your lease and your state's landlord-tenant law. This template is a tool for sending a clear, dated notice — it is not legal advice, so check your lease terms and local rules before relying on it.
Keep reading
Questions before you send
Why not go to the post office myself?
You can, and if your time is free it costs less. USPS charges the same fees whoever hands the letter over; paperplane does not replace the post office, it replaces the trip. The mailing record comes from USPS, not from us. $12.99 covers the printing, the envelope, PS Form 3800, a USPS address check before you pay and a handoff the next business day. For a letter you already know how to send, the counter is a fine choice.
What if they refuse the letter?
USPS tracking records what happened to it, including refused or unclaimed. You still have the mailing record. Rules on what that means vary, so check with your court or an attorney if a deadline depends on it.
If something goes wrong, do I pay?
If we cannot mail the letter, the hold on your card is released and you are not charged. If a letter fails after your card is charged, you are refunded automatically and in full.
Do I need my landlord's permission to add or remove a roommate?
Most leases require landlord approval for anyone living in the unit long-term, even if they are not on the original lease. Check your lease's occupancy terms before assuming notice alone is enough.
Is this legal advice?
No — it is a template, not legal advice. Occupancy and lease-amendment rules vary by lease and state.