Free Oklahoma Room Rental Agreement Template

An Oklahoma room rental agreement is the written contract for renting one bedroom in a shared home. Deposits are governed by section 115 of Title 41 of the Oklahoma Statutes, within the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Oklahoma puts a hard time limit on the tenant’s side of the deposit, and it is the single most important thing for anyone renting a room here to know.

The forfeiture is written into the statute. If the tenant does not make a written demand for the deposit within six months after termination of the tenancy, the deposit reverts to the landlord in consideration of the costs and burden of maintaining the escrow account, and the tenant’s interest in that deposit terminates at that time.

The demand also drives the deadline at the other end. Where the landlord proposes to retain any portion for rent, damages, or other legally allowable charges, the landlord must return the balance of the deposit, without interest, within forty-five days after three things have all happened: termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and written demand by the tenant.

So a tenant who moves out of a room, hands back the key and waits to be contacted has not started any clock at all, and after six months has no claim left. Putting the demand in writing, dated and kept, is the whole game.

The duties on the landlord side of an Oklahoma room rental agreement are strict about where the money sits.

An Escrow Account, in Oklahoma

Any damage or security deposit required by a landlord must be kept in an escrow account for the tenant, maintained in the State of Oklahoma with a federally insured financial institution.

Misappropriation Is a Criminal Matter

This is not merely a civil obligation. Misappropriation of the security deposit is unlawful and punishable by a term in a county jail not exceeding six months and by a fine not exceeding twice the amount misappropriated from the escrow account.

The Itemized Statement and How It Travels

On termination, the deposit may be applied to accrued rent and to the damages the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant’s noncompliance with the Act and the rental agreement, all itemized by the landlord in a written statement. That statement is delivered by mail, return receipt requested and signed for by any person of statutory service age at the address, or in person to the tenant if the tenant can reasonably be found.

Tip: Note that the balance comes back without interest. Deadlines and figures are statutory and can change, so confirm the current text before relying on one.

For an Oklahoma room rental agreement, the terms worth adding are:

• Where the tenant should send the written demand, and by what method
• A note of the six-month window, so nobody forgets it
• The escrow institution holding the deposit
• Which room is private and which areas are shared
• How utilities are divided between the people living there