Guide5 min read

Sober Living House Rules Template

Free sober living house rules template you can use today. Covers sobriety, rent, chores, curfew, guests, meetings, and more.

Alec Rodriguez·Founder, RecoveryOS·April 2026

Illustration of a house rules document with a quill pen for sober living home

Every sober living home needs clear house rules. They set expectations, prevent conflicts, and protect your residents and your business. But writing them from scratch is hard — what do you include? What do you leave out? How strict is too strict?

Here's a house rules template based on what actually works in real sober living homes. Adapt it to your house.

Sobriety

●The property is a drug-free and alcohol-free environment at all times

●Use of any illegal substance, non-prescribed controlled substance, or alcohol is grounds for immediate discharge

●Prescribed medications must be disclosed at intake and stored securely

●Residents must submit to drug and alcohol testing at any time when requested by staff

●Refusing a test is treated the same as a positive result

Drug Testing

●Random drug tests will be conducted at least twice per month

●Testing methods may include urine, saliva, or breathalyzer

●A positive test result requires a house meeting with staff within 24 hours

●First positive result: formal warning and increased testing frequency

●Second positive result: discharge from the home

●Tampering with or substituting a test is grounds for immediate discharge

Rent and Finances

●Rent is due every [Monday / 1st of the month] by 5:00 PM

●Rent amount: $[XXX] per [week / month]

●Payment is made through the RecoveryOS app — cash is not accepted

●A $[XX] late fee is applied automatically if rent is not received within 3 days of the due date

●Residents who fall more than 2 weeks behind on rent may be discharged

●The security deposit of $[XXX] is due at move-in and is refundable upon discharge in good standing

Chores and Property Care

●Each resident is assigned a weekly chore rotation

●Chore assignments are posted in the app and updated every [Sunday / Monday]

●Chores must be completed by [8:00 PM] on the assigned day

●Failure to complete chores results in a warning; repeated failures result in fines or additional assignments

●Common areas must be kept clean at all times

●Personal spaces are subject to weekly inspections

●No modifications to the property without written approval (no painting, no nailing, no furniture rearrangement)

Curfew

●Sunday through Thursday: 10:00 PM curfew

●Friday and Saturday: 11:00 PM curfew

●All residents must be in the home and signed in by curfew

●Curfew exceptions require 24-hour advance approval from the house manager

●Three curfew violations in a 30-day period results in a formal review

Guests and Visitors

●Guests are allowed in common areas only during visiting hours: [2:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday]

●No overnight guests under any circumstances

●All guests must sign in with the house manager

●Guests may not use drugs or alcohol on the property

●Residents are responsible for their guests' behavior

●Romantic partners are not permitted in bedrooms

Recovery Requirements

●Residents must attend a minimum of [3-5] recovery meetings per week (AA, NA, SMART Recovery, or equivalent)

●Meeting attendance is logged through the app or verified by a sponsor/peer

●Residents are encouraged to obtain a sponsor within the first 30 days

●Residents must participate in house meetings when scheduled

●Recovery is a shared responsibility — residents are expected to support one another

Employment and Daily Structure

●Residents must be employed, enrolled in school, or actively seeking employment within [14-30] days of move-in

●Job search logs may be requested by staff

●Residents who are not employed must participate in daily house activities and volunteer opportunities

●Sleeping past [9:00 AM] on weekdays is not permitted unless working night shifts (approved in advance)

Communication and Conduct

●Treat all residents and staff with respect at all times

●No threats, intimidation, bullying, or harassment of any kind

●No theft — taking another resident's property is grounds for immediate discharge

●No weapons on the property

●Conflicts should be brought to the house manager, not handled through confrontation

●Official house communications are sent through the app — check it daily

How to Use This Template

Copy this template and adjust the specifics — curfew times, rent amounts, meeting requirements — to match your house. The structure matters more than the exact rules. What matters is:

1Everything is in writing

2Every resident signs it before move-in

3Rules are enforced consistently

RecoveryOS includes built-in house rules templates that residents sign digitally during intake. The rules are stored, timestamped, and always accessible. No lost paperwork, no "I never agreed to that."

Stop doing this by hand.

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