Published October 4, 2026
These are the ten forms most sober living homes use, from the first application to the day someone moves out. For each one you'll find what it's for, what it usually covers, and a blank template you can print or save as a PDF. They're outlines to adapt, not legal documents. Requirements vary by state and city, so check with your state's NARR affiliate and have a local attorney review your final versions, especially the resident agreement.
Who wrote this. Sober Living Companion is a program of Empower Next Project, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit in Sacramento, California. We make operator software for sober living homes and a free app for their residents, and we've moved operators' paperwork over from paper, PDFs and other software. We're not lawyers. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Before you copy any form, including ours. There's no national rulebook for sober living paperwork. Some states set requirements in law, some tie them to certification or funding, and many cities add their own. Your state's NARR affiliate can tell you what certified homes in your state are expected to have. A local attorney should review your resident agreement, testing consent, release of information and discharge process before residents sign them.
Most homes use some version of these ten. Pick one to jump to it.
| Stage | Forms |
|---|---|
| Before acceptance | Application (1). Give the applicant your fee schedule and refund policy in writing now, before you take any money. |
| Move-in day | Intake details (1), house rules acknowledgment (2), resident agreement (3), testing consent (4), emergency contact & releases (5), medication list (6), property inventory (10) |
| During the stay | Pass requests (7), grievances (8), medication counts (6), updated releases (5) |
| Move-out | Discharge / exit form (9) and the move-out side of the property inventory (10) |
Two national documents shape what certified homes are expected to keep on paper. Neither is a law in itself, but state certifiers and funders build on them.
Full citations are in Sources at the end of this page.
When: the application before you accept someone; the intake details on move-in day.
The application tells you whether your home is a good fit for the person and whether they can meet the terms. The intake section sets up their file once they're accepted. Many homes use one combined form; others take a short application first and finish the rest at move-in. Either way, this is also the moment to hand over your fee schedule and refund policy in writing, which NARR requires before any money changes hands.
Ask only what you need. Federal Fair Housing regulations (24 CFR 100.202(c)) make it unlawful to ask whether an applicant has a disability or "the nature or severity" of one. The rule lists exceptions, provided the questions are asked of every applicant: for example, questions about an applicant's ability to meet the requirements of tenancy, whether they qualify for housing available only to people with a particular type of disability, and whether they are "a current illegal abuser or addict of a controlled substance." How those exceptions apply to a recovery residence is a question for a fair-housing attorney. Some applications circulating online ask for diagnoses, HIV or hepatitis test results, or full medication histories before acceptance. Get legal review before you copy questions like those.
If you collect Social Security numbers or ID copies, store them securely and limit who can see them. NARR asks for "Policies and procedures that keep residents' records secure, with access limited to authorized staff."
Home / operator: House:
Full name: Preferred name:
Date of birth: Phone: Email:
Current address:
House applying to: Preferred move-in date:
Referred by: ☐ treatment program ☐ court / probation ☐ family or friend ☐ self ☐ other:
Referral contact name and phone (optional):
Sobriety date: Currently in a treatment or outpatient program? ☐ yes ☐ no Program:
Recovery supports you use (meetings, sponsor, counselor, other):
Work / school status: ☐ employed ☐ in school ☐ looking ☐ other:
How fees will be paid: ☐ employment ☐ family ☐ benefits ☐ funding program ☐ other:
I received the home's fee schedule and refund policy in writing before paying anything. Initials:
On probation or parole? ☐ yes ☐ no Officer name and phone:
Court or supervision requirements the home should know about:
Name: Relationship: Phone:
I confirm the information above is true to the best of my knowledge.
Blank outline only, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and locality. Have a local attorney review your final form, including any questions about health, disability or criminal history.
When: move-in day, and again whenever the rules change.
The rules themselves live in your house rules document. This short form records that the resident got a copy of a specific version, read it, and had the chance to ask questions. Having them initial the policies that cause the most disputes (testing, relapse, guests and passes, searches) makes it much harder for anyone to say later that a rule was never explained. NARR also expects certified homes to keep the rules and grievance process "posted or otherwise available in common areas."
Need the rules themselves? Our printable house rules template covers the usual categories with blanks for your home's specifics.
Home / operator: House:
Resident name: Move-in date:
I received the house rules dated and had the chance to ask questions about them. I have initialed each section below to show I read and understand it.
Sobriety and drug / alcohol testing
Relapse policy: what happens after a positive or refused test
Curfew and check-ins
Guests, overnight and weekend passes
Prohibited items and when staff may search
Chores, house meetings and recovery meetings
Fees, due dates and late payments
How rule violations are handled, and how to file a grievance
I received my own copy of the house rules. ☐ Yes
Blank outline only, not legal advice. Rules must be applied consistently to every resident. Have a local attorney review your house rules and how you enforce them.
When: move-in day, signed before the resident commits to the terms.
This is the core document: the terms of living in the home, including fees, refunds, rules, the relapse policy and how a stay ends. Homes call it a resident agreement, occupancy agreement, program agreement or sober living rental agreement. Many homes deliberately structure it as an occupancy or program agreement rather than a standard lease, but whether your residents are treated as tenants under your state's landlord-tenant law depends on your state and on how the agreement is written, not on what the document is called. This is the form a local attorney most needs to review.
Below is a one-page outline. For a longer, section-by-section version and a full explanation of the lease-versus-occupancy question, see our sober living rental agreement template.
Home / operator: House:
Resident: Move-in date:
Term: ☐ week-to-week ☐ month-to-month ☐ other:
Fee: $ per ☐ week ☐ month, due on Deposit: $
The fee covers:
Refund policy (leaving early, discharge, deposit):
Payments made for the resident by others (family, program) and how the resident is told about them:
Services the home provides:
Resident rights are listed in: Resident initials:
House rules dated are part of this agreement. Testing consent signed: ☐ yes
Relapse policy:
Recovery goals / expectations (meetings, work, program):
Notice by the resident: Discharge process and notice by the home:
Belongings left behind are held for days, then:
How to raise a complaint, and who reviews it:
Resident received a signed copy: ☐ Yes
Outline only, not legal advice. Whether this agreement creates a tenancy, and what process is required to end a stay, varies by state. Have a local attorney review the completed agreement before use.
When: move-in day, before the first test.
This form explains how testing works in your home and records the resident's consent. NARR expects certified homes to have a written "Policy and procedures for drug screening and/or toxicology protocols," and Florida requires drug-testing procedures in the policy manual a home submits for certification. Homes differ on when they test. Many test at random; SAMHSA's best-practices guide frames it more narrowly, recommending urinalysis "if someone in the home may be suspected of using alcohol and/or drugs and the environment becomes unsafe to other residents." Whatever you choose, write it down and apply it the same way to everyone.
Home / operator: House:
Resident name: Date:
Test types: ☐ urine (UA) ☐ breath (BA) ☐ oral swab ☐ other:
Testing happens: ☐ at random ☐ for cause ☐ after passes ☐ on a schedule:
Collected by: Observed collection: ☐ yes ☐ no ☐ only when:
A refused, missed, dilute or tampered test is treated as:
Confirmation testing: ☐ available on request Paid by:
I will tell staff about any prescribed medication before a test, and keep my medication list (form 6) up to date. Initials:
The house follows its relapse policy, which says:
Results are shared only with people I have authorized in writing. Initials:
I consent to drug and alcohol testing as described above for as long as I live in the home.
Blank outline only, not legal advice. Testing rules and consent requirements vary by state. Have a local attorney review your testing policy.
When: move-in day; update whenever a contact or permission changes.
Two jobs on one form. The first half is who to call in an emergency; NARR expects "Documentation that emergency contact information is collected from residents." The second half is the resident's written permission for you to share specific information with specific people: a family member who's paying fees, a probation officer, a treatment program, a sponsor. Without that permission, the safe default is to share nothing. NARR also expects "Policies and procedures that comply with applicable confidentiality laws."
Confidentiality rules differ. Treatment programs covered by federal confidentiality rules for substance use records (42 CFR Part 2) often need their own consent form before they will talk to you, so ask the program for theirs. State privacy laws vary too. Have an attorney confirm what your release needs to say.
Home / operator: House:
Resident name: Date of birth:
1. Name: Relationship: Phone:
2. Name: Relationship: Phone:
Optional: preferred hospital doctor
I allow the home to share information with: Relationship / organization: Phone or email:
Information that may be shared: ☐ residency status ☐ attendance ☐ drug / alcohol test results ☐ payment status ☐ move-out or discharge ☐ other:
Purpose:
This permission ends on (date or event):
I understand I can withdraw this permission in writing at any time, except for information already shared. Initials:
Use a separate Part B for each person or organization. Blank outline only, not legal advice. Confidentiality requirements vary by state and by who you are sharing with. Have an attorney review your release form.
When: move-in day, whenever a prescription changes, and at each medication count.
This form records what the resident takes and how medications are stored, so prescribed medications are protected and diverted ones are caught. SAMHSA's best-practices guide is direct about the starting point: it "recommends that recovery housing operators not have any barriers or restrictions for residents to use prescribed medications," including FDA-approved medications for alcohol and opioid use disorders such as buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone. For managing diversion risk it lists strategies such as "Utilizing medication lock boxes" and "Conducting medication counts with residents and staff present." NARR asks for a medication policy covering "usage and storage consistent with the residence's level and with relevant state law."
In many non-clinical sober living homes, residents keep and take their own medications. Whether staff may handle or administer medication at all depends on your home's level and state law.
Home / operator: House:
Resident name: Date:
| Medication | Dose | Schedule | Prescriber | Pharmacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Medications are stored in: ☐ my personal lock box ☐ a staff-held lock box ☐ other:
I take my own medication as prescribed and will not share, sell or trade it. Initials:
Counts happen: with me and a staff member present. Initials:
Discontinued or expired medication is disposed of by:
If a count doesn't match:
| Date | Medication | Expected | Counted | Resident initials | Staff initials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blank outline only, not legal or medical advice. Medication rules depend on your home's level and state law. Do not restrict prescribed medications without legal review.
When: each time a resident wants to stay somewhere else overnight.
Pass rules vary a lot from home to home: how long someone must live there before their first pass, how far ahead they must ask, and what happens when they get back. The form makes each request specific (where, with whom, how to reach them) and records who approved it and on what conditions.
Home / operator: House:
Resident name: Date of request:
Leaving: date time Returning: date time
Address where I'll stay:
Phone where I can be reached: I'll be with:
Reason for the pass:
Meetings I'll attend / check-in calls:
I understand I may be tested when I return. Initials:
☐ Approved ☐ Approved with conditions ☐ Not approved
Conditions / reason:
Blank outline only. Pass rules vary by home; apply yours consistently to every resident.
When: any time a resident wants to raise a complaint; keep blank copies where residents can get them without asking.
A written grievance process gives residents a fair way to be heard and gives you a record of how complaints were handled. SAMHSA lists "A process to submit and resolve grievances" among the resident rights a home should share in writing. NARR requires certified homes to have a "Grievance policy and procedures, including the right to take unresolved grievances to the operator's oversight organization," which for a certified home usually means its state NARR affiliate.
Home / operator: House:
Your name (optional if allowed by house policy): Date:
Best way to reach you about this:
What happened, when, and who was involved:
What you have already tried, if anything:
What you would like to happen:
Received by: Date received:
Response and actions taken:
Date the resident was told:
Next person to contact: Phone / email:
Outside organization (for example, the home's certifying body), if applicable:
Filing a grievance will not be held against you.
Blank outline only, not legal advice. Grievance requirements vary by state and certifying body.
When: whenever a stay ends, whether it's a planned move, a resident leaving on their own, or an administrative discharge.
The discharge form records how and why a stay ended, settles money and belongings, and notes where the person is headed and what referrals they were given. NARR asks that each resident's recovery planning include "an exit plan/strategy," so a planned move-out is the moment to write down how that plan turned out. SAMHSA also lists "transition to permanent housing" among the measures it recommends recovery homes collect, so recording where someone goes pays off later.
Discharge law varies more than anything else on this page. In some places a resident may be entitled to a formal eviction process; in others a home can discharge under its own written policy. Florida, for example, has a specific provision (§397.487(11)) allowing certified recovery residences with an approved discharge policy to immediately discharge or transfer a resident in listed circumstances. Don't assume your state works the same way. Have a local attorney review your discharge process, and see lease vs. occupancy agreement for background.
Home / operator: House:
Resident name: Move-in date: Exit date:
☐ Planned move / completed stay ☐ Voluntary leave ☐ Administrative discharge ☐ Left without notice
If administrative discharge, reason and policy section:
Notice given on: Method:
Housing destination: ☐ own place / family ☐ another recovery residence ☐ treatment ☐ unknown ☐ other:
Forwarding address / phone:
Referrals and resources given:
Balance owed: $ Refund owed: $ Deposit returned: $ ☐ n/a
How and when any refund will be paid:
Keys / house property returned: ☐ yes ☐ no, missing:
Belongings: ☐ all removed ☐ held until (see property inventory, form 10)
Resident comments:
Blank outline only, not legal advice. The process required to end a resident's stay varies by state and locality. Have a local attorney review your discharge policy.
When: move-in day, then again at move-out.
A two-sided record: the condition of the room and house items when the resident arrives and leaves, and what happens to personal belongings left behind. That last part is the one that turns into arguments, and NARR includes "Policies regarding removal of personal property left in the residence" among the things a resident agreement must cover. NARR also expects a policy that "lists prohibited items and states procedures for associated searches by staff," which fits naturally here.
Home / operator: House:
Resident name: Room / bed:
| Item | Condition at move-in | Condition at move-out |
|---|---|---|
| Keys / fob | ||
| Bed and mattress | ||
| Dresser / storage | ||
| Linens | ||
| Item | Description / serial no. | Stored where |
|---|---|---|
Vehicle (make, plate):
I received the prohibited-items list and search policy. Initials:
Belongings left after move-out are held for days. To collect them:
After that, unclaimed items are: Initials:
Blank outline only, not legal advice. Rules for handling property left behind vary by state. Have a local attorney review your policy.
Paper gets lost, and PDFs get retyped. Here's how the same paperwork works in Sober Living Companion.
Every home gets an online application link to put on your website or text to a referral. Applicants fill it out in a browser, pick the house they're applying to, can attach files if you ask for them, and sign. The application lands in your account under Pending Admission with everything they entered, so nothing gets retyped. You edit the questions yourself and can run separate links for different programs.
Build your own custom forms (intake, pass requests, grievances, discharge checklists) with text, date, yes/no, number, phone, address and initials fields, mark fields required, and save them as reusable templates. Ready-made templates (intake, guest agreement, write-up, house terms and more) are there to send as-is or edit first.
Type your resident agreement, house rules or testing consent, or paste it straight from Word, then drop in signature, initials, date and checkbox fields. Save it as a template and send it to each new resident.
Already have agreements you like? Upload the PDF or a photo, place signature fields on each page, and send it for e-signature. Nothing has to be rewritten.
First month free with code FIRSTMONTHFREE. It's operations software, not a clinical EHR, and it doesn't do insurance billing.
Most homes use some version of ten forms: an application and intake form, a house rules acknowledgment, a resident (occupancy or rental) agreement, a drug and alcohol testing consent, an emergency contact and release of information form, a medication list and storage acknowledgment, an overnight or weekend pass request, a grievance form, a discharge or exit form, and a property and belongings inventory. Which ones you are required to have depends on your state and on whether you seek certification, so check with your state's NARR affiliate. Florida, for example, requires homes applying for certification to submit copies of all forms provided to residents.
It depends on your state. Many sober living homes use a resident, occupancy or program agreement rather than a standard residential lease, because the home is shared, program-based housing with rules attached. But whether a resident is legally treated as a tenant with full eviction protections, or as someone who can be discharged under the home's own policy, varies by state and by how the agreement is written. Calling a document an occupancy agreement does not settle the question. Have a local attorney review your agreement before residents sign it.
Yes, if your home uses software that supports electronic signatures. In Sober Living Companion, residents review and sign agreements and forms in the free resident app, and fill-in forms can also be sent as an emailed link that opens in any browser, no app needed. Each signed document is saved with a timestamp and IP address, and a signed form cannot be edited afterward; if terms change, you send a new version to sign. Applicants can also fill out and sign your online application from a phone.
No template is legally binding on its own. The templates on this page are blank outlines that show what each form usually covers. Whether a signed form holds up, and what process you must follow to enforce it, depends on your state and local law and on the final wording. Fill them in for your home, then have a local attorney review them, especially the resident agreement and anything tied to discharge. This is not legal advice.
Ask only what you need to decide whether the home fits and to keep people safe. Federal Fair Housing regulations (24 CFR 100.202(c)) make it unlawful to ask whether an applicant has a disability or about the nature or severity of a disability, with listed exceptions when the questions are asked of every applicant, such as questions about the ability to meet the requirements of tenancy and whether someone is a current illegal abuser or addict of a controlled substance. Questions about specific diagnoses, HIV or hepatitis status, or full medication histories at the application stage deserve a fair-housing attorney's review before you use them.
Start with your state's NARR affiliate, which you can find through the National Alliance for Recovery Residences at narronline.org, and with any state agency that certifies or funds recovery residences where you operate. Some states write requirements into law; Florida's certification statute, section 397.487, lists the documents a home must submit, including intake procedures, a relapse policy, a fee schedule, a refund policy and copies of all forms provided to residents. Many cities and counties also have their own rules, so confirm locally.
