A family cabin agreement template: who owns what share, how costs are split, how the calendar is decided, who decides on repairs, what happens when someone wants out, and how disagreements get settled. Plain words a family can actually sign. Not legal advice; the ownership structure (trust, LLC, tenancy in common) needs a lawyer, and the trust-vs-LLC guide explains the choice.
Most cabin fights are not about money. They are about a rule nobody wrote down: who gets the Fourth of July, whether the new dock was necessary, why one sibling pays less. This page writes the rules down while everyone still likes each other.
Family cabin agreement · the place
Made by the owners named in section 1 for the property at , held as tenants in common / a trust / an LLC.
1. Who owns what
| Owner | Share | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| % | ||
| % |
2. Money
Fixed costs (taxes, insurance, base utilities, the maintenance fund) are split by ownership share and paid by each year into the cabin account. Use costs (cleaning, propane, firewood, utilities above the base) are split by nights used, settled each . The maintenance fund holds $ a year. Every cost is logged with who paid; improvements are logged separately from upkeep so the cost basis is right.
3. The calendar
Peak weeks () are chosen by rotating draft / lottery / fixed rotation each . Off-peak stays are first come, first served on the shared calendar, with at least days’ notice. A stay is booked when it is on the calendar, not when it is mentioned at dinner.
4. Decisions
Repairs under $: the person who finds it fixes it or hires it and logs the cost. Repairs over that, and any improvement: a majority of votes. Selling, borrowing against, or renting the place to outsiders: unanimous / two-thirds.
5. Guests and rules
An owner may bring guests during their own stay and is responsible for them. Renting to outsiders: allowed under section 4 / not allowed. House rules (pets, boats, the last-out list) are attached and may be changed by majority.
6. Leaving
An owner who wants out gives months’ notice. The other owners have the first right to buy the share at a price set by an appraisal / the formula attached, paid over up to years at % interest. If nobody buys, the share may be sold outside only with approval. An owner who dies passes the share to .
7. Falling behind
An owner more than days late on a share of costs loses calendar priority until paid, and after days the others may buy the share under section 6.
8. Disagreements
Talk first, at the cabin if possible. Then a mediator both sides pick, cost split equally. Only then a court in county.
9. Changing this agreement
Any change is in writing and signed by all / a majority of owners. Reviewed together every years.
The sections families skip, and regret
Section 6, leaving. Every shared cabin eventually has an owner who wants out: a divorce, a move, a sibling who simply stopped coming. The first-right-to-buy and a pricing method decided now, calmly, is the difference between a buyout and a lawsuit. The sibling buyout calculator shows what a fair number looks like.
Section 2, fixed versus use costs. Splitting the property tax by ownership and the propane by nights used is the arrangement that feels fair to the sibling who comes twice a year and the one who comes every weekend. The expense split calculator runs the numbers three ways.
Section 3, the calendar. “A stay is booked when it is on the calendar” is the sentence that ends the July argument. Fair scheduling compares the draft, the lottery and the rotation.
The record that makes this agreement live is the one everyone can see: the calendar, the costs with who paid, the improvements kept apart from upkeep. That is what House Matters holds for a family, free.
Questions people ask
Is a family cabin agreement legally binding?
Once signed, yes, as a contract among the owners; but the ownership itself (tenancy in common, a trust, an LLC) is set by the deed and needs a lawyer. This agreement governs how the owners behave; the deed governs who owns.
Should the cabin be in a trust or an LLC?
It depends on liability, estate plans and how many generations are involved. The trust-vs-LLC guide lays out when each fits.
How should cabin costs be split?
Fixed costs by ownership share, use costs by nights used, is the most common fair split. Equal thirds is simpler and works while everyone uses the place about the same.
What happens when one sibling wants out?
The others get first right to buy at a price the agreement already defines, paid over time. Deciding the method now, before anyone wants out, is the whole point of section 6.
How often should the agreement be reviewed?
Every three to five years, or when an owner is added, leaves or dies. Put the review on the calendar like a stay.
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