Thinking About It?
Home Sharing Benefits and Common Concerns
- Income. Your unused room could be earning $6,000 to $10,000 a year or more, depending on size and features. Use the extra income to pay for more services, home health care, home maintenance, property taxes, or vacation.
- Quality of Life. The majority of home sharing participants (more than 92%) report improved quality of life factors, such as feeling safer, less lonely, happier, healthier eating or sleeping better.
- Privacy. You're in control of determining private areas and common areas of your home. Sharing doesn't mean giving up privacy. We can help you set boundaries and rules.
- Security. Our rigorous background screening of applicants minimizes the risk. Read more details here.
- What About My Stuff? You decide whether to rent your room furnished or unfurnished. And our volunteers can help you de-clutter, organize and rearrange to get ready to home share. (Our volunteers are background-screened also.)
- I'm Not Sure About Sharing My Kitchen. You may not have to. Not everyone cooks these days, and many renters get along fine with just a mini-fridge, microwave and toaster.
- What If It's Not Working--How Will I Get Out Of It? Having an exit plan is important and should be addressed up front. Our sample Living Together Agreements have this covered with proven strategies for ending matches that aren't working out (we're here to help with mediation services as well) and also help plan for wrapping up successful matches as smoothly as possible when they reach their natural conclusion.
- I Like the Idea, But It Feels Overwhelming. We understand! That's why we started HomeShareSLO--we believe in the benefits of home sharing and want more people to start enjoying them. It's a proven concept and the steps to success are clear. We're here to help and we're dedicated to your success. Give us a call and let's talk. (805) 215-5474 or email us at info@smartsharehousingsolutions.org
- Join Us at an Upcoming Coffee Chat to Learn More. Click here for our Events Page.
- Go to our Do I Qualify? page for more information.
What Kind of People Choose Home Sharing?
Short Answer: All Kinds. See our list of Persons Seeking Homeshares to hear from housing seekers in their own words.
People share housing for different reasons, including: companionship, personal safety, help with chores, or to offset the rising cost of rents, taxes, utilities, and maintenance. Some are living in a house that is now too large since their children have left home, or they may be divorced, or one-parent families, single elderly persons or elderly couples.
Renters may be college students, newly divorced persons, professionals recently moved to the area, traveling nurses, people consciously choosing to live more simply, or anyone in need of low cost housing who seeks the comforts of a home living environment and enjoys living with others.