Apply at the links further down this page, but first:
Don't waste your time, read below what you're getting into!
If you need a room to rent urgently, please first check our current and upcoming availabilities to see if there is a fit for you.
1. Apply
If you only want to be considered for one of our currently listed rooms/Hosts, just leave a voicemail with the info and statement requested in the green text for that listing on our Available Rooms page. (If you inquired to a specific listing through Facebook, Craigslist, etc, that same requested info and statement will be in the second big response message we will have sent you).
To be considered for future rooms/Hosts, you can apply either online or on our paper form (which we're glad to mail you). Takes ~ 10 minutes.
Here we ask Guests their maximum sustainable monthly rent + utilities. We would NEVER undermine a Guest by disclosing this number to their potential Hosts.
But if a Host offers $350 and a Guest says their max is $300, we will NOT contact that Guest about that room. Make the best "bid" you can that you're 100% confident about, assuming the room/Host were a pretty good fit.
2. Interview/Screen
As soon as we see that your application is a match for a Host, we'll be in touch right away to arrange an in-person interview, usually at a public place between your current place and our home office. Takes ~ 1 hour.
Our background checks will require your Social Security Number (or ITIN) and your drivers' license/State ID. (If your potential Host is a renter themselves and their landlord/management does their own background check, then we'll skip this part).
3. Matchmaking
We contact each potential Host that could be a match for you. When a Host agrees to meet with you, we make the introduction in person at the Host's home, break the ice, and make sure all bases are covered.
4. Draft an Agreement
We, you, and your match work together on a "Living Together Agreement," which will be made binding as part of the rental agreement or sub-lease. We will help tweak it at any time.
5. Trial Match (optional)
The Host may choose to ask that before signing anything, you move in for a trial match of up to two-weeks, bringing just your "road trip stuff."
You will pay no rent to the Host during this time because under the trial period, the Host may decline the match and ask you to leave with only a day or two's notice.
6. Support
Once the match is made and the rental contract with Living Together Agreement is finalized, HomeShare American River is on the hook to support the match over its whole life.
We check-in with you and your Host after the first two weeks, then monthly, and then every two months for the life of the match (whether by phone/video call and/or in-person).
Other must-know info
We do NOT help clients discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or citizenship. As soon as you ask us to do so, we can no longer work with you, so don't.
That's part of why we match folks up based on the specifics of who they are and what they're looking for... so that no one has to be disappointed by vague, misleading labels and categories.
Unfortunately, couples and families should be advised that we have never yet managed to match more than one person to one room.
We don't facilitate short-term rentals. Most of our matches are on a monthly rental contract, but we ask that all parties intend for the match to last for at least one year.
If I ask a client for "the secret password," the answer is "brown M&M's."
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Who's eligible to apply?
We welcome applications for matches in any home of any kind within a one-hour drive of Roseville.
We only have one eligibility requirement: that we would be glad to match you up with our own mothers. "Gray zone" items (e.g; health, criminal, financial) are ones that come up with clients that aren't dealbreakers, but that we would want our own mothers to know about before deciding on a match. We would never disclose such information ourselves, but instead we require that all clients disclose the "gray zone" items we flag to their potential match before any agreement is made.
How much does this cost?
Nothing to you, ever! We're entirely funded by the Area 4 Agency on Aging (even though some of our matches don't involve a senior at all). In fact, matched Hosts and Guests save money by splitting utilities, or even subscriptions, transportation, groceries, or whatever else you establish in your Living Together Agreement.
What about COVID?
We gladly accommodate requests to conduct business remotely, however feasible.
We also help Hosts and Guests agree on reasonable COVID rules they can both live by (vaccination preferences, just-in-case quarantine plans, etc.).
Note: Although we don't require COVID vaccination and booster, almost all of our Hosts do.
How long does it take to find a match?
It depends on how particular your needs/abilities are (e.g; desired rent, pets), how many other Hosts we're working with, and dumb luck.
What if one or both of us want to end the match?
Our template rental contract makes it clear how matches end, and we can help facilitate move-outs to some degree. We use why the match didn't work to re-match folks successfully... as long as they held themselves as good as their word.
What services can people exchange?
So many! Things you take for granted doing every day may be out of reach to others (literally!). You don't have to be an IT expert to open up the Internet to someone for the first time. You don't have to be a therapist to make someone feel heard. And don't forget that Hosts can provide services to Guests, too!
While we don't get involved in medical care (e.g; meds management), we are happy to work with In-Home Supportive Services recipients and providers to augment and support their relationship.
What does your background check include?
credit report
previous address history
bad checks
CA evictions
nationwide/Federal criminal, sex offender, terrorist search
And we pay for it!
Will I be safe sharing a home?
Historically, homesharing has been remarkably safe. And homesharers usually report that living with another person actually makes them feel safer in their home than living alone.
Thanks for reading!
Application options:
Apply online (for fastest response):
To protect your privacy, none of your personal identifying information will be shared with any potential matches until you both agree to be introduced to each other.
There's a lot of questions here, because you deserve to be fully heard about what you need and want in a homeshare.
So take your time, go with the flow, and if you hit a snag, no worries! We'll clarify everything in your follow-up interview, which we'll schedule shortly after receiving your application.
If you'd like any help or clarifications, or if you need accommodation to apply entirely by phone, just let us know.