Share Your Home - HomeShare Vermont

Types of Homeshares

Rent Only/no routine tasks provided

If you are looking for some extra cash to stretch your monthly budget but don’t need a housemate to do chores, we can help you find just the right person to share your home. Rent can vary on a case by case basis but the lower it is, the more potential candidates you will meet.

Some tasks provided

If you are looking for a housemate that can offer extra help around the house in exchange for some or all of the rent, we can find a match. Housemates provide an average of 6-8 hours of service a week plus pay a small rent or help with utility bills. When we meet with you, we will discuss what a fair exchange might be for the tasks you want help with.

Services someone sharing your home might provide to you:

A “just in case” presence
Meal preparation
Rides to appointments/errands
Light housekeeping
Snow shoveling/yard work
Pet care
Computer help

To Participate in the Program

all applicants must HAVE:

No criminal record history or pending charges of crimes against person or property;
No substantiated case of abuse of any kind;
At least three references who can recommend you for the program and speak to your lifestyle and character. Those looking for housing must also have a positive landlord reference as well.

Requirements for your home:

Must be located within our service area: Chittenden, Addison, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Washington and Windsor (northern) counties or in the Rutland County towns of Brandon, Killington and Pittsfield and the Northeast Kingdom towns of Craftsbury, Greensboro and Hardwick
Have a private bedroom
Is safe and sanitary

A homeshare host offers a private bedroom and shared common space in exchange for rent, help around the home or a combination of the two.

How Our Hosts Benefit

86% feel safer in their home
82% feel happier
80% enjoy their home more
76% feel less lonely
59% worry less about money
58% say household chores are completed more regularly
55% sleep better
44% call family less often for help
42% eat better
42% feel healthier
40% have more energy
29% see friends more often
27% get out into the community more often

*Results from HomeShare Vermont’s 2024 Outcomes Survey of matched hosts

To Apply

If you’re ready to share your home, the first step is to apply for our program, so we can find you a compatible housemate. You can find paper and online applications here.

What is the process?

Our process includes a simple application, background and reference checks, and in-home interview. Then we tell you about potential homesharers. If we have someone you are interested in meeting, we arrange an introduction. You might meet several people before you find the right one. A two-week trial period lets you try it out without making a commitment. A written agreement outlines the expectations and HomeShare Vermont stays in touch for as long as you decide to live together.

How long does the process take?

Finding just the right homesharer takes time. We suggest potential matches based on several areas of compatibility. We can’t guarantee to find a match for everyone.

Do I choose who I live with?

Yes, you tell us what you are looking for and we try to find just the right person, but it’s up to you to decide who you want to live with.

What does it cost?

It is free to apply. If we are successful in finding you a match, there is a one-time match fee ranging from $60 to $500 depending on your income. Fees can be waived or reduced in cases of hardship. Most people pay $120-$250.

I like my alone time, how can I still get that with a homesharer living here?

Very often our homesharers are busy people either working or going to school and many have busy social lives, too. During your interview you tell us what type of person you want, what time you need to yourself, etc., and we screen folks for that. You set the house rules and the agreement outlines what is important to you to maintain your privacy.

What happens if I don’t want to homeshare anymore?

All homesharing matches will end. The written agreement will define the notice period you agree to give each other. HomeShare Vermont can help you have that conversation. It is important to us that a match ends well and that people are respectful in the process.

The idea of having a stranger sharing my home worries me, will I be safe?

In our annual surveys with matched homeshare Hosts, we see consistently that over 70% of our Hosts feel safer and happier by having someone live with them. Our screening process of application, interview, five different state and federal background checks, and up to four different references are requirements that only move forward the best candidates for you to consider.

I get an income adjustment on my property taxes, can I still homeshare without losing that benefit?

Yes, you will have to report your rental income as part of your income on your tax forms, but a special law was passed that exempted the income of a homesharer from your household income as long as you have a homesharing agreement with a non-profit homesharing organization and you send that in with the Vermont tax return. The homesharer cannot file for a renters rebate.