10 Steps to a Successful Homeshare

After years of experience successfully facilitating homeshares in San Luis Obispo County, Smart Share Housing Solutions has been able to create the following step-by-step guide to achieving a successful homeshare. This process encourages home seekers and home providers to take their time and get to know each other before jumping into a homeshare too quickly. The more thorough you are in the vetting process, the more likely you are to find a compatible housemate.

Before you decide to take part in a homeshare it is important to do background research first, in order to make sure it is the right decision for you. One way to learn about homesharing is by watching our How to Homeshare video series on YouTube. These videos provide an in-depth explanation of the topic and teach people how to complete the process in an efficient and safe way. You can also read our other homesharing blog posts for more information.

Once you have decided you would like to give homesharing a try, it is time to begin looking for a housemate. Home providers, the people looking for someone to rent a space in their home, will begin listing their space. Providers can include our sample Application Form in their listing for potential renters to fill out. Home seekers, those looking for a space to rent, will begin applying to listings or posting about their search. Seekers and providers should be specific about what they are looking for in a housemate in order to attract the right people. To learn more about the details of this step, check out our blog posts about Where to Look for and List Your Homeshare and How to Create a Homeshare Listing That Will Attract the Right Renter.

Once you have posted about your search for a homeshare, you may begin to receive inquiries from interested individuals. If you have posted online, these notifications are likely to be text messages, phone calls, emails, or direct messages through the website you have posted on. Be sure to check these channels regularly so you do not miss the opportunity to connect with a potential housemate. During this step you should try to collect basic background information about the other person.

If you are still interested in a potential housemate after collecting background information about someone, the next step is to set up a phone interview. If you feel comfortable with doing so, you should exchange phone numbers and schedule a time to talk. We have created two free question guides, one for seekers and one for providers. These guides will help both parties ask the right questions to gain a better understanding of whether or not this will be the right homeshare for them. Seekers should ask basic questions about home set up and location, home policies, and privacy expectations. Providers should ask questions about why the seeker is looking for a homeshare, how many people they are hoping to house, and personal habits and schedules. These questions should help expose potential conflicts and allow the seeker and provider to decide if there are any deal breakers early on in the interview process.

If the phone interview went well and you are still interested in continuing with this process, the next step is an in-person interview. You should coordinate a time to meet at a neutral location instead of at the home. Meeting somewhere you can comfortably talk with the other person, such as a coffee shop, is a key step. It is important to make sure the home seeker and provider get along with one another before the seeker grows attached to the home. Using the questions provided in the Smart Share suggested interview questions will help guide the provider and seeker to get to know each other better. This meeting is the perfect opportunity to better understand each other’s general situation, personal habits, work and income status, and storage and privacy expectations. We also recommend bringing along a trusted friend or family member when meeting potential housemates to give you a second set of eyes and increase security.

If both parties are still interested after the in person interview, it may be time to conduct a background check on the other person. These can help you understand more about the other person’s criminal history, credit reports, and rental or eviction history. These checks may be expensive, so in order to avoid wasting money you should be fairly certain this is a real homesharing prospect. Conducting these checks before going to someone’s home or inviting someone into your home can provide a sense of security for both seekers and providers.

If both parties feel the in-person interview was successful and would like to move forward with the homesharing process, the next step is to set up a meeting at the home. During this meeting, the seeker and provider can use the questions provided by Smart Share to get to know each other more intimately and further confirm there are no deal breakers that will prevent this homeshare from being successful. The home provider should also give the seeker a tour of the home. The seeker should be shown the private and shared spaces, and the provider should explain which parts of the home are off limits (if any).

If both parties would still like to move forward after the at-home meeting, the next step may be a trial match. A trial match is when the home seeker stays overnight as a guest in the provider’s house for just a few days. This step allows the seeker and provider to “test drive” what it would be like to actually live together, without fully committing to anything yet. The seeker should bring just an overnight bag with them, they should not move in any belongings yet. No rent is exchanged and no leases are signed.

Trial matches can be particularly effective at exposing any details that did not come up during the previous interviews and meetings. Things such as too much noise or light during the nighttime, pet incompatibilities, etc. are more likely to be brought to light during this step.

Trial matches are not required, and may be difficult to arrange without the support of a third party such as a nonprofit. Both parties should have extreme trust in each other before moving forward with a trial match. If a seeker is trying to bring all their belongings for a trial match, or trying to make it last longer than a couple of nights, then it’s time to put on the breaks and slow things down.

During the trial match the seeker and provider can fill out the Living Together Worksheet. This worksheet will allow both parties to record information in writing. They should also complete the Pre-Agreement Checklist, a form that will ensure both parties have completed what they should have so far. If no trial match occurs, the seeker and provider should find another time to meet and complete these documents. You may also want to watch our video, Starting Your Share Off Right, in order to make sure you have all the information you need.

Once both parties have gone through every necessary step and are certain they have found a compatible housemate, it is time to launch the match! You should put your agreement into writing, using the Living Together Agreement provided by Smart Share, or another rental agreement that works for both parties. The lease agreement should be adjusted to cater to the needs of both the seeker and provider. Both parties should have a signed copy they can refer to at any time. This document should spell out the details of the lease, such as the cost of rent, utility agreements, terms and conditions, home policies, and move out expectations. This should be considered a “living document” and both parties should be open to renegotiation if needed as time goes on. Any alterations to the original document should be agreed upon by both parties and recorded on paper for future reference.

A move-in condition form is also a useful document to have prepared. The home provider should take note of and record the condition of the private and shared spaces that will be available to the renter. The provider should be specific about any existing damages and the seeker should be walked through the space in detail upon move in. This will help both parties be more prepared when it is time to move out, especially when it comes to returning any sort of deposit.

Just because the seeker has moved in does not necessarily mean the work is done. Homesharing is an ongoing process and it may take continuous effort to ensure the match stays successful. One strategy we recommend to clients is scheduling regular check-ins to speak about what is and is not working for both parties. These meetings may be weekly, every other week, or once a month. We recommend choosing a set time that works for both parties to meet in person and sticking to it. These meetings are opportunities for both people to bring up questions, recommendations, or issues that they have noticed. We find these meetings are effective at increasing the success of a share because they create a safe space for both parties to bring up subjects that may otherwise build up inside of them. For more communication tips you can watch our YouTube video Starting Your Share Off Right.

The final homesharing step is the completion of the share, when the seeker moves out of the home. In order to make this process as smooth as possible we recommend the seeker and provider agree upon an exit plan at the beginning of the share. You should both agree upon the expectations for giving notice and how the return of the deposit will be handled. These topics are covered in the the Living Together Worksheet and Agreement, so both parties should have a clear understanding of what the move out process will look like.

Sample Documents: