SMCHousingSearch.org | Shared Housing in San Mateo

A free service to list and find housing and apartments throughout San Mateo County.

What Is Home Sharing?

Home sharing is a living arrangement in which two or more persons share a home or an apartment, helping to reduce the housing costs of both parties. Each person has a private room with shared or private bath and shares common living areas together.

Who Home Shares?

A home sharer might be a senior, a person with a disability, a working professional, someone at risk of homelessness, a single parent, or simply a person wishing to share his or her life and home with others.

Why Home Share?

Home sharing offers companionship, affordable housing, security, mutual support and much more.
The community benefits from Home Sharing. Shared living makes efficient use of existing housing stock, helps preserve the fabric of the neighborhood and, in certain cases, helps to lessen the need for costly chore/care services and long term institutional care.
Home-sharing programs can offer a secure alternative to finding a housemate. Many programs have staff who are trained to carefully screen each program applicant through interviewing, background checking, and personal references, facilitation of Living Together Agreements and assistance with conflict resolution.

Home Sharing in San Mateo County

In San Mateo County, HIP Housing, a non-profit organization, offers a home-sharing program free of charge. Two types of home sharing arrangements can be facilitated: a rent exchange and a service exchange.
In a rent exchange, a housemate moves in and pays rent.
In a service exchange, the housemate provides assistance such as help with cooking, cleaning or companionship in lieu of rent or for reduced rent.
Shared-housing listings on SMCHousingSearch.org show home-sharing opportunities from HIP Housing's program along with other independent shared-housing listings posted by others. For more information about HIP Housing's listings, please contact 650-348-6660 x 303.

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