Stay in the home you love - with a trusted roommate.
HomeMatch is built for older adults who have a spare bedroom and want company, extra income, and a little help around the house. You stay in charge, always.
A spare room can ease the month - and bring the right person home.
Property taxes, utilities, and groceries keep climbing while a fixed income stays flat. If you own your home and have a bedroom you're not using, that room can become steady monthly income - or, if you'd rather trade rent for help around the house, a way to get support without hiring a stranger.
You choose the arrangement: set your own rent, or offer discounted or free living space to a verified renter who's willing to pitch in with light household help. In return, they get affordable housing they couldn't otherwise find on their own. Everyone wins.
Rent set by you
Add real income each month, on your terms.
Or trade rent for help
Discount or waive rent in exchange for agreed household contributions.
Written into the agreement
Rent, contributions, and rules are captured clearly - no gray area.
Set your own rules and rent
You decide the room, the price, the house rules, and whether household contributions are part of the arrangement.
Only verified renters can reach you
Every renter completes identity and background verification before they can send you a message.
Meet on your terms
Start with a video introduction. Invite a family member. Meet in a public place before anyone visits your home.
A written agreement, every time
Our guided agreement builder captures rent, contributions, and rules so both sides know what to expect.
Reasonable help, clearly agreed - never caregiving.
Hosts can request small, well-defined household contributions in exchange for reduced rent. All contributions are written into your agreement so both sides know exactly what's expected.
Allowed
- Shared meals
- Grocery pickup
- Light cleaning
- Technology help
- Pet company
- Yard help
- Taking out trash
- Occasional transportation
Not allowed
- Medical care or nursing
- Medication administration
- Bathing or toileting help
- Lifting or transferring
- Continuous supervision
- Unlicensed professional caregiving
Renters on HomeMatch are roommates, not nurses, home health aides, or caregivers. Arrangements requiring medical or personal care aren't allowed on the platform.
Fixed income, discounts, and trading rent for help.
Straightforward answers for homeowners weighing whether to charge rent, discount it, or waive it in exchange for light household help.
- I'm on a fixed income. How can hosting actually help?
- A spare bedroom on Room With Purpose can add a few hundred to over a thousand dollars a month, depending on your city and the room. That's often the difference between stretching a Social Security check and breathing easier. You set the rent - we don't take a cut of it.
- What if I don't need extra money, but I could use help around the house?
- You can offer a discounted or free room in exchange for agreed household contributions. A common arrangement: full rent might be $900 in your area, you offer the room for $400 in exchange for weekly grocery pickup, help with trash and recycling, and one shared meal a week.
- Can I offer the room completely free?
- Yes. Some hosts waive rent entirely in exchange for a defined set of household contributions - for example, driving to weekly appointments, yard work in season, and evening company a few nights a week. The exchange is written into your agreement so both sides know exactly what's expected.
- What can I ask a renter to help with?
- Light, well-defined household tasks: grocery runs, cooking or shared meals, light cleaning, laundry help, taking out trash, yard work, tech help, pet company, and occasional rides. You cannot ask for medical care, medication, bathing, lifting, or continuous supervision - those are caregiving, not roommate help.
- How many hours of help is reasonable to ask for?
- A useful rule of thumb: value each hour of help at roughly $15-$25 depending on your area, and discount rent accordingly. A $400 rent discount usually maps to around 4-6 hours of help per week. Keep it specific in the agreement - 'Tuesday grocery pickup and Sunday dinner' beats 'help out around the house.'
- What if the arrangement stops working?
- Your agreement includes a notice period (30 days is typical) that either side can use to end the arrangement, no explanation required. If contributions aren't happening as agreed, you can revisit the rent, adjust the contributions, or give notice.
- Does trading rent for help affect my taxes or benefits?
- It can. Rental income is generally taxable, and a below-market or in-kind arrangement may be treated differently. If you receive means-tested benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, property tax relief), talk to a tax preparer or benefits counselor before you start - a short conversation now avoids surprises later.
A little help, big peace of mind.
An adult child or trusted family member can help you set up your profile, review matches, and join video introductions - with your permission.
Start your listing