What Should Matching Cost?

Consider an example: an older adult might ask, "Why would I pay to find someone to live with?"

It is a fair question. If you have lived on a budget for years, or you are living on a fixed income now, paying a fee before you have met anyone can feel backward. Shouldn't the person moving in be paying you?

The answer depends on what the fee buys, who is paying it, and whether there is a free option near you. Here is how to compare them, with the receipts spread out on the kitchen table.

What to know

Costs vary a great deal. Some nonprofit home sharing programs are free to the people they match, because a city, county, foundation, or other funder covers the cost. Online platforms usually charge setup or booking fees. One platform, for example, listed a one-time fee of $95 to $195 plus 2.5% of monthly rent in a presentation to a Maine town¹, and its help center showed the same fees when we checked².

HomeShare Online charges a $125 setup fee. That covers identity verification, a background check, and six months of access, and $50 of it is a refundable deposit. After the first six months, there is an optional $45 renewal. The platform also includes ShareScore, a compatibility score of up to 100, and an agreement template.

Some people also find a match on their own, through friends, family, or a faith community. That costs nothing up front, but you arrange identity checks, background checks, references, and a written agreement yourself.

So free programs, paid platforms, and finding someone yourself are all real options. The question is what each one includes, and which fits your situation.

Why it exists

Matching costs money to do carefully. Someone has to verify that people are who they say they are, run background checks, keep messages secure, answer questions, and help when a match hits a bump.

Someone pays, whether it is the participant, a partner organization, or a funder. When a program is free to you, a grant or public funding is usually covering the work. When a program charges a fee, the cost falls more directly on the people using it.

Why it deserves respect

On a fixed income, every fee counts. Scams often start with a small fee and a big promise, so being wary of paying up front, especially to something new or online, is reasonable.

A trustworthy program should welcome questions about cost and be able to explain exactly where your money goes. If it cannot, that is useful information.

What the evidence tells us

Compare the fee with what it buys. If you found someone on your own, you would pay separately for a background check and spend your own time on identity checks and references. Prices for background checks vary, so compare them with what a program includes.

Then compare the cost with what a match might bring, and what it might not. For a home provider, a match can bring monthly rent that helps with property taxes, insurance, or repairs, but rent is not guaranteed: a match can end, a payment can be late, and a room can sit empty between matches. For a home seeker, a match can cost less than renting alone, depending on the local market.

Outcomes vary by program. In Oregon, where HomeShare America began, 80% of matches reported they were still stably housed six months in. That is a self-reported program figure, not a promise about any one match.

No fee, and no free program, guarantees a good match. What a fee can buy is support and checks you would otherwise arrange yourself. Whether that is worth it depends on your budget and how much of the work you want to do.

If you receive benefits, rent from a home share could affect eligibility for some programs. The answer depends on your program and state. Here is what to ask your benefits office or a free legal help program: Does rent I receive count as income? Does rent I pay change my benefit amount? Do I need to report a new person in my home? If you receive SSI, Social Security explains how it looks at income³.

Ways to lower the barrier

• Ask what the fee covers. Get a clear list: background check, identity verification, support, agreement template, and length of access.
• Ask whether any part is refundable. Some fees include a refundable deposit.
• Ask partner organizations for a discount code. Area Agencies on Aging, housing nonprofits, and other partners sometimes have codes that lower or cover the cost.
• Check for free nonprofit programs first. Your Area Agency on Aging may know of free programs in your area.
• Pay only through official channels. Pay through the program's own website or office, and be wary of anyone who asks for payment by gift card or wire transfer.

Conversation starters

If you are an adult child or friend raising home sharing with an older adult:

• "Let's find out what the fee covers before deciding whether it's worth it."
• "Would it help if I looked for free programs in your area while you look at the paid ones?"
• "If we add it all up and it doesn't make sense for you, that's a fine answer."

If you are an older adult talking with family or caregivers:

• "Here's what I'd pay and what I get for it."
• "The fee includes a background check, which I'd want anyway."
• "I'm not paying anything until I understand exactly where the money goes."

Before you pay anything, know exactly what it buys and whether you would need it anyway.

Home sharing and older adults

Home sharing works at any age. Older adults are one of the fastest-growing groups sharing a home with someone who is not family⁴.

Last reviewed September 25, 2026