“A home is not a place… it’s a feeling.”
That’s a quote from author Cecilia Ahern’s book, “Love, Rosie.”
Sadly, the difficulty of owning or renting a home isn’t a feeling.
It’s a reality.
Analysis by real estate brokers Streeteasy and Zillow revealed that rental costs went up by 30.4% from 2019 to 2023. The surge in rent outpaced the increase in wages, which only grew by 20.2%.
A 2024 study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University summed up the reality of renting homes in the U.S. in one word.
Unaffordable.
Under these conditions, it’s no surprise that people look for ways to live rent-free.
Is it possible?
8 Practical Tips and Strategies to Live Rent-Free
The answer is… YES!
Living rent-free sounds like a crazy idea. You might think we’re insane if we told you it’s possible to live rent-free AND make money.
“How?”
Read our guide on the best ways to live rent-free. At the end of the article, we’ll explain why it’s okay to live a rent-free lifestyle and how it could change your life for the better.
1. Rent Out Space
Renting out space is a smart cost-saving strategy you can apply in various situations. You can choose to:
- Buy a home on loan and rent enough rooms to cover monthly amortization.
- Buy a duplex on loan and rent the other half to cover monthly amortization.
- Rent a two to three-bedroom apartment and lease the other rooms to cover monthly rent.
- Rent out your home and live in an apartment.
The obvious risk in these strategies is if the lessee(s) can’t pay rent on time.
Protect yourself by incorporating the following safeguards:
- Properly screen all prospective tenants/lessees by asking them to present their latest credit reports.
- Require the prospective tenant to pay a security deposit equivalent to two months’ rent and one month’s advance rental.
- Hire a lawyer to prepare a rock-solid lease agreement that covers all the bases.
- Utilize tenant screening software such as FirstAdvantage, RentPrep, and TransUnion Smart Move to check if the prospect has a criminal record, is facing lawsuits, or is involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
If you don’t think qualifying tenants is important, watch Netflix’s “Worst Roommate Ever” series! 😬
2. Live-In Working Arrangement
Look for jobs that provide board and lodging with your employment.
Here’s a shortlist of jobs with living accommodations:
- Property Manager: As the person in charge of running the daily operations of an apartment or condominium complex, you’ll be accorded live-in privileges to ensure you’re available whenever tenants need you.
- Travel Nurses: Travel Nurses are nurses who are assigned to a hospital located in another city, state, or region. Hospitals that accept travel nurses provide living accommodations.
- Caregiver: As a caregiver, you have the option of staying at the home of the elderly person you’re assigned to care for. In addition to administering healthcare, caregivers are also hired to provide companionship.
- Childcare: A nanny is a person who provides childcare services. If parents have minors and are frequently busy at work, they would prefer to hire a stay-in nanny.
- English Teacher (in a foreign country): Some schools and companies that hire English teachers will take care of your living accommodations. This job is a wonderful opportunity to see the world and experience culture while getting paid well!
- On-site Security: Businesses where operations run 24 hours a day have built-in quarters for their security. Also, affluent families concerned with safety will employ 24-hour security that includes board and lodging.
Some jobs offer free board and lodging in exchange for services. Some companies will pay an allowance for food and daily living expenses.
These include:
- Groundskeeper/Landscaper: Do you remember Kato Kaelin? He worked as the groundskeeper and landscaper to live rent-free in the celebrity’s posh Brentwood mansion in Los Angeles.
The celebrity? O.J. Simpson. 😯
- Resident Assistant: Are you a college student with skills in conflict resolution, organization, and planning? Become a Resident Assistant (RA) in your college and live rent-free in a dormitory.
- Farm Hand: Farming is a labor-intensive industry. Agricultural businesses offer opportunities to live on a farm rent-free in exchange for farm work.
These jobs don’t pay much or any at all, but at least you have a roof over your head, and you don’t have to worry about paying next month’s rent.
3. Become a Volunteer
The Peace Corps is a program of the U.S. government that provides foreign aid to developing nations.
Likewise, the Peace Corps helps these countries in education, healthcare, technology, environmental protection, and community development by sending skilled personnel to impart the required knowledge and training.
If you have these skills, apply as a Volunteer in the Peace Corps. You get to see the other side of the world, experience a different culture, and live rent-free.
Earlier, we discussed how some farms offer free boarding and lodging in exchange for working as a farmhand.
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an international organization that connects volunteers with organic farms.
Earn your accommodations on the farm by putting in four to six hours of work daily. Some of your tasks include feeding the animals, chopping wood, and gardening.
4. Experience Camp or Commune Life
Jason Momoa got paid $15 million for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”… and lives in an RV parked in his friend’s yard.
Okay, Jason’s RV is the luxurious EarthRoamer, but it proves you can have a good, rent-free life in the great outdoors.
You can find many campsites across the country where you can park and live inside your car or van.
These campsites are publicly owned lands without electricity, water, and sewer systems. Most don’t have restrooms or trash services.
Another option is to join a commune.
A commune is a group of people with shared interests or ideologies. They set up a community where everyone lives rent-free but shares various responsibilities to support the commune.
For example, you might be tasked with growing organic vegetables or feeding the animals.
Sir Richard Branson was part of a London-based commune in 1969. The lad didn’t turn out too bad! 💰
5. Become a House or Pet Sitter
Families or couples might leave town for a few weeks and need a house sitter to care for their homes and other responsibilities.
The rent-free living situation is temporary – one week to a month – but you will get paid, and the family will take care of your food and other expenses.
The scope of responsibilities as a housesitter might include the following:
- Cleaning
- Maintenance work
- Collecting mail
- Paying the bills
- Watering the plants
- Managing inventory
- Security of the premises
If the family has a pet, the scope of work will include pet sitting. 🐶 Initially, the pet might have trust issues and not respond favorably to you.
Before you accept the job, ask the homeowner if they have pets. If the answer is yes, request to spend time with the pet before the family leaves for vacation.
6. Work in the Hospitality Industry
The hospitality industry casts a wide net. It covers businesses engaged in travel and tourism. Hotels, resorts, bed ‘n’ breakfasts, motels, cruise liners, and casinos are some of the businesses that offer jobs with live-in accommodations.
Hotel chains such as the Hilton and Marriott invest in housing facilities for their staff, especially those from foreign countries. These facilities are located near the hotel to ensure the staff don’t report late for their shifts.
Working on a cruise ship is a fun way to see the world, get paid, and live rent-free.
Like a hotel, a cruise ship would need various skills to manage the different areas of responsibility.
Here’s a list of positions that a cruise ship might need:
- Waiters
- Cooks
- Bartenders
- Photographers
- Room cleaners
- Retail store salespeople
- Entertainment (Band, singers, dancers, and acrobats)
- Fitness trainers
If you have the skills, get the paperwork together and see if you get hired.
Living at sea isn’t a permanent arrangement. A sea-based work contract can range from four to 10 months. The key is to perform well on the job so you can get hired again after a few months.
7. Apply for the Government’s Housing Assistance Program
The Housing Choice Voucher Program by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was established to provide housing assistance to citizens with low-income, disabilities, and the elderly.
Also called “Section 8,” the HUD offers vouchers to pay all or a portion of your rent. The vouchers are managed by the local Public Housing Authority (PHA).
If you meet the qualifications for the program, the federal government can provide you with rental money for an apartment, townhouse, or residential home. The program is available for U.S. residents and immigrants.
Contact your local PHA to find out if you qualify for the program.
8. Live With Your Parents
Moving in with your parents is just a temporary situation. You need time to assess your financial circumstances and develop an economic recovery plan.
It’s unlikely that parents will say “no” to their children. They would love to spend time with you!
Be ready for your parents to lay down conditions such as helping around the house or contributing to the monthly household bills. After all, an extra mouth to feed will lead to higher utility costs.
Record producer, former American Idol judge, and current America’s Got Talent judge, Simon Cowell, moved back to his parents when he went broke.
Is it Possible to Live Rent-Free Forever?
No.
There’s no stability and assurances for living in rent-free conditions.
- Your tenants might not pay rent on time.
- The bank might increase the interest rate charged on your loan.
- Private investors could buy the campsite.
- The commune might not sustain itself.
- Volunteering and housesitting are short-term living arrangements.
- The hospitality industry has a high employee turnover rate of 5.5%.
Life happens.
If you get married and have kids, the opportunities for rent-free living become more unlikely, risky, and costly.
Likewise, it’s not a good look for potential employers and creditors if they find out you’re living rent-free on a campsite, a commune, or with your parents.
Living rent-free is an opportunity to earn and save money for your future home – a place you can call your own and plant roots with your family.
If you decide to rent out space, work abroad as an English teacher, or find work in the hospitality industry, you can save a lot of money.
Why?
Because you don’t have to spend for the biggest cost item on the budget – Rent.
However, it’s important to practice smart money management:
- Spend wisely
- Save consistently
- Manage your debts
- Track your expenses
- Create a budget
- Invest if you can
The easiest and most convenient way to monitor your spending habits is with Cushion.
Cushion has budgeting tools that monitor, record, and analyze your spending habits in the last six months. You’ll have historical data to help you decide which expenses to cut or streamline to generate more savings.
Manage your monthly budget and pay your bills on time, and you’ll build a healthy credit score. An impressive credit score will come in handy if you decide to apply for a home loan in the future.
