[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/homesharing.mp3|titles= Delaware Public Media's Tom Byrne and contributor Eileen Dallabrida discuss the new trends in home sharing]
During his student days at the University of Delaware, Steve Nowak rented an apartment with three guys.
Today, at 51, he is once again sharing living space, renting a suite with a private bath in a two-story colonial in Greenville.
As in his student days, Nowak is saving money by not renting an apartment on his own. But this time around, his financial goal is setting side money for his children’s college education.
“My goal was to keep my expenses down and renting space in a home was an ideal solution,” he says.
Home sharing on the rise
Once the realm of young adults starting out in life, home sharing is growing in popularity with people who are middle-aged and older, fueled by a protracted sour economy as well as social factors, including rising divorce rates in people over 50.
Consider that:
- More than one million single women 45 and older live with a roommate who is not a relative, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
- Last year, New Jersey launched a program to match homeowners willing to rent out rooms with people who were still displaced after Hurricane Sandy.
- In Maryland, the Golden Girls Network, named for the TV series that featured four senior housemates, is building a database of older women who want to share homes.
- In the United Kingdom, home sharing is soaring as empty nesters bolster their nest eggs with rental income.
Nowak looked at renting space in a home after he separated from his wife in November 2013, reflecting a growing trend among baby boomers. While overall divorce rates are slightly down, divorce in the 50-and-older set has doubled since 1990, according to a census analysis at Bowling Green State University.
“My priority was being close to my old house so that I could spend time with my kids,” he says.
Nowak pays $725 a month for a suite accessed by the back staircase, which he says is about $300 a month less than apartments in the area. His space includes a bedroom, adjoining sitting room, an anteroom and private bath. A second lodger has a similar setup. The two men and the homeowner share the kitchen and a laundry room.
“We are very respectful of not leaving clothes in the washer, like we did when we were in college,” Nowak says.
Kowak says the respect goes both ways. His landlord, Arnold McKay gives the housemates lots of privacy and they often get together to share meals or watch movies
“It’s like living in a very nice bed-and-breakfast,” Nowak says. “Our landlord doesn’t call us tenants. He calls us guests.”
He found his rental suite by responding to a post on Craigslist. There are a few rules of the house, including no smoking and no pets. The landlord pays for utilities, maintenance and other expenses, such as snow removal.
“The only downside is I would like to have my dog with me,” Nowak says. “So I visit him when I see my family.”
Matching up home providers with seekers
HomeSharing, Inc., an agency in New Jersey, screens and matches home providers with seekers based on needs and compatibility. Some live-in landlords offer discounts on rent in exchange for services, such as small home repairs and driving.
“Most of our seekers are individuals, although we do have couples, single parents with children and even families,” says Lisa Blum, executive director. “Some of our providers have been downsized from jobs and need this in order to avoid foreclosure. Others just enjoy having company.”
Homeowners and renters sign agreements outlining such basics as when the rent is due and how much notice either party must give before moving out.
“It can even be as specific as how long dishes can be left in the sink,” Blum says.
Currently, home sharers range in age from 19 to 92. A number are immigrants, such as the nurse from Africa who shares a home with a social worker from India.
“One woman wanted to hire someone to clean the house but the other did not,” Blum says. “So they made an agreement in which one woman does the cleaning and the other housemate pays her for the work.”
Homeowners cash in on trend
The trend toward taking in lodgers has taken off in Britain, particularly among retirees whose children are grown and on their own. The number of homeowners over 50 who rent out space has risen 41 percent in the past two years, according to data from SpareRoom.co.uk, a service that matches people who are looking for space with homeowners willing to rent.
The number of live-in landlords aged 55-64 was the highest of any age group, a soaring 93 percent.
SpareRoom calculates that homeowners over 65 who take in boarders boost their lifetime retirement income by the equivalent of $215,380 by renting out one spare bedroom. In London, where rents are much higher, the payoff would be $295,199.
Ed Weirauch began renting rooms in his spacious home in Wilmington’s Cool Spring neighborhood to smooth out the financial ups and downs he was experiencing as a self-employed media and communications consultant.
Several of his housemates have been attracted by the flexibility of renting by the week or month-to-month, such as a post-doctoral student at UD who needed a home base while he was house hunting. Several cyclists in town for the Wilmington Grand Prix rented rooms for the weekend.
Most of his lodgers are in transition, such as the trainer who moved to Delaware from Missouri to take a job at New Castle Airport. He rented from Weirauch while his wife and son stayed behind to sell their house. A banker works in Wilmington during the week and goes home to his wife and children in Virginia on weekends.
“Many nights, we will have dinner together and that has been a pleasant experience,” Weirauch says. “The only challenge has been that I am not a great sleeper and one of the guys gets up at 5 o’clock in the morning.”
Nowak sees a growing trend of home sharing as baby boomers and younger retirees look for creative ways to make good use of their resources, which often include large homes. He also appreciates the sense of community he has established with his housemates.
“I have several female friends who are divorced and struggling to pay the bills and manage things like shoveling snow,” he says. “Once you get past the hurdle of having someone you aren’t related to in your house it makes sense to rent out a room or two.”
That said, middle-age adults who want to share homes are looking for more privacy than they likely had with college roommates.
When he was first separated, Nowak spent a few weeks with a friend in a home with a shared bath.
“It was a bit awkward,” he recalls. “I think having your own bath is the key to successful home sharing.