Terms of UseHow to Live Rent Free Explore this Article methods 1 Using Work Opportunities 2 Staying in Your Place Rent-Free 3 Finding Other Places to Stay Other Sections Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Co-authored by wikiHow Staff
Last Updated: September 30, 2020 References
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 12,634 times.
Living rent-free is a great option if you are in a pinch or if you want to save for a financial goal. There are work opportunities that offer a free place to stay, and you can also rent out your space to subsidize your own expenses. In addition, consider staying with friends or family members to save on rent. With some collaboration and communication, you can find a place to live rent-free whether for a few weeks or a few years.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Using Work Opportunities
1 House-sit or pet-sit to take advantage of a free place to stay. If someone is going on vacation or business for an extended period of time, they often look for trustworthy people to watch over their homes and/or pets. Search online for house-sitting or pet-sitting gigs, and inform your friends and family that you are available when they are away.[1]XResearch source
In some cases, you can stay in the person’s home for free while they are away.
You may not get paid on top of your free place to stay, but this can cover your rent at a minimum.
You may have to keep track of the mail, water the plants, and take a dog for a walk, for instance.
2 Work for an accommodations company such as a hostel or hotel. Ask hotel and hostel companies if they offer free rent in exchange for work on a full-time or part-time basis. If the hotel is understaffed or looking for ways to save money, they may take you up on your offer.[2]XResearch source
In addition, you can apply for property management jobs with apartment companies. Many offer rent discounted or free for the job.
This does not oftentimes work with large, corporate hotel chains. Try private companies instead.
Some of your duties may include housekeeping and administrative tasks.
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3 Consider working as a live-in nanny. If you like children and babies, the career of a nanny may be great for you. Some nanny jobs offer live-in arrangements, where you have your own quarters in the family’s home. This way, you can be close at hand in case the child needs anything. You can find nanny jobs by applying online.[3]XResearch source
You can nanny for infants and young children, depending on your personal preferences.
4 Share a home with an elderly person in exchange for rent. If you enjoy the company of the elderly, there are home share opportunities, where you have your own quarters in an elderly individual’s home in exchange for helping with household tasks. To find available arrangements, search online or contact local nursing homes.[4]XResearch source
In these instances, you provide company for the elderly individual while saving on your expenses.
Typical duties include cleaning, cooking, running errands, and taking care of repairs.
5 Be a resident assistant if you are a college student. If you are currently in college, consider signing up to be a resident assistant. You can get free room and board in exchange for supervising the residents in the dorm. To do this, you need to be a responsible individual who can commit at least 10-20 hours per week.[5]XResearch source
In addition, some boarding schools employ resident advisors who work full-time managing the students.
To find these opportunities, look online at the school or university’s website, or ask your resident director.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Staying in Your Place Rent-Free
1 List a spare room on Airbnb to cover your rent. Airbnb is an online hospitality service where you can offer your room for short-term lease or rentals. This is a popular service for people looking to vacation or travel for work. You can stay in your own room while renting out an extra bedroom or living space. You can rent an extra space in your house or property by signing up at https://www.airbnb.com/host/homes?from_nav=1. Use the income you make with Airbnb to cover your own rent and living expenses.[6]XResearch source
The larger of a space you have to rent, the more potential money you can make.
2 Rent a house yourself and charge more for the spare bedrooms. If you have a place with at least 2 bedrooms, sign the lease by yourself and find another roommate to cover the additional room(s). Charge more for the other room so you can pay less or nothing for your own rent. This way, you can stay in your own house for free.[7]XResearch source
For instance, if your 3 bedroom space costs $1200 to rent out, you can charge 2 roommates $600 each per month. That way, you don’t have to pay a dime for rent.
Since your roommate is going to be paying for the rent, make sure you're carrying your weight by cleaning around the house, taking care of the lawn, and managing rent and utility payments.
You can ask your friends and family if they know someone looking for a place or post an ad on Craigslist. Be sure to meet the person before they move in so you can approve of them.
3 Sublet your space for more money and stay elsewhere. If you own or rent a property, consider subletting your personal space. Find a roommate for your room, and crash with your friends or family members instead. You can save your rent money each month rather than paying for a room of your own. If you have a roommate, notify them of your plan before you find a subletter.[8]XResearch source
For instance, if you have a 2 bedroom apartment, find 1 person to rent your room rather than staying there yourself. If your apartment costs $1000 a month, you can charge the subletters $600 a month to make extra money. Be sure your roommate approves of the subletter before they move in.
If you own your own property or if your roommates approve, you can try to sublet all of the rooms in your place.
4 Live in your car or RV for a rent-free option. If you want a temporary rent-free solution, consider converting your car into a home on wheels. In addition, if your vehicle can tow a trailer, you can invest in an RV to live in a motorhome. While both require money to maintain, fuel, and insure, it costs a whole lot less than renting a place of your own.[9]XResearch source
You can park your car or RV on a friend’s property or stay at Wal-Mart and rest stops for free.
Wal-Mart allows travelers to sleep in their parking lot for free. At other storefronts, staying overnight could be considered trespassing. You can sleep at Wal-Mart knowing you are permitted to be there.
You can stay at campgrounds for a small daily or weekly fee.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Finding Other Places to Stay
1 Move into your parents' house if they let you. This will help you save on living expenses. Save money for a place of your own when you're there, deciding whether to rent or buy a home. You can stay in your childhood home or convert the basement into your own personal pad.[10]XResearch source
Some parents may charge you a small fee for living space, but this will surely be cheaper than a lease with monthly payments.
To ask your parents, say something like, "Hey Mom, are you using the extra bedroom in the basement for anything in particular? If not, do you mind if I stay there for awhile?"
You can also offer to help clean around the house to sweeten the deal.
2 Stay with a relative and do chores in exchange for rent. If you have a relative with a spare room or floor of a house, ask them if you can stay there for a bit. To sweeten the deal, offer to maintain chores around the house instead of paying for rent each month.[11]XResearch source
You can ask your grandparents, aunt, or uncle, for instance.
Help around the house with things like snow removal, weeding, and taking out the trash.
3 Crash at your friend's house for a short-term solution. If you are in need of a place to stay for a few days, weeks, or months, ask your friends or relatives if you can sleep on their couch or spare bed. While this is an easy way to sleep somewhere rent-free, avoid staying too long so you don’t seem like a mooch.[12]XResearch source
An acceptable amount of time to stay will depend on your particular friends and family member’s requests. Ask them how long you can stay to clarify.
4 Couch-surf with strangers via the internet if you need a place to stay. To find places with open couches or beds, visit https://www.couchsurfing.com/. Here housing hosts post their couches or spare bedrooms for travelers to use free of charge. Go online to connect with hosts and book your stay. This is a great way to meet people from different areas![13]XResearch source
If you are concerned about safety, you can read the host's references and reviews, and you can send the host a message before you book your stay.
5 Stay at a campground for free or discounted accommodations. Search online to find campsites in your area. You can find free campsites online, and other privately owned campsites only require a small fee. This is a great way to save on rent for a while. Sleep in a tent, in your car, or in an RV.[14]XResearch source
Staying at a campground may not be the best long-term option unless you have an RV.
To find free campsites, try visiting https://freecampsites.net/.
Some campsites costs between $10-40 a night. There are also discounted weekly rates available.
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Expert Q&A
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Tips
If you are living with other people, try to be polite, friendly, and clean as much as you can. Don’t leave messes for them to clean up, and respect their home and personal space. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Warnings
If you are finding roommates offline or looking for places to stay for cheap, use your best judgment and caution when making decisions. If something seems like a red flag, it usually is. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Co-authored by: wikiHow Staff wikiHow Staff Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 12,634 times. 5 votes - 60% Co-authors: 6 Updated: September 30, 2020 Views: 12,634 
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532 
1 House-sit or pet-sit to take advantage of a free place to stay. If someone is going on vacation or business for an extended period of time, they often look for trustworthy people to watch over their homes and/or pets. Search online for house-sitting or pet-sitting gigs, and inform your friends and family that you are available when they are away.[1] 
2 Work for an accommodations company such as a hostel or hotel. Ask hotel and hostel companies if they offer free rent in exchange for work on a full-time or part-time basis. If the hotel is understaffed or looking for ways to save money, they may take you up on your offer.[2] 
3 Consider working as a live-in nanny. If you like children and babies, the career of a nanny may be great for you. Some nanny jobs offer live-in arrangements, where you have your own quarters in the family’s home. This way, you can be close at hand in case the child needs anything. You can find nanny jobs by applying online.[3] 
4 Share a home with an elderly person in exchange for rent. If you enjoy the company of the elderly, there are home share opportunities, where you have your own quarters in an elderly individual’s home in exchange for helping with household tasks. To find available arrangements, search online or contact local nursing homes.[4] 
5 Be a resident assistant if you are a college student. If you are currently in college, consider signing up to be a resident assistant. You can get free room and board in exchange for supervising the residents in the dorm. To do this, you need to be a responsible individual who can commit at least 10-20 hours per week.[5] 
1 List a spare room on Airbnb to cover your rent. Airbnb is an online hospitality service where you can offer your room for short-term lease or rentals. This is a popular service for people looking to vacation or travel for work. You can stay in your own room while renting out an extra bedroom or living space. You can rent an extra space in your house or property by signing up at https://www.airbnb.com/host/homes?from_nav=1. Use the income you make with Airbnb to cover your own rent and living expenses.[6] 
2 Rent a house yourself and charge more for the spare bedrooms. If you have a place with at least 2 bedrooms, sign the lease by yourself and find another roommate to cover the additional room(s). Charge more for the other room so you can pay less or nothing for your own rent. This way, you can stay in your own house for free.[7] 
3 Sublet your space for more money and stay elsewhere. If you own or rent a property, consider subletting your personal space. Find a roommate for your room, and crash with your friends or family members instead. You can save your rent money each month rather than paying for a room of your own. If you have a roommate, notify them of your plan before you find a subletter.[8] 
4 Live in your car or RV for a rent-free option. If you want a temporary rent-free solution, consider converting your car into a home on wheels. In addition, if your vehicle can tow a trailer, you can invest in an RV to live in a motorhome. While both require money to maintain, fuel, and insure, it costs a whole lot less than renting a place of your own.[9] 
1 Move into your parents' house if they let you. This will help you save on living expenses. Save money for a place of your own when you're there, deciding whether to rent or buy a home. You can stay in your childhood home or convert the basement into your own personal pad.[10] 
2 Stay with a relative and do chores in exchange for rent. If you have a relative with a spare room or floor of a house, ask them if you can stay there for a bit. To sweeten the deal, offer to maintain chores around the house instead of paying for rent each month.[11] 
3 Crash at your friend's house for a short-term solution. If you are in need of a place to stay for a few days, weeks, or months, ask your friends or relatives if you can sleep on their couch or spare bed. While this is an easy way to sleep somewhere rent-free, avoid staying too long so you don’t seem like a mooch.[12] 
4 Couch-surf with strangers via the internet if you need a place to stay. To find places with open couches or beds, visit https://www.couchsurfing.com/. Here housing hosts post their couches or spare bedrooms for travelers to use free of charge. Go online to connect with hosts and book your stay. This is a great way to meet people from different areas![13] 
5 Stay at a campground for free or discounted accommodations. Search online to find campsites in your area. You can find free campsites online, and other privately owned campsites only require a small fee. This is a great way to save on rent for a while. Sleep in a tent, in your car, or in an RV.[14]