30 Ways to Live Rent Free
We’ve shared lots of unique ideas for living rent free below, but not all are a walk in the park. Some of the ideas are reminders that jobs with free housing are still quite common. For example, you can live rent free as a nanny, a caretaker, a property manager, in exchange for a special skill set you have, as a home health worker, and quite a few other ways. Jobs with free housing can be part-time or full-time and usually also come with a salary or monthly stipend. Don’t want to work at all? Then look through our list for a better fit for that goal. If you don’t see anything that you like, maybe Jobs for Couples would have ideas more up your alley.
Your fitness level, age, and interests may limit your access to some of these ideas. Remember retirement or opting out of the workforce can begin very early for some people and this list is not intended as a one size fits all. Be creative in your approach, maybe combining a few ideas to buy an inexpensive piece of perked unrestricted land to put your RV or tiny house on, and rent some of the land to another tiny house.
How and where you live can be a huge part of your overall well-being. Don’t get into a situation that doesn’t seem legitimate, or otherwise gives you pause.
Living rent free can be long term, but very often requires a lot of short term hops to assignments or locations. To live rent free without a lot of responsibility may take a bit of capital and the willingness to consider lots of creative approaches. See if you think any of the ideas below are rent-free living without too much free work expected.
We’ve included some Google and/or craigslist search terms that may help you find a particular kind of rent free living when there is less likelihood that kind will be published on large, well-known sites. Upfront costs indicated for some types of free rent lodging refer to the purchase of a particular type of housing, or a fee to join a website to find listings, not costs related to taxes, travel, or other expenses.
Storage Facility Resident Manager
Many storage facilities have a small manager’s apartment included with the salary offered. Typically some weekends and holidays are required as well as regular facility hours. With the advent of automation these roles are diminishing but still commonly found at smaller and older facilities. Duties usually include collecting rent, showing options to new renters, cleaning vacated units, maintaining the appearance of the facility and lots of little administrative tasks and reporting.
Image of manager’s apt. courtesy of SelfStorage blog
Typical Housing: Apartment attached to storage facility office
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $25,000-$50,000
Actual Storage Manager Job Search Results from Indeed, WorkingCouples
Google or Craigslist Search Keywords: storage manager housing included, resident storage manager, or live on-site storage manager
Long-Term House Sitting
Typical Housing: Over-garage apartment, in-law suite, or use of client’s home
Upfront Cost: $25-$75 registration fees on house sitting sites
Salary Range: from nothing at all, to a monthly stipend, this varies widely
Actual House Sitting Job Search Results from TrustedHouseSitters, HouseSittersAmerica, HouseSitter, LuxuryHouseSitting, MindMyHouse
Elder Care Support
Typical Housing: Room and private bath in client’s home, servant quarters
Upfront Cost: $50-$150 registration fees on senior care sites
Salary Range: $25,000-$85,000
Actual Elder Care Job Search Results from Care, Indeed
Recreational Vehicle
Owning an RV outright can be an easy way to rid yourself of a monthly rental or real estate loan payment for housing. Living in a motor home can be as stationary or mobile as you’d like it to be. Some people stay all year in one place, while others follow the weather. Finding free places to park long-term can be challenging but we personally know several who do it successfully. Often RVers use their flexible housing to follow seasonal jobs around the country, some of which offer free parking of their recreational vehicle as part of the package. Others want their spot to be totally free and free of most work and park their RV with friendly hosts across the country. Whether you choose a traditional park, a job that comes with parking, or “boondock” on free to access spots is up to you.
Image of boondocking RV courtesy GoRVing
Typical Housing: Entire paid off recreational vehicle
Upfront Cost: $2,000 and up, rustic all the way to high-end luxury is possible, and maybe some application fees to free camping spot list services
Salary Range: none
RV Purchase Search Sites: craigslist, RVTrader, RVUSA, RVT,
RV Parking Search Sites: BoondockersWelcome, RV-Camping, Escapees
University Resident Adviser or Assistant
Typical Housing: Room and private bath in college resident’s hall or building
Upfront cost: none
Salary Range: $12,000-$35,000
Actual RA Job Search Results from Indeed, HigherEdJobs
Google Search Keywords: residence hall manager
Organic Farm Worker
Typical Housing: Cabin, small house, worker dormitory, or in some cases private room in owner’s home
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: from none, to $9 an hour an up
Actual Organic Farm Job Search Results from WWOOFUSA, WorkAway
Houseboat and Floating Home Living
Houseboats are often much cheaper than houses if you know how to look for one, and are willing to buy used. Once you pay off your houseboat you are essentially rent free, and we include it here as a free rent option because it’s doable for most income levels. Many of the places you can anchor a houseboat charge lot rent; which would go against the goal of being completely rent free but it’s usually so low compared to actual rent you might decide to opt for that solution. The upside to paying lot rent is that it typically includes some services and amenities you won’t have on your own. If you decide you want totally free living, it will be a lot more difficult, but start researching free places to dock your houseboat anyway, and go from there. Working part-time at a marina that has houseboat docking is a good place to start.
Image courtesy of 4SearchImages
Typical Housing: Entire paid off houseboat
Upfront Cost: $5,000 and up, sky’s the limit
Salary Range: none
Houseboat Purchase Search Sites: craigslist, BoatTrader, iBoats, BoatCrazy
Houseboat Boat Slip Search Sites: SnagaSlip
Google Search Keywords: houseboat dock rental, houseboat slip, houseboat marina
Boarding and Rooming Houses
Typical Housing: Cabin, small house, worker dormitory, or in some cases private room in owner’s home
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $24,000-$40,000
Find Boarding House Job Search Places: Google and city specific newspaper classified are your best shot
Google Search Keywords: rooming house manager, boarding house manager, co-housing manager
Au Pair or Nanny
Typical Housing: Suite of rooms in client’s house, staff quarters, basement or garage apartment
Upfront Cost: $25-$50 to join nanny and childcare provider network job sites
Salary Range: none to $25,000-$75,000+
Actual Nanny Job Search Results from Indeed, Care, HouseholdStaffingInternational, ZipRecruiter
Google or Craigslist Search Keywords: live in childcare job, nanny housing provided, live in au pair
Property Caretaker
Caretaking can be a lot of fun, but is a bit more demanding than house sitting. Like house sitting, travel is usually required to whatever destination someone needs a lodger to look after their property and or business interest. Most of the really long term assignments seem to be in Europe and South America. Gap time is something to have a plan for…jobs don’t always neatly overlap. The most desirable positions for our purposes would be long-term with private housing provided so there is no moving out when the owner visits. Caretakers are sometimes just a physical presence to keep a property looking lived in, but more frequently are doing lots of chores and tasks; taking care of pets, buildings, and grounds. Examine caretaking opportunities carefully and don’t sign up for something you know you won’t do well. Your reputation and success on the assignment is what will get you the next gig, or a nice long extension from an owner that likes having you around. Some caretaking opportunities expand into small house or RV parking access, especially when the owners have lots of land and a consistent need for support doing chores and improvements. Most caretaking jobs are found on websites exclusively for house sitting and caretaking opportunities.
Caretaker needed job posting courtesy of NewsTribune
Typical Housing: Over-garage apartment, in-law suite, use of client’s home, estate manager house
Upfront Cost: $25-$100 to join caretaking network job sites
Salary Range: none to $5,000-$75,000+
Actual Caretaker Job Search Results from CaretakerGazette, HouseCarers, WorkingCouples, CaretakerJobs, ZipRecruiter, HouseholdStaffingInternational, EstateJobs, EstateStaffing
Google Search Keywords: live in property caretaker, caretaking job for couple, estate manager needed, live in position
Resort Hotel Manager or Hospitality Manager
Typical Housing: Full apartment-like suite at resort
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $35,000-100,000+
Actual Resort Manager Job Search Results from Indeed, ZipRecruiter, CoolWorks, GeckoHospitality, Professional Association of Innkeepers, The B and B Team
Google or Craigslist Search Keywords: hospitality recruiting, resort manager housing included, hospitality manager, live in hotel manager
Disabled Person Caregiver
Typical Housing: Suite of rooms in client’s house, private bedroom and bath, staff quarters, basement or garage apartment
Upfront Cost: $25-$50 to join provider network job sites
Salary Range: $25,000-$55,000+
Find Disabled Caregiver Job Search Results: almost all of the companies that advertise live in care are regional and found via search
Google or Craigslist Search Keywords: live in care for disabled person, disabled adult care housing included, live in help for disabled needed
RV Park or Campground Manager
Park management can be really fun, give you lots of opportunities to make friends you can visit in their home towns, and be a rewarding physical experience as well. Typically you’ll be responsible for renting out spaces, keeping the common areas clean, hosting a few events, and making sure the park lives up to marketed expectations. You’ll have to make sure guests are behaving themselves as well, so be prepared for an occasional uncomfortable moment, but mostly parks are happy places. Park managers have lots of leeway on how to spend their day, jumping from task to task, or focusing on something of their own interest in off hours and when the season is slow. Many parks close for part of the year, and that’s when nice quiet days stretch out, broken by a few maintenance tasks in preparation for the park reopening. Don’t be fooled into thinking park management is easy; it all depends, and some parks are full time, year round all hands on deck hard work, so choose one that fits the amount and kind of work you’d like to do.
RV Park Manager job courtesy of RipTide Resorts on GlassDoor
Typical Housing: Your own RV, or in some cases a small on-site house or an apartment attached to the park’s offices
Upfront Cost: none (if you own your own RV or housing provided)
Salary Range: $10,000-$40,000+
Actual RV Park Manager Job Search Results from Indeed, GlassDoor, LinkedIn, WorkingCouples, RVParkStore, ZipRecruiter
Google Search Keywords: couple need for RV park, RV park manager job, on-site campground manager
Cruise Ship Employee
Typical Housing: Shared below deck room with 1-5 other cruise staff
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $15,000-$50,000
Actual Cruise Ship Job Search Results from AllCruiseJobs, Indeed
Google Search Keywords: put in the names of major or minor cruise lines and then search their job postings
Camp Counselor
Typical Housing: Cabin with 1-5 other counselors, hotel room, or large staff dormitory
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $9 an hour and up, senior staff $25,000+
Actual Camp Counselor Job Search Results from Indeed, CoolWorks
Google Search Keywords: live in camp counselor, away camp counselors needed, housing included camp jobs, corporate retreat job housing provided
Duplex or Apartment Building Ownership
This is for those who think they’d love small scale property management of their own assets in return for others paying their mortgage. You’ve heard the idea of renting a duplex and living in one half, of course, but take it up a notch and consider buying a small multi-family property. With more units there is more latitude for rates and more opportunity to cover the cost of an owners apartment. Property management when you own the building is extremely similar to being a property manager for someone else with one important difference; you get to decide almost everything. You’ll make your own rules, work your own hours, and reap all of the benefit but be aware that you are also on the hook for emergencies and repairs. Compliance with housing and accessibility laws become your responsibility as well. If you’re looking for a multi-family property keep in mind that just like homes, apartments communities are packaged to sell, and you have to be extremely diligent about doing research and working with someone who understands any and all repairs that will be needed.
Apartment building for sale in VA courtesy of Loopnet
Typical Housing: Half a duplex, or an apartment in a building you own
Upfront Cost: typically from $100K and up depending on what and where you buy
Salary Range: Net income after all expenses
Actual Multifamily Housing for Sale Search Results from Loopnet, or use craigslist and Zillow
Private Boarding School Staff
Typical Housing: Staff dorm, or private dorm room with another staff member
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $20,000-$75,000+
Actual Boarding School Job Search Results from BoardingSchools, LinkedIn
Google Search Keywords: boarding school staff housing provided, live in boarding school job, school provides housing for employees
Resident Apartment Community Property Manager
Typical Housing: Studio-3Br apartment or townhome
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $20,000-$120,000
Actual Resident Manager Job Search Results from Indeed, LinkedIn, GlassDoor, ZipRecruiter
Google or Craigslist Search Keywords: property manager needed, small apartment community needs manager, resident manager needed, property manger apartment included
Hotel Guest Safety Employee
These are great gigs. Part-time work and a small hotel apartment for your efforts. These positions also usually pay a relatively good salary. You’ll make rounds, report after hours emergencies, handle noise complaints. Many night security jobs are really acting managers, for the hours that the normal staff is off site. You’ll also work most weekends but for those with a flexible schedule, it’s a great job. You’ll meet lots of people and have the basics of your day to day life expenses covered. If you’re not a night owl, you will have trouble with the typical hours, but we have found daytime live in security jobs available too, just be creative in expanding your search with keywords.
Typical Housing: Unit in hotel, resort, or other lodging facility
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $10 per hour and up
Actual Hotel Guest Safety Job Search Results from Indeed
Google Search Keywords: live on site security guard, security guard housing included, on site hotel safety job
Airbnb or Other Short-Term Lodging Owner
Typical Housing: Your own home, with a private room reserved for guest rentals
Upfront Cost: rental site fees, updating and outfitting to accommodate short term paying guests
Salary Range: Pay yourself enough to cover your monthly housing cost
Room Rental Posting Sites: craigslist, Airbnb, TransplantHousing, SabbaticalHomes, AcademicHomes
Association, Government, or Corporate Field Researcher
Typical Housing: varies from shared dorms, to allowance for hotel, to yurts in the wild
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: none to $20,000
Actual Field Researcher Job Search Results from Indeed
Google Search Keywords: field researcher live on site, field researcher housing provided
Hostel Manager
Being a hostel manager is like running a very low key hotel. Lots of need for flexibility in the personal habits of others, but tons of opportunity for staying interesting places and meeting wildly diverse people. The hostel manager keeps the place clean, check people in and out, makes sure the basic rules are followed, so that super low cost lodging is still safe and comfortable. Hostels are better known in Europe but they’re in the US too, especially related to mountain biking trails, public parks, and other places where roughing it is the norm. When you’re searching keep in mind that some European countries use the term hostel to define a hotel as well, which would be a more traditional management job.
Hostel Manager job posting courtesy of Hostels International
Typical Housing: Sleeping dormitory plus one private area
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: $9 and up, some salaried position at larger hostels
Actual Hostel Manager Job Search Results from Indeed, HostelJobs, HostelsInternational
Google Search Keywords: hostel manager needed, live on site hostel manager
Pet Sitter
Typical Housing: Private room in client’s home, or use of entire home during some periods
Upfront Cost: $25+ to register on pet sitter sites
Salary Range: none to $20+ per hour, or salaries for long term caregivers on farms and estates
Actual Pet Sitter Job Search Results from PetSitter, Indeed, TrustedHouseSitters, HouseSittersAmerica, Care, RanchJobs
Google Search Keywords: live in pet sitter, long term pet care needed, house sitter pets, farm caretaker
Work for Repairs
Typical Housing: Portion of house or condo in need of major repairs or decorating work
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: none to $30,000+
Actual Work Exchange Job Search Results from Indeed, ZipRecruiter, WorkingCouples, SimplyHired, RanchJobs
Google Search Keywords: live in handyman, part time maintenance housing provided, work for rent, part time repairs live on site
Small or Inexpensive House or Movable Tiny House
Tiny houses are big, no ironic pun intended. It seems that everyone is trying to live with less and that’s a really great trend for those who want to live rent free. With popularity comes access; and there are now lots of ways and places to live in your tiny house, especially if it is mobile. For longer term options you will probably need to buy land. If you don’t spend that much and pay it off, you will very quickly move into the realm of free rent. Small houses and cabins (or sometimes mobile homes) can require more infrastructure than tiny houses on wheels, or other movable houses like yurts, vans, or motor homes. Look for free land listings, and tiny house communities. For built houses you’ll want to own the lot or land so there is no rent, only taxes going forward, and for movable houses you need to find someone willing to have you on their land. A family member of ours moves from the free summer parking area of a state park to the farm of a friend depending on the season. Be creative, and you’ll find a good place to park your little dream. This is a huge subject and we cover it a bit more on our alternative home ideas page but you’ll need to do a lot of your own research.
Tiny House for sale courtesy of TinyHomeBuilders
Seems strange but even Amazon is getting in on the tiny house dream. They have several models for sale as Build Your Own kits.
Typical Housing: Entirely paid off tiny house, cabin, or other inexpensive lodging
Upfront Cost: whatever your home costs, and for permanent housing you’ll need land
Salary Range: none
Actual Tiny Houses for Sale and Parking Search Results from BoonDockersWelcome, TinyHouseFinder, TinyHouseParking, TinyHouseListings, TinyHouseMarketPlaces, TinyHomeBuilders, check craigslist too
Google or Craigslist Search Keywords: tiny house for sale, tiny house builder, cabin for under $25K, house on wheels, free place to park a tiny house, free land
Roommates House Sharing & House Hacking
Typical Housing: You get one bedroom and rent out all others
Upfront Cost: listing fees on renter sites, $100 or so per renter for credit and background checks
Salary Range: you pay yourself the net income
Actual Roommates Finder Results from Roomster, Roommates, SpareRoom, try craigslist as well
Shelter House Parent
Typical Housing: Private room and bath in shelter home
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: 20,000+
Actual Shelter Parent Job Search Results from Indeed,
Google or Craigslist Search Keywords: house parent needed, overnight manager for shelter, shelter manager job
Live Rough in a Portable Shelter
This is not for the faint of heart. If you are willing to be truly nomadic, live with very few possessions, and greet each new situation as an adventure, then you might be one of the fearless who decide to be homeless by choice. There is a lots of gear that will allow to do this comfortably, especially if you can couch surf a bit between outdoor living stints. Unless you want to be very uncomfortable, it’s recommended you choose a mild weather location or follow the weather by season. Lots of places will allow you to pitch a tent for free, and a little research into the subject will help get connected with others who live this way. You will need to consider access to restrooms, showers, food, and emergency medical services as well as personal safety while you consider locations. True homelessness is a devastating situation for many people and it is not our intention to suggest that you emulate or celebrate their sometime’s forced adherence to a live rough lifestyle but instead consider this a live outdoors intentionally opportunity for the most adventurous among us. Search the sites below, or consider the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service which has some free or low cost camp sites as well.
Year Round Tent example courtesy of Amazon
Typical Housing: Your tent and a few belongings, no facilities or services
Upfront Cost: whatever your home costs, and for permanent housing you’ll need land
Salary Range: none
Actual Free Places to Camp Search Results from CouchSurfing, FreeCampsites, Campendium
Google Search Keywords: camp for free, free place to stay, couch surfing, boondocking
NCCC
Typical Housing: Campus room while training and off assignment, various housing while on location
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: none
All About NCCC Participation Join NCCC
VISTA
Typical Housing: Not provided but instead you are given a living allowance which could cover modest rent
Upfront Cost: none
Salary Range: none
All About VISTA Participation Join VISTA
Special Note About Free Rent as Part of a Payment for Services Rendered:
Be advised that in some cases the free portion of your rent can be defined as income by the IRS. But your travel and other expenses might be deductible. Only your accountant can answer correctly which types of free rent would need to be reported, and which expenses can count against it, for your particular situation. Best of luck to finding just the right idea. If you share your space with others, good insurance is also a must have so please consider the addition of an affordable but protective umbrella policy.