<\/p>\n
Most people are supersized to learn that you can actually live completely rent free and mortgage free in a home or apartment.\n<\/p>\n
The cost of rent is crazy high, especially in bigger and more densely populated areas like New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it really puts a huge dent in your budget.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, while there are cheap housing options<\/a> out there, not everyone will qualify for such options.<\/p>\n But unlike paying taxes that can\u2019t be avoided, you can live rent free in America and other countries. <\/p>\n To see just how much of our money renting takes up, we just need to look at the statistics.<\/p>\n According to statistics from the United States Census Bureau<\/a>, the median household income was $63,179 in 2018.<\/p>\n In that same year, average rent prices were $1,429 a month, according to figures from Statista<\/a>.<\/p>\n That means we spend more than 27% of our income on rent alone!<\/p>\n Crazy, right?<\/p>\n It\u2019s no wonder that people want to know if there\u2019s a way to live without paying rent!<\/p>\n Thankfully, there are options for everyone, from living overseas to alternative types of housing. And no, we\u2019re not talking about illegal ways to live somewhere without paying for rent!<\/p>\n So let\u2019s get started on the list\u2026<\/p>\n Here are 33 ways you can live somewhere without paying a lease:<\/p>\n What can you do if you can\u2019t afford your rent?<\/p>\n Well, one of the best options is getting free money from the government<\/a> to cover your rent. Sometimes people need government assistance in their time of need and thankfully the government is there to offer it.<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) helps people to pay their rent through the House Choice Voucher Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can use these vouchers to pay for part or all of your rent. So if you\u2019re wondering how to get an apartment with no money, the government may be able to help you out.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need to be on a low income to qualify for assistance though.<\/p>\n Visit this page<\/a> to learn more about getting help with rental and housing costs.<\/p>\n Housesitting is an awesome job because you get to live in other people\u2019s homes for free.<\/p>\n Really!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the deal.<\/p>\n People go away all the time, whether it\u2019s on vacation or out of town for work.<\/p>\n This means their homes are unoccupied. Most people don\u2019t want their homes to be vacant because, well, the mail needs bringing in, the plants need watering, and of course, people just want it to look like someone is home, understandably.<\/p>\n So they hire a house-sitter to live in their property while they\u2019re away.<\/p>\n You get free accommodation! You could housesit long term. Sure there might be gaps in bookings, but that\u2019s what the other options on this list are for.<\/p>\n How do you find house-sitting gigs, you ask?<\/p>\n Well, nowadays, that\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n Websites like Housesitters.com<\/a> and TrustedHouseSitters.com<\/a> have tons of jobs available for house-sitters. Have a browse of the listings and start living in other people\u2019s homes for free! You get the privacy of your own place, without having to pay for it.<\/p>\n Being a live-in caretaker is definitely something to consider if you don\u2019t want to pay a lease.<\/p>\n However, you should only want to pick up care work if it\u2019s actually a field that you\u2019re interested in.<\/p>\n Sometimes caregivers are required to live in the same place as their patients.<\/p>\n Caregivers may also get their meals for free as well.<\/p>\n You can find care work on sites like Indeed and Simply Hired, as well as at Care.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you have any caretaking experience or a background in nursing, this could be a good option for you.<\/p>\n A lot of people rent out their homes on Airbnb. Since many Airbnb hosts like to travel themselves though, they need someone to manage their property while they\u2019re away.<\/p>\n Property managers can handle the turnover process and tend to the property.<\/p>\n Some Airbnb property managers live in one area of the property for a discounted Airbnb price<\/a> or even for free.<\/p>\n Plus, you get paid! Browse Indeed<\/a> for Airbnb property manager jobs.<\/p>\n Pet-sitting is a super fun job if you love animals. While some people only need a pet-sitter when they go out to work, others need them on a more long-term basis for when they travel.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s a weekend away on a business trip or a week away on vacation, pet owners need someone to look after their pets while they\u2019re away.<\/p>\n This means you could score some free accommodation. For pet sitting jobs, check out PetterSitter.com<\/a> and Rover.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the main ways you can do rent free living is through working as a volunteer. AmeriCorps has a variety of programs available to volunteers who mentor and tutor kids, rebuild communities after a disaster, help veterans and more.<\/p>\n Some of AmeriCorps\u2019 programs provide you with free accommodation.<\/p>\n The AmeriCorps NCCC program and the AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA program both provide housing.<\/p>\n While each program is different, you volunteer for between 10 and 12 months. So this isn\u2019t a way to live for free in the long-term. But a year\u2019s worth of free rent is pretty good.<\/p>\n All of the programs provide you with a living allowance as well. It even provides Education Awards in some cases, which can help you to pay for college and other types of higher education, including your student loan or current educational expenses.<\/p>\n Visit this page<\/a> to learn more about volunteering with AmeriCorps. If you scroll down the page, there\u2019s a list of topics that provides details on volunteering with the organization.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to pay rent, but still want a traditional type of housing, I\u2019d highly recommend purchasing a duplex or triplex.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason for this.<\/p>\n You can live in one unit and rent out the other. Then you can use the rental income to pay down your mortgage.<\/p>\n Great, right?<\/p>\n You get your own living space as you would in a regular house, but the cost is much cheaper and you can make that income from renting out the other unit.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a way to live rent free without having to share a property or get a job that comes with free accommodation, then you might want to consider living in a truck.<\/p>\n It\u2019s way cheaper than renting somewhere or paying a mortgage. Brandon who owns the website FromInsideTheBox.com<\/a> has lived in a truck for four years!<\/p>\n Sure, living in a truck isn\u2019t for everyone, but it\u2019s a freeing way to live that doesn\u2019t cost you a lot either.<\/p>\n Interested in traveling?<\/p>\n You might want to consider living abroad with a host family. You\u2019ll work as a volunteer.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have a job tying you down, then this could be a good way for you to live without paying rent.<\/p>\n One way to find volunteering jobs abroad is through Workaway<\/a>. \u00a0The website matches travelers with 1,000s of families, individuals and other hosts in 170 countries.<\/p>\n You get to stay in the host\u2019s home for free in exchange for a couple hours of work each day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a great way to learn about a new culture while living rent-free.<\/p>\n Of course, volunteering abroad isn\u2019t for everyone. It\u2019s better for single people or couples without kids and those who don\u2019t have a job keeping them here. If you\u2019re not a fan of traveling often though, this might not be for you.<\/p>\n Workaway can be a great option though if you love to travel.<\/p>\n Did you know that about 1 million Americans live in RVs full time?<\/p>\n Crazy, right?<\/p>\n Living in an RV can be incredibly affordable, especially if you don\u2019t move around too much or if you can find free places to park.<\/p>\n In fact, the cost of it can be far less than paying rent. According to Bob Wells who runs CheapRVLiving.com<\/a>, you can live in an RV for under $1,000 a month!<\/p>\n What\u2019s great about living in an RV is that you can travel whenever you want to, which is great! And if you already have a work from home job<\/a>, you can still do your work anywhere you go as long as you have your laptop and internet connection.<\/p>\n Another way to live rent free and help out others is through the Peace Corps.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like AmeriCorps accept it involves you volunteering internationally.<\/p>\n While AmeriCorps only requires you to volunteer for around a year, with Peace Corps, you volunteer for two years.<\/p>\n You get housing and living stipend. But that\u2019s not all. When you complete your two years of service, you get more than $10,000 (pre-tax) to help you with the transition to life back at home and you can use the money as you want to.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s a big commitment, and certainly not for everyone, volunteering with the Peace Corps could be for you.<\/p>\n You can volunteer for Peace Corps here<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to live rent free is to buy your own place. However, not everyone can afford the down payment on a house. It\u2019s just not possible.<\/p>\n What is possible for many though is buying a cheaper house that needs fixing up.<\/p>\n People usually buy a fixer upper so that they can fix up the house and flip it for a profit in the future.<\/p>\n But, who says that you can\u2019t live in your fixer upper long-term?<\/p>\n You get a super cheap house that you can make your own over the years.<\/p>\n And if you do decide to sell it in the future, you can make a profit.<\/p>\n According to the IRS, if you live in a home for at least two years, you can sell it without paying tax on the capital gain, up to $250,000!<\/p>\n Then you could always purchase another fixer-upper and repeat the process.<\/p>\n Like I said earlier, one of the easiest ways to avoid paying rent is to purchase your own home. Again though, that\u2019s not always possible.<\/p>\n A good way to get an affordable home of your own is through Habitat for humanity.<\/p>\n Low income families can get a Habitat for Humanity home. If you qualify, the organization can help you to build and purchase your home. Habitat homes are basic homes with an interest free mortgage, so they\u2019re super affordable.<\/p>\n As the home is built by you and volunteers, the price you pay for the place (the construction cost) is generally far less than the value of the finished home.<\/p>\n To learn more about being a Habitat homeowner, visit this page<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to pay for an apartment or get a mortgage, then get a houseboat!<\/p>\n Depending on how you go about it, living on a houseboat can be pretty cheap. Since houseboats aren\u2019t too expensive to buy compared to purchasing a traditional home or renting an apartment, this can be a good option.<\/p>\n In fact, some states don\u2019t even have sales tax on or property tax on houseboats! Renting a slip isn\u2019t too expensive either.<\/p>\n If you want to buy a houseboat, then visit Boat Trader<\/a>.<\/p>\n I have to level with you here, living in a commune sounds like my nightmare, but that\u2019s just because I\u2019m not a particularly social person and I like my own space.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a sociable person who loves spending time with others, then commune living would be a dream for you.<\/p>\n Communes are essentially a community of people who live together. Usually they share common values, interests and beliefs.<\/p>\n In many communes, you not only share the property but possessions, resources and sometimes even work, income or assets.<\/p>\n This keeps the housing costs down, meaning you pay much less to stay in a commune than you would renting a place.<\/p>\n To find a commune near you, just open up Google and search for the keywords \u201ccommune living near me,\u201d or \u201ccommunes near me.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen so many people online rave about commune living, so it\u2019s definitely an option to consider.<\/p>\n Hostels are so popular. Every time I go to a city, they\u2019re always bustling. I\u2019ve never stayed in one, but I know many people who\u2019ve had great experiences with them.<\/p>\n They\u2019re a very cheap form of accommodation. In a hostel, you usually rent a bed in a room with others. You can pay a little more though to stay in a private room at some hostels, although you still have to share other living spaces like the kitchen and maybe the bathroom.<\/p>\n Some people live in hostels long-term, sometimes for months or even years. If you want to save yourself some money on rent, consider staying in a hostel for a while. It will be far cheaper.<\/p>\n You can find hostels at Hostel World<\/a>, Booking.com<\/a>, and Hostelbookers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Couch surfing can be a great alternative to renting if you\u2019re single.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already know, couch surfing is the practice of sleeping on people\u2019s couches.<\/p>\n You could see if there\u2019s a generous friend or family member who would be willing to offer up their couch to you.<\/p>\n Or you could use CouchSurfing.com<\/a> to find places to stay.<\/p>\n Now, with couch surfing, it\u2019s best not to overstay your welcome. So don\u2019t impose on one person for more than a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n Move around from couch to couch and make sure to help out with chores when you can.<\/p>\n Couch surfing isn\u2019t really a long-term option. It is something you can do in the short-term though to save up money for more a more long-term form of accommodation. It\u2019s not for everyone, but if you\u2019re looking to travel and to save some money, it\u2019s a good option.<\/p>\n Again, if you\u2019re a social butterfly, consider getting some roommates. You can rent out the extra bedrooms in your house or apartment. Depending on how many extra bedrooms you have, you could earn enough money each month to cover the cost of your rent.<\/p>\n If your rent is $1,400 a month and you have three roommates each paying $500 a month, that\u2019s $1,500 a month you\u2019re getting, which more than covers the cost of your rent. So you\u2019re living rent free!<\/p>\n And your roommates are paying less than they would if they were to rent their own place, so everybody wins.<\/p>\n Many apartment buildings need a manager to do everything from handling repair requests from tenants to answering phone calls.<\/p>\n Often apartment building managers are given an apartment in the building as a place to live for free in exchange for managing the property.<\/p>\n You need to be available by phone for tenants to contact. You may be able to work your regular job on the side though.<\/p>\n Some apartment companies may require you to stay home though. But those types of jobs generally come with a paycheck in addition to a free apartment.<\/p>\n Each apartment management company will have its own rules for apartment managers, so just check thoroughly to see if the rules fit your current schedule.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in rent-free living, you may want to work as a live-in nanny for au pair. This could be a good option for you if you like kids and have good caregiving or teaching skills.<\/p>\n Many parents need someone to live-in to help them look after the children.<\/p>\n Not only do you get a free place to stay but you get a paycheck as well.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for work as a live-in nanny, check out these websites:<\/p>\n Jobs vary in terms of what\u2019s expected with some jobs just involving childcare and others involving additional tasks, like housekeeping. Just read the job description beforehand so you know what to expect.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a good way to live rent free!<\/p>\n Some hotels, hostels, and inns may give you a free room in exchange for part of your compensation for working there.<\/p>\n This tends to be the case with places that are privately owned, rather than larger chains.<\/p>\n All you have to do is ask.<\/p>\n With inns, there\u2019s often a separate home on the property for the inn manager to sleep so that there\u2019s always someone on the premises.<\/p>\n While these positions can be difficult to get, if you can get one, it\u2019s a good way to live rent free at a steady location.<\/p>\n You could call and ask local hostels, hotels or inns if they have any live-in positions available.<\/p>\n Or you could do a quick search on Google for keywords, like:<\/p>\n You can also use those keywords but replace the word \u201cjobs\u201d with the word \u201cwork\u201d or \u201cpositions.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ll likely get plenty of results.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in college and don\u2019t have much cash (like many college students), you may want to consider becoming the resident assistant at your dorm.<\/p>\n Resident assistants, also known as resident advisors, are responsible for helping students with any issues they have and just for keeping the place in order. In exchange for doing this, you usually get a free room.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t mind dealing with the responsibility of being a resident assistant, then ask your college how to become one.<\/p>\n Both my spouse and I have lived with our parents and in-laws at one time or another.<\/p>\n And according to statistics, we\u2019re not the only ones.<\/p>\n 40 percent of young adults live with their parents, according to data<\/a>. And this is actually the highest level in 75 years.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no surprise with rent costs being as high as they are that people are opting to move back home<\/a>, or not move out in the first place in many cases.<\/p>\n If you get along well with your parents, it can be fun. Just make sure that you do contribute to the household by doing things like cooking, cleaning, and purchasing your own food.<\/p>\n You could save up for a mortgage and down-payment on a house of your own while you live with your parents.<\/p>\n You can get a free place to stay when you work on a cruise ship.<\/p>\n Cruise ships have lots of positions available onboard, such as:<\/p>\n So if you have the right experience, you may be able to get a job working on a cruise ship. Since you\u2019re working onboard, you get free living quarters.<\/p>\n Teaching English<\/a> abroad is another job that often comes along with free accommodation, meaning you can live rent free.<\/p>\n Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to pay rent? Then live in a van!<\/p>\n There\u2019s tons of information online about van life with many people living in their vans long-term.<\/p>\n Read this van life how-to guide<\/a> from Gnomad.com to learn more.<\/p>\n Living in a van can be a good short-term living arrangement while you save up cash. Or if you enjoy it, you could stay in your van long-term.<\/p>\n Camping can be free or cheap depending on how you do it. If you camp out behind a friend\u2019s home, it\u2019s totally free or if you camp at a nearby campsite it\u2019s super affordable then as well.<\/p>\n Of course, camping in the cold winter months is tough, making this more of a seasonal housing strategy. So you could live in a tent for a portion of the year and then use the other options on this list during the colder months.<\/p>\n Doing this can give you some time to save up for a more practical and long-term living situation.<\/p>\n Check out our post on how to find camping near you<\/a> which contains a huge list of local campsites and how to find campsites anywhere.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to live rent free is to own your own property.<\/p>\n But then you still have to pay the mortgage. And mortgage payments can put a big dent in the old budget as well.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why if it\u2019s possible in the future, you should consider purchasing a house in cash. Pay for it outright.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll have no rent payment and no mortgage payments.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not easy to do; I know. Let\u2019s say you live rent free for a while though, you could start saving.<\/p>\n Start saving for a cash home<\/a> and then search for one that\u2019s not too expensive. The house will likely increase in value over the years, meaning you can sell it for more than you originally paid for it and keep the difference!<\/p>\n While this option isn\u2019t possible for everyone, investing in a home is definitely something to consider.<\/p>\n Buying a home is expensive, right? So if you\u2019re unable to afford it, consider building your own home instead. I\u2019m not talking about a traditional home here \u2013 that\u2019s expensive too.<\/p>\n No, I\u2019m talking about building a non-traditional home. There are tons of different homes out there that you can build at an affordable price.<\/p>\n Here are some examples:<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve built your home, you won\u2019t have any rent to pay and no mortgage payments to contend with either.<\/p>\n Another job that comes with housing is working on a farm. There\u2019s an organization called Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)<\/a> that offers farm work and free accommodation.<\/p>\n While the organization can help you to find work overseas, it also has a website just for farm work in the United States. It\u2019s called WWOOF USA, and you can check out the website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The organization connects you with more than 1,500 organic farms across the United States. You spend about half of each day helping out on a farm and get free room and board in exchange.<\/p>\n Yurts have been used for 3,000 years, originally by nomads who would pack from the up so they could travel from place to place.<\/p>\n Many people nowadays use yurts as a place to live rent free. Since they\u2019re sturdier than a tent, yurts make a great alternative.<\/p>\n Sure, living in a yurt might not be a great long-term option, but it\u2019s one to consider while you save up some cash.<\/p>\n If you do want to live in a yurt full-time, then read this handy guide<\/a> from OffGridPermacultre.com.<\/p>\n Above, I mentioned a few jobs like being an au pair or apartment building manager that come with accommodation. But there are plenty of other opportunities that offer a free place to stay as part of the job.<\/p>\n Here are some more examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n You can find a whole host of jobs that provide free housing on Indeed<\/a> and SimplyHired<\/a>. Also doing a quick Google search for the term \u201cjobs that provide housing\u201d can yield plenty of results.<\/p>\n CoolWorks<\/a> is another great site where you can find seasonal jobs, many of which come with free accommodation<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen so many people recommending that you sublet if you want to live rent free. In an ideal world, this is a good option as you can rent out your place and find a cheaper place to live or a free one like the options above and keep the profits.<\/p>\n But, subletting isn\u2019t possible for everyone. Some contracts specifically say that tenants are not allowed to sublet.<\/p>\n If your contract doesn\u2019t mention subletting, then you may want to consider it. You should still ask your landlord for permission though even if your contract doesn\u2019t disallow subletting.<\/p>\n If you are going to sublet, ask your landlord. If they agree, you can rent out your place.<\/p>\n Rent free living is a dream for many of us. The cost of leasing a place can be really high, taking up much of our earnings. It doesn\u2019t have to be that way though. Thankfully, there are plenty of legal ways you can live rent free, whether it\u2019s getting a job that comes with accommodation or moving back in with your parents.<\/p>\n Let us know your tips on how to live rent free in the comments section below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nLegal Ways to Avoid Paying Rent<\/h2>\n
1. Get free rent from the government<\/h3>\n
2. Housesit long-term<\/h3>\n
3. Become a live-in caretaker<\/h3>\n
4. Be a live-in Airbnb property manager<\/h3>\n
5. Be a Pet-Sitter<\/h3>\n
6. Volunteer with AmeriCorps<\/h3>\n
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7. Buy a duplex or triplex<\/h3>\n
8. Live in a Truck<\/h3>\n
9. Volunteer abroad with a host family<\/h3>\n
10. Live in an RV<\/h3>\n
11. Volunteer with Peace Corps<\/h3>\n
12. Live in a Fixer Upper<\/h3>\n
13. Get a Habitat for Humanity House<\/h3>\n
14. Buy a Houseboat<\/h3>\n
15. Live in a Commune<\/h3>\n
16. Live in a Hostels<\/h3>\n
17. Couch surf<\/h3>\n
18. Get enough roommates to cover your rent<\/h3>\n
19. Manage an apartment<\/h3>\n
20. Be a live-in nanny or au pair<\/h3>\n
21. Work at an inn, hotel, or hostel<\/h3>\n
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22. Be a resident assistant at a college<\/h3>\n
23. Move in with your parents<\/h3>\n
24. Live on a cruise ship<\/h3>\n
\n
25. Teach English in another country<\/h3>\n
\n
26. Live in a van<\/h3>\n
27. Go camping<\/h3>\n
28. Pay cash for a house<\/h3>\n
29. Build your own non-traditional home<\/h3>\n
\n
30. Work on a farm<\/h3>\n
31. Live in a Yurt<\/h3>\n
32. Get a job that offers housing<\/h3>\n
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33. Bonus tip: Sublet but only if your landlord allows it<\/h3>\n
Closing thoughts<\/h2>\n