Hello Homeowners and
Welcome to Senior Women Living Together
Note: If you have a bachelor or one-bedroom, self-contained apartment in your home, this would not be shared living, so our service would not apply. Please seek tenants through the other usual rental sites.
Homeowners have told us that they love their homes and don’t want to move but they sometimes feel lonely. Also, the costs of maintaining their homes can be difficult financially.
Shared living with a compatible homemate is the perfect solution. The relationship often becomes a source of joy, and some extra cash each month helps too.
However, the option of renting space with a homeowner does come with some risks for homemates. So, it is important that you understand these risks (explained below).
But first, in order to use our service, you MUST be:
- a woman or identify as a woman
- single and 55+ years old
- the sole owner of your home
- living alone or you currently have renters who are not related to you
- offering a private bedroom for your homemate.
- interested in having the social support of a senior woman and not expecting her to provide any physical support for you or your home
If the above does not apply to you in one or more ways, we cannot help you at this time. We may expand our services in the future, so check back here from time to time or contact us to discuss.
How living with a homeowner is different….
It’s important that you understand and appreciate how different living with a homeowner is compared to renting space alone or with other homemates. If you and your potential homemate have the facts, there is a much greater likelihood that your shared living arrangement will be successful.
The main difference is this. If homemates share a kitchen or a bathroom with you, they are NOT covered by the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act. There is, in fact, no legislation that covers these housing arrangements.
So essentially, your homemates do not have the same rights and protection living with you as they would if they rented almost anywhere else.
The second difference relates to the inherent power imbalance that exists simply because you own the home and your homemate does not. If something goes wrong, your homemate could become homeless but you will always have a home. As well, the decision-making about your home primarily rests with you; your homemate will likely have little or no say in some decisions.
How these differences affect potential homemates…..
Frankly, some potential homemates will not be interested in living with a homeowner, for the reasons mentioned above. They worry most about having no protection if something goes wrong.
Also, security of tenure is very important to women as they get older. Even when their current living arrangement is not ideal, they have a lease and a certain amount of surety that they will be able to stay where they are for years to come.
On the other hand, there are some senior women who are not as concerned about these things. Perhaps, they are looking for a short term rental of 2 years or less. Or maybe they go south in the winter and are willing to maintain their rent payment while they are gone in order to have a place to return to each spring.
Of course, if you find a homemate who wants a long-term home and is not overly concerned about the lack of legal protection, that would be great.
In any case, we will give you tips on how to search for homemates and how to approach their concerns, if they have any.
Income tax issues for homeowners ……
We are not lawyers or accountants, so we cannot offer professional advice on tax issues. This is something you should discuss with a professional.
It is our understanding that when homeowners rent space in their homes, they must claim the income, but they can also claim some expenses which can offset the extra income tax.
Here is a good article that explains it all:
Claiming Rental Income | 2021 TurboTax® Canada Tips (intuit.ca)
Our homeowner process…..
There are 3 parts to our process, as follows.
1. We have created a Homeowner Declaration, which is intended to let potential homemates know that you understand and appreciate their concerns and what you are prepared to do to ensure their security.
It is a social contract agreement rather than a legal one. In other words, you are voluntarily offering security to your homemates in a formal way and you are morally agreeing to abide by it.
Here is a copy of the Declaration which you can download or view.
2. We require that you formally acknowledge your agreement with the Declaration. This can be completed in either of the following two ways.
- Before you register as a subscriber, you can contact us to state your agreement with the Declaration
- After you are a subscriber, you can contact us to let us know you are a homeowner and that you agree to abide by the Declaration.
3. Once you find one or more homemates, you MUST co-create a Homeowner-Homemate Agreement with them, either before they move in or within one month after they move in.
You can get a copy of the Homeowner-Homemate Agreement by emailing pat@swlt.ca.
You MUST provide SWLT with a completed copy of your Agreement by emailing it to pat@swlt.ca.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact us to discuss.
To become a subscriber and start seeking compatible homemates right now, register HERE
We look forward to helping you create a shared living arrangement that brings you joy for years to come.