You can compare roommate-listing services, local housing groups, and rental marketplaces for someone seeking a room. A furnished short-stay listing may be another option, but only when your lease, property rules, and local requirements allow it. Decide the length of stay and what space you are offering before choosing where to post.
Choose the arrangement before the website
Start with your own priorities. Do you want another ongoing roommate, a temporary occupant while you decide, or occasional guests? Think about privacy, shared areas, cleaning, and how much turnover you are comfortable with. A vacancy does not mean you need to choose the first person who responds.
Compare platforms by the type of stay and room they support, their fees, screening options, and communication tools. Local referrals and housing groups can be useful places to look, but still verify the person and do not treat a social profile as a background check.
Describe the room and shared spaces accurately
Include clear photographs of the actual room and explain which spaces are shared. State the proposed move-in date, furnishings, utilities, parking, bathroom arrangement, and house expectations. Keep the description factual and follow applicable fair-housing requirements.
Airbnb has a specific Room listing type for an exclusive bedroom with a door and access to shared spaces. Listing an occupied shared home as an entire home would set the wrong expectation.1
Check permission before accepting a booking or deposit
Review the lease, obtain any required permission, and confirm rules for the exact address. In the City of Los Angeles, home-sharing has eligibility and registration requirements; some housing, including RSO-covered units, is not eligible. Do not assume replacing a roommate with short stays is automatically allowed.2
Use a written agreement appropriate to the arrangement and get qualified advice on deposits, occupancy rights, and screening. If the room remains part of your own home, make sure any proposed arrangement works for the people already living there.
Reference notes
General information, not individualized legal or insurance advice. Confirm the requirements for your address and proposed arrangement.
- Airbnb, Listing a Room.
- Los Angeles Housing Department, Home Sharing Ordinance.
Reviewed September 28, 2026.