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Frequently Asked Questions

1: What would I have to do for the person I live with?
Home sharing is a great way of meeting the needs of others in our community, and you would be expected to do only what you've specified on your profile, and what you've agreed to do before moving in. Care2stay typically registers non-medical volunteers, so you wouln't be expected to administer medication or give personal assistance like bathing etc.
2: Can anyone do this?
Yes, any responsible, able bodied person can do home sharing. Usually these people have fairly quiet social lives and a need to be at home most evenings, say to study.
3: Do I need a license?
No. It's not necessary to be licensed to do Home sharing because your are similar to a lodger with the Householder, who can help them with basic tasks like shopping, light cleaning etc.
4: What if things don't work out?
It is always agreed that your stay with the Householder will start with a 1 month trial period. This is to make sure that, initially, you are compatible with the householder. If during this period it's obvious that things aren't working out, each side can call it off without hard feelings. It's advised that the Homesharer keeps the last place they were staying, or has a friend they can live with at short notice, during the 1 month trial, should they need to move back.
5: Where should I direct my post?
When Homesharing it's a good idea to make arrangements for your post to be directed to another address where you can collect it. There are businesses that offer mail collection services at reasonable cost. Having your mail collected in this way saves you from constantly having to inform your service providers that you are changing address.
6: How long before I find a match?
The whole process can take anything from 2 weeks to 3 months. Once your details have been submitted to the Care2stay database, they will be analysed for completeness and compared against our Householder records. If your details match a Householder's records, in terms of tasks you're willing to perform and needs the Householder has, we will contact both parties. If there's sufficient interest we will do a profile exchange so that you and they can see each others basic details. These profiles do not reveal any personal details like contact information. If, having read the profiles, the parties would like to meet, we arrange an 'introduction'. This is a chance for you to meet the Householder and discuss the arrangement over a cup of tea. If, having met, you both want to give the Homeshare a go we begin with a 1 month trial.
7: Who do I contact if I need advice?
As a subscriber to the Care2stay service, you have unlimited access to our email support. Should you have any general or technical queries simply use the links on the 'User Home Page' to contact us. And we will aim to answer your query within 24 hours.
8: How long would I be expected to stay?
The arrangement would start with a 1 month 'Trial' period to make sure that the Homeshare suits both parties. Thereafter, if you're both happy we ask that the arrangement be in place for at least 6 months.
9: Could I invite friends over to stay?
Sharing a home with somenone else can be a challenge at the best of times. Considerations to both parties must be given as regards privacy and noise etc. Therefore it is advisable to keep friend visits down to a minimum unless the Householder has expressly said that they don't mind you having frequent visits.
10: Could I keep my job/study?
The beauty of Homesharing is that you can keep your job/study while you live with the Householder. This arrangement could be particularly good for those that work from home.
11: How much does it cost?
Registering with Care2stay is Free. Once a match has been identified and both parties wish to go ahead, a placement fee of £125.00 is payable. Thereafter there is a management fee of £85 per month payable by standing order.
12: Which areas of the UK does Care2stay cover?
At the moment Care2stay helps people in the Inner and Greater London areas, with plans to expand into the home counties within the year.
13: Can couples do this?
If you specify in your profile that you are a couple seeking to do this, then its entirely up to the prospective householder to decide whether this would work or not.