We're here to help fix housing.
The housing crisis is real. Especially in our cities.
And the solution is incredibly complex.
But we discovered one area we could help first-hand.
Our family of 4 moved into our Toronto home in 2021 and it came with a basement unit – something we thought would be great for extra income but weren't sure what to do with. First we thought to list it on airbnb – but that would require a lot of work. We could rent it out - but tenant horror stories and lack of knowledge about the process scared us.
So we sat on it and did nothing.
Then, an extended family member was looking for a place to stay — and it turned out it was a great experience to know our tenant (and great for her to know who was upstairs).
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There are 75,000 “secondary” units in Toronto alone - from basement suites to laneway homes - and they're owned by regular people in a situation just like we were. Not everyone can rent to family - but what if we could help remove the fear from renting to a stranger? And, in doing so, could we add housing supply to the market?
That's how roost was born.
Want to help our mission? Join the waitlist
FAQ
What's the benefit to rent my place out through roost?
As a landlord, finding a tenant that you can trust is paramount. Normally that involves background checks, credit scores, etc.
But on top of that – don’t you want to get to know the person who’ll be living close by?
Listing a home on roost opens up a network of verified renters with rich profiles to make finding a tenant you get along with a breeze. Plus, handling rent payments through roost makes the process seamless and includes a roost landlord membership for a small monthly fee.
How do you make money?
We handle rent payments between landlords and tenants and take a small fee each month. In turn, both landlords and tenants get benefits like legal and maintenance support. More details to come.