Host with Host Guest · San Diego

Your spare room can generate spare cash

International students studying at UCSD, SDSU, and local language schools are looking for a room with a family — not a dorm. If you have space, you can host.

San Diego hosts earn $900–$1,600 per month

Private room, academic-term stays

See if your home qualifies

Takes 2 minutes. No fees to list.

Sunlit dining space in a welcoming San Diego host home

Earnings

What hosting actually pays

Most San Diego hosts rent a private room for a full academic term — not a weekend at a time. That means predictable monthly income and none of the turnover that comes with short-term rentals.

Private room, no meals $900–$1,300/mo
Private room with meals $1,300–$1,600/mo
Typical stay length 10–12 months
Host Guest service fee 10%

Paid reliably, every time

Payments arrive through Stripe on a set schedule. You're not chasing rent.

  • Monthly payments on a fixed schedule
  • No short-term turnover or vacancy gaps
  • Clear fee structure — no surprises
Calculate what your room could earn

Who you'd host

Students, not tourists

Our guests are international students coming to San Diego for a term or a full year — undergraduates at UCSD and SDSU, and students at local English language programmes.

They're here to study. Most are out of the house during the day, want a quiet place to work in the evening, and are looking for a household to be part of rather than a room to sleep in.

Common origin countries

🇨🇳 China 🇮🇳 India 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇯🇵 Japan 🇧🇷 Brazil

What they're usually looking for

  • A private bedroom with a door that locks
  • Reliable wifi and somewhere to study
  • A reasonable commute to campus — bus, trolley, or a short drive
  • A family willing to speak English with them

How it works

Four steps to your first guest

Most hosts go from signup to their first guest in about two weeks.

1

Tell us about your home

Share a quick look at your space — the room, the house, what makes it yours.

2

Show your hosting style

Every host is different. Tell us how you welcome people and what your home feels like.

3

Add photos and publish

Upload photos so students can picture staying with you. Your listing goes live.

4

Verify and start hosting

Set up Stripe to receive payments, finish verification, and welcome your first guest.

Safety

Who's actually coming into your home

Every student is verified before they can request a room. Here's exactly what we check.

ID verification

Government-issued ID checked against their profile.

School enrollment confirmed

We confirm acceptance or enrollment at their institution.

Profile & reference review

Each student completes a profile reviewed by our team.

You stay in control

You review each student's profile before accepting
You set house rules — quiet hours, kitchen access, guests, curfew
You decide the length of stay you'll accept
If a placement isn't working out, our team helps you resolve it or relocate the student

Requirements

Is your home a fit?

You're likely a good fit if you have:

  • A private bedroom available for at least 3 months
  • A home within 45 minutes of UCSD, SDSU, or downtown
  • Reliable internet
  • Someone in the household who speaks English
Hosts should confirm their lease allows subletting and that their homeowner's or renter's insurance covers a long-term lodger. Term-length homestays generally sit outside San Diego's short-term rental ordinance, but it's worth a quick check.

You don't need to be a traditional family

Any household works

Couples, retirees, and single homeowners host successfully.

Meals are optional

You don't need to provide meals unless you want to — and you can price accordingly.

Your terms

Set your own availability, rules, and pricing in your listing.

FAQ

Questions hosts ask

San Diego students are looking for a room right now

Listing takes a few minutes. You'll see student requests in your area before committing to anything.

Start your host journey

Just the basics — no passwords needed yet.

No fees to list. We'll never share your details.