For hosts and owners
CoRent vs. Roomster: what hosts get
Roomster helps you post a room and charges you to talk to renters. CoRent is free to list and message, verifies every renter, and collects the rent — for 5% of what it collects.
| Topic | CoRent | Roomster |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A room-rental platform: listing, applications, rent and utilities in one app | A listing and messaging site for rooms and roommates |
| Cost to list | Free | Free basic membership |
| Cost to message renters | Free | Paid subscription: $11.99 for 7 days or $29.99 for 30 days, renewing automatically until you cancel in your account settings |
| Renter ID check | Every renter verifies a government ID with a selfie match before applying | Optional ID check; its terms say it does not run background checks |
| Rent collection | In the app, weekly or monthly, by card or bank; payouts through Stripe | Not part of the service — you collect rent yourself |
| Shared utilities | Split between tenants in the app | Not part of the service |
| What you pay CoRent | 5% of rent collected — you keep 95%. No booking fee | Your subscription, whether or not a room rents |
Roomster details are from its Terms of Use, read in November 2026; prices and terms can change, so check Roomster before you decide. Roomster Terms of Use, sections 3–5. CoRent details are on our fees page.
Common questions
Do I have to pay to talk to renters on CoRent?
No. Listing rooms and messaging renters on CoRent is free. CoRent's only fee to hosts is 5% of rent it collects for you. Roomster's terms say you cannot message other users until you pay for a subscription.
Does Roomster check who I am renting to?
Roomster's terms say it does not run background checks and that its ID check is optional. On CoRent, every renter verifies a government ID with a selfie match before they can apply, and you approve each application. Credit, income and background checks remain your choice as the host.
Who should use which?
If you only need to post a room and find someone, a listing site can do that. If you want verified applicants, rent and shared utilities collected in one app, and no fee until rent is paid, CoRent is built for that. CoRent lists rooms today in Richmond, Petersburg and Colonial Heights, VA, and hosts anywhere can list free.
Also see CoRent vs. PadSplit · CoRent vs. Roomies.com · CoRent vs. Alcove.
List your rooms on CoRent
- Keep 95% of your rent — no booking fees
- Free to list and message renters
- Already listed somewhere else? Our team imports your listings
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