Going through the recovery process is a difficult journey. However, it does not mean that one has to go through it alone. Sober livings can create the right environment for people to develop a peer support system.

There are dissenting opinions on this topic as some home operators view Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) clients as not being completely drug-free because they are on maintenance medications.

Although rules vary by house depending on varying factors, below are some of the most common house rules in a sober living.

Whether you are opening your first sober living or expanding your offerings with additional sober houses, it can be a struggle to find a property that’s a good fit if you are renting. Here are a few things to consider when searching for a house to rent in order to open a sober home.

The first is location, location, location!

You want to make sure the property is near public transportation service lines, whether it be bus, train or subway. The sober living home residents will need to be able to get to work and recovery activities with ease. A good location also encompasses job opportunities for the residents within a relatively close distance. Many residents don’t have vehicles when they arrive at a sober living home and public transportation becomes their primary mode of getting from place to place, so it’s important to keep that in mind. This also makes your home more attractive to potential residents.

Sober living homes are protected under the Federal Fair Housing Act, however researching zoning laws is important. 

You want to find a township/municipality/city/county that is friendly and open to sober homes to make your life easier in the long-term. This isn’t always the easiest task, but knowing the zoning laws in the area where you open will help you prepare for any future battles. Finding locales where sober living homes are already operating can prove fruitful, as often these areas may be more receptive to sober living operators moving into the community.  Reaching out to existing sober homes in your area can be beneficial as the operators can tell you firsthand how they navigated the process. This insight can be tremendously beneficial and save you a lot of time and headaches.

It’s important to be aware of the regulations landlords have to comply with when renting to a residential family, as sober living homes do have to follow those rules. Things to consider are fire codes and what the maximum number of people allowed in the home are, as well as whether a certificate of occupancy is required for residential renters. You’ll also want to look at NIMBY activity in the area. If other sober homes have attempted to open and found a lot of opposition from the surrounding community, you’ll want to determine whether that’s an area you truly want to to operate in. Some great sources through which to find available homes to rent are Zillow, Trulia and Craigslist.

Determine how many individuals you’d like to provide a sober living home for and then set your search criteria to encompass homes that would best suit those needs (number of bedrooms, bathrooms, total square footage, etc.).

Homes with HOA’s or on a cul-de-sac can sometimes present roadblocks. Homeowner associations may have rules for the neighborhood that can be tough to comply with, such as number of cars permitted at the property, no street parking, etc. A cul-de-sac may also have limited parking which can present difficulties if multiple residents have cars at the sober home. If the previously mentioned resources don’t turn up any good rental options, speak with the recovery community and try to find landlords who are in recovery and in support of sober living homes. If they don’t have any listings available, they may be able to point you in the direction of someone who does.

Once you find a few homes you’re interested in touring, contact the landlord or realtor to set up a showing and learn more about the property. If it seems to be a fit, let the landlord know that your intent is to provide sober living for the recovery community, which is a protected population.

It’s important to be up front about your intentions as you want to develop a good relationship with the landlord you work with.

If you’ve gone through the above steps, congratulations! You’re likely at the point where you have identified a property for your sober living home and are prepared to sign the lease and welcome residents.

Can’t decide whether you should rent or buy? Check out the pros and cons of renting vs buying a house for your sober living.

Making sure that you have a constant flow of potential residents is an important aspect of running a sober living. There are several ways to market your sober living, below are the most effective ways to promote your sober living.

#1: Website

You must have a website. We have seen many sober livings that have no website. Instead they may have a Facebook page or can be found on Google Places. While these are helpful to have, you really should have a website. A website allows people to find you when they are looking for sober livings in your local area. It also allows people to contact you by phone or submit their information on your website so you can contact them. Your website should contain information on your mission, why you started your sober living and anything else that you want prospective residents to know. There are plenty of free website builders (Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy). If you would rather pay someone to do it for you, you can find cheap website designers on Upwork and Elance for $100-$500.

#2: Have a Digital Presence

It is important in this day and age to have not only a website, but also a complete digital presence. You should have a Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter account that you actively manage. Just setting up the account is not enough. Make sure that you are consistent with your postings. The best way to do so is to use Hootsuite or other social media campaign tools and set aside one day a week to schedule all the social media postings for the subsequent seven days. Try to post a mix of things to your social media accounts – recovery news, pictures from your sober living’s community events, positive reviews from alumni etc.

Prospective residents and their parents look at your digital presence when they are researching which sober living to go to. Referral sources will also look into your digital presence.

#3: Email Campaigns

It is important to keep the connection going with your referral sources. You want to make sure that you keep top of mind. You can use Mailchimp, Constant Contact or other email service providers to schedule email campaigns to go out to your referral list. Keep referral sources up to date with news about your sober living, alumni and other related information you want to share.

#4: Attending Conferences

The recovery industry is a close-knit industry. It is important to show your face and network at the well-known conferences put on by C4 and Foundations Events. At these conferences you will meet other sober livings, treatment centers and professionals. It is important to have multiple referral sources and not rely on one sole referral source.

#5: Alumni Network

Many sober livings get the most referrals from their alumni. It is important to stay in touch with alumni and keep them involved in your community. Send email announcements and have alumni events in order to keep in touch with alumni and continue providing resources and support to them.

Learn how One Step can help you run your program and keep your clients accountable

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One Step partners with C4 several times a year to put on the best panels for sober livings so that you can keep up with the trends in the industry. Below is a panel featuring prominent sober living operators and treatment center veterans discussing various topics affecting sober livings today.

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How to Market Your Sober Living Home

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Want to know what else you missed? Check out the other videos from the conference:

Should Sober Livings Accept Residents on Suboxone?
How to Build a Referral Network for Sober Livings
Research on the Efficacy of Sober Livings
Legal Issues Confronting the Sober Living Industry

We will be doing another sober living conference in Cape Cod in September and Los Angeles in January. If you want to learn more details about these upcoming events, email Eva at eva@onestepsoftware.com

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One Step partners with C4 several times a year to put on the best panels for sober livings so that you can keep up with the trends in the industry. Below is a panel featuring prominent attorneys discussing the legal issues that arise when running a sober living.

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Legal Landscape: Regulations, Revenue and Relationships

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Want to know what else you missed? Check out the other videos from the conference:

Should Sober Livings Accept Residents on Suboxone?
How to Build a Referral Network for Sober Livings
Research on the Efficacy of Sober Livings
How to Market Your Sober Living Home

We will be doing another sober living conference in Cape Cod in September and Los Angeles in January. If you want to learn more details about these upcoming events, email Eva at eva@onestepsoftware.com

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One Step partners with C4 several times a year to put on the best panels for sober livings so that you can keep up with the trends in the industry. Below is the panel we did in July 2017 about the efficacy of sober livings.

Doug Polcin is one of the leading experts and researchers on sober livings. He will be speaking about his research, the efficacy of peer support, and how to encourage residents to support one another’s recovery. He will also be providing the audience with practical tips on how to involve house managers in creating an environment that encourages peer support.

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Research on the Efficacy of Sober Living Houses & Strategies for Increasing Peer Support for Recovery

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Want to know what else you missed? Check out the other videos from the conference:

Should Sober Livings Accept Residents on Suboxone?
How to Build a Referral Network for Sober Livings
Legal Issues Confronting the Sober Living Industry
How to Market Your Sober Living Home

We will be doing another sober living conference in Cape Cod in September and Los Angeles in January. If you want to learn more details about these upcoming events, email Eva at eva@onestepsoftware.com

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One Step partners with C4 several times a year to put on the best panels for sober livings so that you can keep up with the trends in the industry. Below is a panel featuring prominent sober living operators and treatment centers talking about how to build a referral network.

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How to Build Referral Sources

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Want to know what else you missed? Check out the other videos from the conference:

Should Sober Livings Accept Residents on Suboxone?
Research on the Efficacy of Sober Livings
Legal Issues Confronting the Sober Living Industry
How to Market Your Sober Living Home

We will be doing another sober living conference in Cape Cod in September and Los Angeles in January. If you want to learn more details about these upcoming events, email Eva at eva@onestepsoftware.com

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