Guide
How to choose a sober living home
Choose a sober living home by deciding what support you need, then checking every home the same way: its license or certification, its written rules and money terms, what you see on a visit, and how it answers your questions. Walk away from any home that offers free rent or pays you to move in.
Reviewed against public records, October 2026: N.J.A.C. 5:27 (New Jersey's cooperative sober living residence rules), 18 U.S.C. § 220, and SAMHSA's 2026 report on recovery housing funding. Sources
What do you need from a sober living home?
Decide five things before you compare homes: how much support you need, where treatment and work are, whether you take prescribed medication, your treatment schedule, and what you can pay. Then think about who you'd live with.
How much support you need
Homes range from peer-run houses with no staff to homes with trained staff on site. NARR, which calls these homes recovery residences, describes four levels of support, and the right one depends on how much structure you had in treatment.
Look for: staffing that matches the support you need. The four levels of support
Where treatment and work are
A home far from your outpatient program or your job adds hours to every week. Think about how you'll get there if you don't have a car.
Look for: rides, transit or a short drive to both.
Prescribed medication, including MAT
If you take medication for opioid use disorder or another prescription, ask before you visit. Medication policies differ from home to home.
Look for: a written medication policy. Sober living on MAT
Your treatment schedule
Evening outpatient leaves the day free for work or school; a daytime program leaves the evening. Curfew and chores have to fit around it.
Look for: house hours that work with your program.
What you can pay
Residents usually pay the rent themselves, because most health insurance plans don't cover recovery housing. Know your budget before you compare.
Look for: rent, deposit and what rent covers, in writing.
Who you'll live with
Some homes are gender-specific or serve one group, such as first responders. Ask how many people share each bedroom and each bathroom.
Look for: a house you could settle into.
What should a recovery residence put in writing?
Before you move in, get seven things in writing: the license or certification, the house rules, who is on site, the testing and medication policies, what happens after a relapse, and the money terms.
License or certification
- Ask
- Is this home licensed or certified, by whom, and can I see the document?
- A good answer
- They name the agency or certifying body and show you a current license or certificate for this address.
- Walk away if
- They say a license isn't needed without explaining why, or can't show you anything they say they hold.
In New Jersey: New Jersey licenses cooperative sober living residences under a Class F license (N.J.A.C. 5:27-1.6). Certification is separate: NARR's state affiliates certify recovery residences at four levels, and some states require it for state funding or referrals (SAMHSA, 2026).
House rules
- Ask
- Can I read the full house rules before I sign, including curfew, visitors, chores and what counts as breaking a rule?
- A good answer
- A written copy you can take away, the same rules for every resident, and someone who walks you through them.
- Walk away if
- The rules are only explained once you arrive, or they change depending on who you ask.
In New Jersey: A Class F home's house rules may set a curfew, but it can't apply while residents are at a recovery- or employment-related activity, and it can't stop reasonable activities such as visits or errands (N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.2).
Staff, day and night
- Ask
- Who runs the house, who is there overnight, and who do I call at 2:00 a.m.?
- A good answer
- Named roles, a clear overnight arrangement, and a phone number someone answers.
- Walk away if
- Nobody can say who is on site at night.
In New Jersey: The state definition calls for two operators: one on site from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when residents are present, and at least one living in the residence. Occupancy is capped at 10 residents, not counting the operators (N.J.A.C. 5:27-2.1).
Drug and alcohol testing
- Ask
- How often do you test, who gets tested, and what happens after a positive result?
- A good answer
- A written schedule or random policy that applies to every resident, with a stated next step after a positive test.
- Walk away if
- There is no testing at all, or only residents someone suspects get tested.
In New Jersey: House rules may require weekly drug and alcohol screening of all residents (N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.2).
Medication, including MAT
- Ask
- Do you accept residents on prescribed medication, including medication for opioid use disorder, and where is it kept?
- A good answer
- A written medication policy, a secure place to store medication, and respect for what your prescriber ordered.
- Walk away if
- The policy isn't written down, or staff tell you to change a prescription without your prescriber.
In New Jersey: New Jersey's recovery housing plan, using SAMHSA's definition, says substance-free does not prohibit medications taken as directed by a licensed prescriber, including FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder. Class F homes must provide lockboxes for prescription medication (N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.3).
Relapse and removal
- Ask
- What happens if I drink or use while I live here? Can I stay, and who decides?
- A good answer
- A written policy that says what happens next, who decides and how fast, and what help you get to find care if you have to leave.
- Walk away if
- The answer is “we'll see,” or you could be put out the same night with nowhere to go.
In New Jersey: A resident of a cooperative sober living residence may be removed by the operator's decision or a vote of the residents, following the procedure in the house rules (N.J.A.C. 5:27-3.3).
Rent, deposit and refunds
- Ask
- What is the rent, what does it cover, what is the deposit, and what do I get back if I leave early?
- A good answer
- The figures in writing, a list of what rent includes, and refund terms you can read before you pay.
- Walk away if
- The price changes after you move in, or they want cash without a receipt.
Good to know: Most public and commercial health insurance plans don't cover recovery housing; resident fees pay an estimated 70 to 90 percent of its costs (SAMHSA, 2026).
New Jersey rules
What New Jersey's Class F rules set
- 10 residentsAt most, not counting the operators (N.J.A.C. 5:27-2.1).
- 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.One of two operators on site when residents are present (N.J.A.C. 5:27-2.1).
- WeeklyHouse rules may require drug and alcohol screening of all residents (N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.2).
- LockboxesFor prescription medication; no keyed entry locks or deadbolts on bedroom doors (N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.3).
Source: N.J.A.C. 5:27, effective January 6, 2025. General information. All four NJ Sober Living homes are Class F licensed by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA).
What should you look for when you visit a sober home?
Visit before you sign anything, and look at four places: the street, the bedrooms, the kitchen and the bathrooms.
-
01 / 04
Outside and the street
- How far it is to treatment and work, and how you'd get there
- A residential street you'd want to come home to
- Where residents park, smoke or sit outside
-
02 / 04
Bedrooms
- Count the beds in each room; bedrooms are usually shared
- Storage for each resident's clothes and belongings
- Ask whether bedroom doors lock, and who holds the keys
-
03 / 04
Kitchen
- Clean, working and stocked on an ordinary day
- Food storage for each resident
- How cooking and chores are shared
-
04 / 04
Bathrooms
- How many residents share each one
- Clean on an ordinary day, not only for the tour
Also ask to see the posted house rules, where prescription medication is locked, and who is on site tonight. In New Jersey, Class F homes must provide lockboxes for prescription medication and may not fit bedroom doors with keyed entry locks or deadbolts (N.J.A.C. 5:27-13.3).
What are the red flags in a sober living home?
Walk away from a home that offers free rent, cash or gifts to move in, won't show you written rules, doesn't test, won't let you visit, or pressures you to pay today.
Paying or offering anything of value to induce a referral to a recovery home, or in exchange for someone using its services, is a federal crime when the services are covered by a health care benefit program: up to $200,000 and 10 years in prison for each occurrence (18 U.S.C. § 220).
- Free rent, cash or gifts to move inIt can mean someone is being paid to bring you in.
- Asks for your insurance details to house youRent is rarely an insurance bill. Ask why they need it before you share it.
- No written house rulesRules you can't read can change on you.
- No drug or alcohol testingNothing holds the house substance-free.
- No one in charge overnightAsk who is there from evening to morning.
- Won't let you visit or see the bedroomsSee the rooms before you sign.
- Pressure to pay or sign todayA good home gives you time to compare.
How do you compare sober living homes side by side?
Shortlist two or three homes, call each with the same questions, visit, then score them on one sheet.
Shortlist two or three homes
Keep the ones that fit the needs you set above.
Call each with the same questions
Use the seven topics above, and note who you spoke to.
Visit
In person if you can. See the four places and the posted rules.
Score them on one sheet
Mark each check, then pick the home whose answers you'd be glad to have in writing.
Sober living comparison sheet
Fill it in as you call and visit. Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.
| Check | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| License or certification | |||
| Written house rules | |||
| Staff on site overnight | |||
| Drug and alcohol testing | |||
| Medication policy in writing | |||
| Relapse policy in writing | |||
| Rent, deposit and refund terms | |||
| How the visit felt |
Questions people ask when choosing sober living
Visit every home on your shortlist, ideally two or three. One visit shows you a home; two or three show you what's normal, and that makes the weak answers easy to spot.
Usually not. SAMHSA reports that recovery housing is not covered by most public or commercial health insurance plans, and that resident fees pay an estimated 70 to 90 percent of its costs. Medicaid may pay for some services offered in a home, such as case management, but not for the housing itself.
At NJ Sober Living, rent is $185 to $240 a week and is private pay. Insurance may cover outside treatment, but it generally does not cover rent.
No. In New Jersey a license comes from the state: cooperative sober living residences are licensed under a Class F license (N.J.A.C. 5:27-1.6). Certification comes from a standards body, such as a NARR state affiliate. A home can have one, both or neither, so ask which it has and ask to see it.
You can do the research, make the calls and go on the visits. The person moving in still has to agree to the house rules and want to live there, so bring them into the decision early and let them ask their own questions.
Near treatment makes the daily trip shorter and keeps your program within reach. Near home keeps family and work close, but it can also put you back among old routines and people. Weigh the daily trip against what home pulls you back to, and ask each home how residents get to treatment.
Ask your treatment team first, so a visit fits your program. Then call the home and ask when you can see it, or whether someone can show it to you on a video call if you can't leave yet.
Put these questions to NJ Sober Living
Ask us every question on this page. We'll tell you what we can put in writing for the home that fits.
- Four recovery homes in Waldwick, Old Tappan and Closter (two), Bergen County
- Class F licensed by NJ DCA: a live-in operator and an operator on site 7 p.m.–7 a.m., plus house management and behavioral health technicians
- Curfew, periodic drug testing and house expectations
- One set of written house rules, gone over with you before move-in
- Rides to evening treatment and back
- $185 to $240 a week, with your exact rate and any fees confirmed before move-in
Sources
- N.J.A.C. 5:27-1.6 (Class F license), 5:27-2.1 (cooperative sober living residence), 5:27-3.3 (eviction), 5:27-13.2 (house rules) and 5:27-13.3 (safety of residents), adopted at 57 N.J.R. 13(b), effective January 6, 2025. Cornell LII
- 18 U.S.C. § 220, Illegal remunerations for referrals to recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories. Cornell LII
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2026). Recovery Housing: Funding Sources and Financial Sustainability. Insights from NARR-Certified Recovery Residences. Publication No. PEP26-08-001. samhsa.gov
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, State of New Jersey Recovery Housing Program Action Plan (draft), Program Definitions: Recovery House (definition from SAMHSA). nj.gov
This guide describes sober living in general and New Jersey's rules as general information. It is not legal or medical advice.