Guest Rooms

One of my earliest memories of the holidays was traveling to my grandparents’ house. We lived a few hours away, as did my cousins, aunts and uncles. On or around Christmas Day, we would be under the same roof. Small kid logic could resolve how Santa could stop at my house, and find me at Grandma’s, too. He could manage keeping track of naughty and nice kids and manage worldwide deliveries with a sleigh and flying reindeer. Knowing we would be opening presents a day early (or a day late) seemed completely reasonable.

As I have gotten older, I have a greater appreciation of the challenge of getting everyone together. At some point, Grandma’s house isn’t Grandma’s anymore. Kids grow up and start families and traditions of their own. There are the logistics of planning around school schedules, days off, travel arrangements. . . and where people will sleep.

My grandparents had a guest room; a place for company to stay when they came for a visit. Furnished with the bedroom suite that had been purchased when my dad was in high school, it was an extension of hospitality. There was always a place to stay.

During the holidays, the places to stay included the upstairs loft (and my aunts’ childhood furniture), and cots and blankets in the basement or the living room floor. I have fond memories of camping out in the dining room with my cousins, of marathon sessions of Monopoly, and of my parents, aunts and uncles in the kitchen late at night sharing stories. My grandparents sold that little house a few years later, buying a newer, larger home in the suburbs. The new place had more space, a larger kitchen, a second bathroom and more room—for guests.

I watched the pattern repeat itself as my parents’ home became “grandma’s house.” Some rooms were repurposed after my brothers and I moved out, but there was always an extra bedroom: a place to stay when you were in from out of town. That practice continues in our home in Cleveland. We also have a guest room, with the maple bedroom furniture that once was in my grandparents’ guest room.

Guest rooms are a big part of the housing market in America. Of the more than one million new homes built in 2024, forty-two percent had at least four bedrooms. Nearly one-third of new homes had three or more bathrooms. The average household in the US is 2.5 people. Clearly, there are some extra rooms! Of course, not everyone lives in a new home, but according to a report in yougov.com, two-thirds of US houses have one or more unoccupied bedrooms. And the most frequent use of that extra room is as a spare bedroom for guests.

Even if a home doesn’t have an extra room, people still find ways to put someone up overnight. Americans spend nearly three billion dollars each year on sleeper bed sofas, including futons, hideaway beds and foldout couches. We spend another $200 million on air mattresses and folding cots. In houses and apartments across the country, we find ways to put people up overnight, or longer.

According to Realtor.com, there are more than 31 million guest bedrooms in the US. This is a record for the number of extra rooms in the US, and a fourfold increase since 1980. There are a variety of economic and demographic explanations for this. For one thing, new houses are larger, and more expensive than those built in the past. The median size of a new home built in 2024 was 2,400 square feet. My grandparents “big” house that was built in the 1960s had about 2,000 square feet of living space. Fewer small homes are being built. Zoning regulations, building materials and labor costs make it less attractive for contractors to build smaller houses. Demographics also play a role, as average household sizes have decreased, families have fewer children and more people choose to live alone. Older adult homeowners, those ages 65 and older, are more likely to have extra bedrooms. Often, they may find limited options for downsizing, even if they want to find smaller places.

Housing that is affordable and accessible is a challenge, and not just for older adults. Housing costs, for homebuyers and renters have increased dramatically: the cost of housing has doubled over the past decade. Rents and mortgage payments increased much faster than the overall rate of inflation. At the same time, available housing does not fit the needs of many households. Those extra rooms in American housing offer up some options for addressing this basic need.

• Intergenerational Housing: This is not a new idea. A perusal of real estate listings will show homes with a “mother-in-law” suite. A section of the home – usually a separate bedroom and bath, often with its own entrance – that allows for sharing of an address while providing some personal space. This may be an attractive option for someone who may provide care or assistance for a loved one – while still maintaining a level of privacy. And even if a home doesn’t have separate living spaces, it is not uncommon to for multiple generations to live under one roof. Generations of recent college graduates, widowed parents or other family members have moved in with parents, kids or grandchildren when their financial, housing or health needs required it.

• Shared Housing: Many homes are not laid out to accommodate separate living quarters. Other homes lend themselves to offering a private room along with shared common spaces. “Boarding houses” where the owner may offer meals or other services as part of the rent have long been part of the housing market. The extra room provides a source of income for the owner, a way to share expenses, as well as an affordable alternative for the lessee. The Washtenaw Housing Alliance in Ann Arbor, Michigan has been successful in connecting older adults with younger tenants, including students from the University of Michigan and other schools. Beyond the economic benefits, participants also enjoy the intergenerational relationships formed through the program.
• Income Potential: Another feature cited in real estate listings is “income potential” —indicating that a separate apartment or unit is connected to the property. Many older neighborhoods in northeast Ohio include “Cleveland Doubles,” the over-and-under duplexes with separate entries. One generation may occupy the upstairs unit, while parents or grandparents live below. Cleveland neighborhoods, especially those formed in the nineteenth century, may have a carriage house or a small cottage on the same parcel of land as the primary home. While these buildings do not include shared spaces, they provide a way for families and friends to be nearby.
• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are a more recent entry in the discussion of housing options. An ADU is a “smaller, independent residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a stand-alone (i.e., detached) single-family home.” But, instead of a carriage house or cottage, ADUs are new construction on the site of a single-family home. Some companies build free-standing units, or “tiny house” models. Others fit a separate dwelling unit within an existing space, such as an attached garage or a walk-out basement. An ADU is separate from the existing home and can be removed later as housing needs change.

Making it Work

There are many challenges to finding and maintaining appropriate housing throughout our lifetimes. Zoning requirements may prohibit multi-family dwellings in a single-family neighborhood. Regulations may inhibit boarding homes or “housing with services” in residential areas. Meaningful discussions of housing extend beyond the home itself, and should consider community amenities, utilities, transportation and other factors. We all need a place to live, and we also need a reason why we live there. Most adults express a desire to age-in-place. Making that possible—and practical—requires a community effort. We should work to ensure that everyone has a place to stay.

Since its founding in 1908, Benjamin Rose has worked to address the housing needs of older adults. In establishing the institute that bears his name, Benjamin Rose sought to provide “relief and assistance of needy, aged people. . . to enable them to stay in their home and maintain their comfort and dignity.” Learn more about our Housing and Home Ownership programs by visiting our website.