What online marketplaces offer rooms or houses for rent by owners?

Yes. If you mean online marketplaces where you can find rentals listed directly by the owner (FRBO — “For Rent By Owner”), these are some of the main options in the U.S.:

• zillow.com — Large selection of houses, apartments, and rooms. Zillow specifically allows you to search for “For Rent by Owner” listings and has a room-rental category.Zillow+1
• hotpads.com — Particularly useful for local, map-based rental searches; Zillow says room listings can also appear on HotPads.Zillow
• facebook.com — Lots of individual landlords and homeowners post rooms and houses directly. Local housing groups can be useful too.Zillow
• craigslist.org — Long-standing option for private landlords, rooms, houses, sublets, and month-to-month rentals.Furnished Finder
• byowner.com — Specifically focused on For Rent By Owner properties, including houses, condos, apartments, and rooms. Renters can contact owners directly.Byowner.com
• apartments.com — Primarily apartments and houses from landlords/property managers, but individual landlords can list as well.Apartments.com
• furnishedfinder.com — Especially useful for furnished rooms/homes for 1–6+ months, including direct owner listings.Furnished Finder+1
• rentbyowner.com — More oriented toward vacation and short-term rentals, including properties available directly from owners.Rent By Owner Vacation Rentals

If you're specifically looking for a private room

I'd start with Zillow, Facebook Marketplace/local housing groups, Craigslist, Furnished Finder, and HotPads. Zillow, for example, explicitly supports individual room listings rather than only entire apartments/houses.Zillow

One important caution: “by owner” doesn't automatically mean legitimate. Never send a deposit before verifying the owner, seeing the property (or having a trusted person do so), and reviewing the lease. Craigslist and Facebook in particular require extra caution because listings are less curated.Furnished Finder+1

If you're looking specifically around Seattle, I can also give you the best sites/groups for private rooms, basement units, ADUs, and whole houses there.

Several online marketplaces and platforms specialize in connecting renters directly with private landlords, independent property owners, and people renting out spare rooms.

General Marketplaces (Houses, Apartments, and Units)

1. Zillow / Trulia : These massive real estate networks allow private landlords to list properties. You can filter search results explicitly for "For Rent by Owner" (FRBO) or look specifically for single-family houses, which are more frequently managed by independent owners.zillow.com
2. Facebook Marketplace : A heavily active local hub where individual homeowners, private landlords, and current tenants looking for sublessees post houses, apartments, and private rooms. Because it's tied to Facebook profiles, it offers a slight layer of user verification.
3. Craigslist : A classic classifieds choice. Under the "housing" section, you can look specifically at the "rooms/shared" or "by owner" subsections. Caution is advised here, as Craigslist has a higher volume of rental scams.
4. HotPads : Part of the Zillow Group, HotPads is popular in many urban areas and features a robust selection of individual, independent landlord listings, particularly for smaller apartments and townhomes.hotpads.com

Room-Specific and Roommate Platforms

1. Roomster : Focuses heavily on finding vacant rooms in shared houses, apartments, and sublets, connecting you directly with people who have extra space in their homes.roomster.com
2. Roommates.com : A dedicated matching platform designed to help people with spare rooms find compatible tenants, or to help groups form a household together.roommates.com
3. SpareRoom : Highly popular for finding individual rooms for rent in shared properties, featuring listings posted directly by live-in homeowners ("live-in landlords") or head tenants.

If you are looking in a specific city or region , or trying to decide between renting an entire house vs. a single room , let me know so I can give you more tailored advice or safety tips for avoiding scams.

Finding a room or an entire house directly from a private landlord can save you money on application or broker fees, and often gives you a more flexible leasing experience.byowner.com

The primary online marketplaces and platforms where you can find properties for rent by owner (FRBO) include:

• Zillow – The largest real estate network. When searching for rentals, you can use the filter options to select "For rent by owner" to weed out large property management companies. Its sister sites like HotPads also feature dedicated map-based filters specifically for private owner listings.zillow.com+1
• Craigslist – A classic option that many "mom-and-pop" landlords and people with spare rooms still use. Be sure to look under the "housing > by owner" category. Note: Exercise caution on Craigslist, as it requires more vigilance regarding potential scams.
• Facebook Marketplace – Widely used by independent landlords and people renting out rooms or backhouses because it is free and easy to post. You can directly message the poster and view their public profile to gauge legitimacy.
• For Rent By Owner – One of the oldest dedicated niche directories explicitly built to connect independent property owners/landlords directly with prospective tenants without middle-man agents.forrentbyowner.com
• ByOwner.com (FRBO Homes) – Focuses explicitly on private, non-managed rental inventory, helping renters find single-family houses and condos listed straight from the individual holding the deed.byowner.com
• Apartments.com – While mostly known for large apartment complexes, they include individual listings and feature a "for rent by owner" filter that captures independent landlords listing houses, condos, or individual rooms.
• StreetEasy – If you are looking specifically in the New York City region, StreetEasy features a prominent For Rent By Owner section utilized heavily by local independent owners.

If you can share your target location and whether you are looking for a single room or an entire house , I can suggest which of these platforms tends to have the highest concentration of private listings in that specific market.

Several online platforms and marketplaces specialize in or allow independent landlords to list rooms, guesthouses, and entire houses directly for rent by owner (FRBO).

• Facebook Marketplace : A heavily utilized platform for independent local landlords. You can filter specifically by property type (such as single-family houses, apartments, or private rooms) and communicate directly via Messenger with the homeowner or local property manager.facebook.com+2
• Craigslist : One of the oldest classifieds networks for finding "housing for rent by owner". It is widely used for individual rooms, basements, guesthouses, and full houses. Note: Exercise caution, as Craigslist has a higher prevalence of rental scams due to less identity verification.craigslist.org+2
• Zillow & Trulia : While primarily known for major property management listings, individual landlords can list single-family houses or condos directly by using Zillow Rental Manager. You can filter search results on Zillow or Trulia to find independent or private listings.zillow.com+1
• HotPads : A map-based rental search engine that is very popular for urban rentals, individual apartments, and spare rooms. It allows you to filter specifically for properties or individual rooms listed directly by owners.hotpads.com+1
• Roomies.com : If you are specifically searching for an empty room in an existing house or apartment shared with roommates/homeowners, Roomies specializes in verified room-for-rent listings and roommate matching.
• Apartments.com / ForRent.com : Though corporate-leaning, these major networks allow independent landlords to post independent single-family homes or private spaces using their syndication tools.zumper.com+2

If you'd like, let me know:

• Are you looking for a private room or an entire house?
• What city or region are you searching in?

I can help give you specific tips on avoiding rental scams or finding the right local platform for that market.

Yes. If you're specifically looking for rooms, apartments, or houses rented directly by the owner (FRBO — For Rent By Owner), these are some of the better online marketplaces in the U.S.:

• Zillow — Large inventory and a dedicated “For Rent by Owner” search. You can filter by location, price, bedrooms, etc. Zillow currently shows thousands of owner-listed rentals in New Jersey.Zillow+2
• Facebook Marketplace — Particularly useful for rooms, roommate situations, and small landlords. It has strong local reach and is free for listings.Avail, part of the Realtor.com network
• Craigslist — Still useful for finding rentals from individual landlords, especially rooms and less-formal rental arrangements. Be extra careful about scams.
• HotPads — Rental-focused marketplace; listings can come through Zillow Rental Manager and include owner-listed properties.Avail, part of the Realtor.com network
• Apartments.com — Primarily property-manager listings, but individual landlords can list there as well.Avail, part of the Realtor.com network
• Zumper — Includes apartments, houses, and rooms, with listings from both property owners and managers.Avail, part of the Realtor.com network
• Avail — Particularly geared toward independent landlords and renters dealing directly with owners; listings can be distributed across multiple rental sites.Avail, part of the Realtor.com network+1
• Trulia — Rental listings are connected to Zillow's rental network, so it can be another place to search.Avail, part of the Realtor.com network

If you want to avoid property-management companies

I'd start with Zillow's “For Rent by Owner” filter, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Avail. For a room in someone's house, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist can be particularly worthwhile.

If you tell me your city/ZIP, maximum monthly rent, and whether you want a room, apartment, or entire house, I can also search the current listings and find owner-direct rentals for you.

Several major online platforms and marketplaces feature rooms, houses, and apartments listed directly by independent owners or private landlords:

• Zillow Rentals : Offers a massive database where private landlords and independent owners can list houses, condos, and individual rooms. You can filter specifically for "Rooms" to find private bedrooms with shared common spaces.zillow.com+1
• Craigslist : A classic classifieds choice where many individual homeowners and independent landlords post "For Rent by Owner" houses, townhomes, and single rooms. (Note: Exercise caution and verify listings in person to avoid common online scams).
• HotPads : A map-based rental search platform that distinctly categorizes and highlights single-family houses, apartments, and private rooms in shared homes, making it easy to spot individual owner listings visually.
• PadMapper : Combines apartment, house, and room listings from various direct-posting sources into an interactive map interface designed to help renters find independent sublets and private rooms.
• Airbnb & Vrbo : Best if you are looking for short-term, medium-term, or furnished housing directly from property owners. Airbnb accommodates both private rooms in a home and entire houses, while Vrbo focuses entirely on private whole-house vacation and short-term rentals.[1]
• Houfy : An open marketplace designed for direct booking of vacation and short-term residential rentals by independent owners without heavy platform booking fees.[1]

If you can share whether you are looking for long-term leases vs. short-term stays or a specific city/location , I can point you toward the most active platform for that area.