Practical comparison resource
California sober-living checklist: questions to ask before choosing a home.
Compare costs, house rules, safety, privacy, and available support. Use the questions below to check each home’s claims and request the details in writing.
How to use this guide
Compare the substance, not the slogans.
This checklist is for prospective residents, families, and referral professionals comparing sober-living and recovery-residence options. It translates current public guidance into practical questions; it does not certify, rank, or recommend a particular home.
Prepared by Citronia Recovery, a nonclinical sober-living residence in Tarzana, California. This resource is general education, not medical or legal advice. Citronia is not endorsed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), or a NARR affiliate.
Last reviewed: September 3, 2026 · Next scheduled source review: March 3, 2027
California distinction
First identify what the organization actually provides.
Current DHCS guidance distinguishes housing-only cooperative sober living from facilities that provide licensable alcohol or drug recovery or treatment services. A residence is not required to hold a DHCS license merely because it provides cooperative, alcohol- and drug-free housing.
DHCS says an adult facility operating in a 24-hour nonmedical residential setting generally needs licensure if it provides even one listed alcohol or other drug (AOD) recovery or treatment service, unless an applicable exemption or license from another state department applies. Listed examples include detoxification; AOD-related individual or group sessions, counseling, or education; and recovery or treatment planning. Local permits, clearances, taxes, housing requirements, and other rules may still apply.
The practical question is scope: what does the organization actually offer or claim to offer? The absence of a DHCS license is not, by itself, evidence that a housing-only residence is operating improperly. If treatment services are claimed, ask for the license number and verify it.
Sources: DHCS complaints and sober-living guidance (opens in a new tab); DHCS facility licensing (opens in a new tab).
Before paying
Get the costs, house rules, and move-out terms in writing.
SAMHSA guidance and NARR’s voluntary standards emphasize clear expectations, resident rights, ethical operations, and financial transparency. The exact rules vary, but important answers should not depend on memory or a verbal promise.
Costs and refunds
- Can I review the residency agreement before paying?
- What does the regular housing fee include?
- Are there deposits, move-in, testing, transportation, late, or other possible charges?
- When can a fee change?
- What is the refund policy if I do not move in, leave early, or am asked to leave?
- Will I receive a receipt or payment record?
Rules and leaving
- Will I receive the house rules before move-in?
- What are the visitor, curfew, quiet-hour, chore, and meeting expectations?
- What screening or search policies apply?
- How does the residence respond to a return to substance use?
- What conduct can lead to discharge, and how much notice is ordinarily provided?
- What happens to personal property left behind?
Rights and concerns
- How can a resident raise a concern or grievance?
- Can an unresolved concern go to someone other than the person involved?
- How are rules applied consistently?
- How are conflicts among residents handled?
- Are any resident work arrangements voluntary and documented?
- Who is responsible for the home’s day-to-day operation?
Best-practice sources: SAMHSA Best Practices for Recovery Housing (PDF opens in a new tab); NARR standards (opens in a new tab). These are not represented here as identical legal requirements for every home.
Tour and safety
Look at the actual home and ask how emergencies are handled.
- Am I touring the same address and type of room where I would live?
- How many people share the bedroom and bathroom?
- Is there secure space for personal belongings, food, and medication?
- Are exits clear? Are smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors, where applicable, and fire extinguishers present?
- Are emergency numbers and evacuation information easy to find?
- How often are safety equipment and emergency procedures checked?
- What happens during an overdose, intoxication, withdrawal, medical emergency, or mental-health crisis?
- Is naloxone available, and who is trained to use it?
- What accessibility needs can the home accommodate?
These are informed inspection questions, not a substitute for a qualified inspection or an interpretation of local code.
Daily life and boundaries
Make sure the practices fit the person.
A residence can be transparent and well run while still being the wrong fit for a particular person. Compare the support, privacy, location, and everyday expectations—not just the photos.
Medication questions
Ask about the written policy.
- How are prescribed and nonprescription medications permitted, stored, and protected from unauthorized access?
- Does the policy accommodate the medication the prospective resident currently takes?
- Who can explain the policy before move-in?
- Is the resident expected to consult their own prescriber before making a medication change?
Do not stop, start, or change prescribed medication based on a housing website or residence-policy discussion. Medication decisions belong with the resident and an appropriately licensed prescriber.
Privacy and ethics
Ask who can see or share information.
- Who can access resident records or personal information?
- What is shared with family members, outside providers, or referral sources, and how is permission documented?
- Can residents decline photographs, testimonials, social posts, or promotional participation?
- What boundaries apply to owners, staff, managers, volunteers, and residents?
- Does anyone receive money, gifts, free services, or another benefit tied to a referral?
Do not assume that HIPAA applies to every sober-living residence. Privacy obligations depend on the organization and the facts.
Voluntary ethics reference: NARR Code of Ethics (PDF opens in a new tab).
Verify public claims
Check the issuer, status, address, and scope.
- If any listed AOD recovery or treatment service, including detoxification, is provided or advertised onsite in a 24-hour nonmedical residential setting, ask which DHCS license, applicable exemption, or other state-department license applies and verify it with the responsible agency.
- If outside or outpatient treatment is discussed, identify the independent provider and verify the applicable license or certification and the location where services are delivered.
- If a residence claims certification, ask who issued it and verify the current status with that organization.
- A logo, membership, employee credential, or statement that a home “follows” a standard is not the same as residence certification.
- NARR does not directly certify individual residences; its state affiliates conduct certification and recertification.
- Check that the public address, phone, website, house type, room arrangements, and services are consistent across the residence’s own site and independent listings.
- Ask for any statement that affects cost, safety, services, or move-out terms in writing.
Verification paths: DHCS substance-use service directories (opens in a new tab); NARR certification process (opens in a new tab); NARR state affiliate directory (opens in a new tab).
Print or save
Comparison worksheet.
Use notes rather than a numeric score. Different people need different levels of structure and support, so no single answer is automatically “best.”
The PDF is formatted for US Letter paper in landscape orientation.
| What to compare | Home A | Home B | Home C | Follow-up needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing or treatment services | ||||
| Staff roles, hours, and support | ||||
| Full costs and refund terms | ||||
| Agreement and house rules | ||||
| Policy if substance use resumes or a resident leaves | ||||
| Physical safety and emergencies | ||||
| Medication policy | ||||
| Privacy and formal complaints | ||||
| Referral payments, benefits, and choice | ||||
| Daily life, transportation, and fit | ||||
| License or certification verified |
Sources
What informed this checklist.
The sources below were checked on September 3, 2026. Linking to them does not imply that any source has reviewed or endorsed Citronia.
- California DHCS: Licensing and Certification — Complaints (opens in a new tab) California regulatory guidance
- California DHCS: Facility Licensing (opens in a new tab) California regulatory guidance
- California DHCS: Directories for Substance Use Disorder Services (opens in a new tab) License and certification verification
- SAMHSA: Best Practices for Recovery Housing (opens in a new tab) Federal best-practice guidance
- National Alliance for Recovery Residences: Standards (opens in a new tab) Voluntary national standards
- NARR: Certification process (opens in a new tab) Certification verification guidance
- NARR: Code of Ethics (opens in a new tab) Voluntary ethics guidance
- NARR: State affiliate directory (opens in a new tab) Certification issuer verification
Method: Citronia translated recurring source themes into questions a reader can ask. Legal and regulatory statements are limited to current DHCS guidance; SAMHSA and NARR material is identified as best-practice or voluntary standards rather than California law.
Comparing Citronia?
See how Citronia answers the practical questions.
Citronia provides nonclinical sober-living housing in Tarzana. Review the actual residence, current expectations, and housing-versus-treatment distinction before asking about current availability and written residency terms.