Most recovery house operators don't choose bad software on purpose. They choose it in a hurry, from a slick demo, without knowing which questions actually matter. Then six months later the staff are back on spreadsheets. This checklist keeps that from happening.
Print it, or keep it open while you take demos. Ask every vendor the same eight questions — including us — and the right fit becomes obvious fast.
1Is it built for housing, or for clinics?
Sober living is a housing operation, not a treatment program. Software designed around electronic health records, clinical charting, and insurance billing can drown a house manager in fields they'll never touch. Unless you also run licensed treatment, you want a tool built for housing.
Ask: "Was this built for recovery houses, or is the housing piece bolted onto clinical software?"
2Can a house manager learn it in a day?
Your staff aren't IT professionals. If the tool needs a week of training, it won't get used consistently — and inconsistent data is worse than no system. Watch a demo and ask yourself if your team could run it.
Ask: "Walk me through what a house manager does on a normal Monday."
3Is everything really in one place?
Beds, rent, drug screens, passes, chores, maintenance, and reports should live in one system. If maintenance and work orders still happen over text, or reporting means exporting to Excel, you haven't actually consolidated anything.
Ask: "What still has to happen outside this software?"
4Can I see the price without a sales call?
Transparent, published pricing is a sign of respect for your time. Quote-only vendors aren't automatically bad, but you should know what you're paying — and whether it changes as you add beds, houses, or residents.
Ask: "What's the total cost for my number of beds, all in, per month?"
5How hard is it to move my data in?
This is the step that kills most switches. If migrating means re-typing every resident by hand, you'll never do it. The best tools let you import your existing spreadsheet — some now use AI to map the columns automatically, turning a multi-day chore into a few minutes.
Ask: "If I hand you my current resident spreadsheet, how does it get into your system?"
6Will it show me how the house is actually doing?
Data entry is only worth it if you get insight back. Look for an owner-level view — occupancy, cash, who's behind on rent, who's struggling — and ideally a health score that flags a resident or a house before a small problem becomes a relapse or an eviction.
Ask: "Show me the screen an owner looks at to run the whole business."
7Is there a real app for residents?
Passes, payments, ride sign-ups, and house announcements are easier when residents have them on their phone. A resident-facing mobile app cuts the number of things staff have to chase down.
Ask: "What can a resident do from their own phone?"
8Who picks up when something breaks?
You will eventually need help. Find out whether support understands recovery housing or is a generic help desk — and whether the people behind the product have ever run a house themselves.
Ask: "Who built this, and have they worked in recovery housing?"