What is a live-in aide and how does it affect occupancy?

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A live-in aide is a person who lives with a disabled household member to provide essential assistance so that the resident can live independently. For occupancy purposes, this aide is included in the unit’s occupancy count because they occupy space in the home and affect how many people the unit should accommodate. However, they are not treated as a separate tenant on the lease in most policies; they aren’t a co-tenant and don’t have tenancy rights in the leasing agreement. This setup lets the resident receive the needed help while keeping the lease with the resident (and/or household) intact. In short, the aide is counted toward unit size but is not a separate tenant.