HOMES.mil is the Department of Defense rental listing website, which describes itself as "The only DoD-sponsored rental listing website used by Military Housing Offices around the world." Service members can search it without an account, and the site states that "Property Managers can list their properties at no cost" once their account is approved. Every listing, there or anywhere else, must follow California's fair housing rules, which bar ads that show a preference based on military or veteran status (Gov. Code § 12955(c)).

The short version

  • HOMES.mil is "a publicly accessible Department of Defense (DoD) website," run jointly by the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard.
  • It lists rentals only: "Sales listings are not allowed on HOMES.mil."
  • You can search without an account; an account lets you save locations, searches and favorites.
  • Property manager accounts must be approved before listing, and HOMES.mil says listing is free.
  • AHRN.com is a private site, not a DoD site.
  • Fair housing rules apply to every ad, wherever it runs.

Official site or private site

Two names come up when people talk about military rental listings. They are not the same kind of site.

HOMES.milAHRN.com
Who runs itDepartment of Defense; "managed by Military Housing Offices around the world"Its footer says it belongs to "Did You Serve, LLC"
Official status"The only DoD-sponsored rental listing website used by Military Housing Offices around the world""Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. of War or any Military Branch"
Cost to listHOMES.mil says property managers can list "free of charge" once approvedThe homepage does not state what landlords pay
What it listsRentals onlySee the site

If you want the official channel that installation housing offices use, it is HOMES.mil. Start at https://www.homes.mil/, because the site sends deep links to its government consent banner first.

How service members use it

  1. Start early. HOMES.mil says you can "contact your current or prospective Housing office and use HEAT.mil to start your housing process BEFORE you PCS."
  2. Search by installation. "You can search for homes at all local installations using the criteria you choose." Without an account, you can search near your current or next installation and create reports.
  3. Create an account if you want to save work. "You can search and view listings without an account, or create an account to save your location, searches and favorite listings."
  4. Use Login.gov. HOMES.mil accounts use Login.gov, which "uses two-factor authentication." The site recommends a "permanent personal (non-government) email address" rather than a .mil, .gov or .edu address.
  5. Look at programs too. "You can view Rental Partnership Program listings and other Military community housing benefits."

Once you find a home, the rest is a normal California rental: an application, a lease, a deposit and a move-in inspection. See renting off base as a military tenant for those steps.

How owners and managers list

  1. Create an account. The About page invites owners to "Create an account and start marketing your rentals for free today!"
  2. Wait for approval. "Once your Property Manager account has been approved, you will be able to post your property rental listings, free of charge."
  3. Post a rental listing. Sales listings are not allowed. Some overseas locations require you to contact the local housing office directly to have a listing posted.
  4. Ask about standards. Before you list, ask the installation housing office what a listing must meet to be accepted and how long approval takes.

A service member who owns a home can list it too: the service member page says "You can create an account and list your own rental property."

The housing office's role

HOMES.mil is "managed by Military Housing Offices around the world," so the housing office at each installation is the human side of the site. It is the place to ask how listings are reviewed, which programs operate locally, and where to turn with a problem during a tenancy. For one local example, see moving to Coronado on military orders, which covers the Navy housing office that serves Naval Base Coronado.

Ad rules that apply on any site

A listing on HOMES.mil is still a California rental ad. These rules apply no matter where it runs:

  • No preference based on a protected class. California bars notices and ads that discriminate, including on source of income and on veteran or military status (Gov. Code § 12955(c)). Federal law separately bars ads that show a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin (42 U.S.C. § 3604(c)). The rule is about what an ad says: describe the home and the terms, not who should live there.
  • Altered photos (from January 1, 2027). A rental ad that uses a digitally altered image, including AI-generated changes to fixtures, furniture, flooring, paint, landscaping or views, must carry a disclosure on or next to the image and include the unaltered original or a link to it (AB 2025, Civil Code § 1940.11). Ordinary lighting, cropping and exposure edits are excluded.
  • Pet policy (from April 1, 2027). Every landlord or agent must have a written pet policy and link to it in digital ads the landlord controls, and on third-party sites where links are allowed (SB 1296, Civil Code § 1942.7.5). A ban on pets counts as a policy.

For renters

  • Search HOMES.mil and talk to your housing office before you sign anything.
  • Use a personal email for your Login.gov account.
  • Remember that where a home is listed does not change your rights. The SCRA applies whether or not the lease mentions it. See military tenants and the SCRA.
  • Budget with your actual rent, not the allowance. See how BAH works.

For owners

McKee Properties manages rentals from its Coronado office; contact us with questions about your property.

Help on base

Your installation housing office is the main contact for HOMES.mil questions, listings and local housing programs. For questions about a lease or a dispute, your installation legal assistance office may be able to help eligible service members. Military OneSource points to its Legal Services Locator and to 800-342-9647 to find one.

Frequently asked questions

Is HOMES.mil the official military housing website?

Yes. HOMES.mil describes itself as "a publicly accessible Department of Defense (DoD) website" and as "The only DoD-sponsored rental listing website used by Military Housing Offices around the world." It is a joint site of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard.

Does it cost anything to list on HOMES.mil?

HOMES.mil states that "Property Managers can list their properties at no cost" and that approved property manager accounts can post rental listings "free of charge." Accounts must be approved before you can post, and some overseas locations require you to go through the local housing office.

Is AHRN.com part of the military?

No. AHRN.com's own footer says it belongs to "Did You Serve, LLC" and is "Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. of War or any Military Branch." Its homepage does not say what landlords pay to list. The DoD-sponsored listing site is HOMES.mil.

Do I need an account to search HOMES.mil?

No. You can search and view listings without an account. An account, which uses Login.gov with two-factor authentication, lets you save your location, searches and favorite listings, and lets you list your own rental property.

Can a landlord advertise a rental as for military only?

A California ad may not show a preference or limitation based on veteran or military status, among other protected classes (Gov. Code § 12955(c)). Keep the ad's wording about the home and the terms, wherever it runs, and apply the same written criteria to every applicant.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm your situation with your installation legal assistance office, a California attorney or a tax professional.

Sources

Verified October 19, 2026.

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