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A property owner/landlord is allowed the full amount of shelter costs (such as mortgage, taxes, insurance) that the household is required to pay to live there. The gross income minus the cost of doing business received from rental property, if a household member is not involved in management of the property 20 hours/week or more, is countable unearned income to the owner/landlord's household. NOTE: No portion of expenses can be used as both a shelter cost and a self-employment cost. Separate households residing in the same residence are allowed the actual amount of rent they are billed as a shelter deduction. When households reside together and neither household owns the residence, a rent payment made from one household to another is exempt as pass- through shelter payment up to the full amount of rent billed. If the payment is more than the full rent charged for the residence, the excess payment is unearned income to the household receiving the payment. ROOMERS: A roomer is an individual living with a household and paying for lodging but not meals. Refer to 'Earned vs. Unearned' in this section of the manual to determine whether the contribution is considered earned or unearned income. Payments received from roomers are usually considered unearned contributions to the household. Do not allow expenses against the contributions unless the roomer situation meets the definition of earned income and the case is treated as self-employment. BOARDERS: Treat commercial boarding houses (businesses established as commercial enterprises offering meals and lodging for compensation with the intent to make a profit) according to the general provisions of regular self-employment rather than using the information provided below. Boarders are individuals that a household furnishes lodging and meals (SNAP 201- 4). Foster children are not boarders. When a boarding situation is not related to a commercial boarding house, the income from boarders includes all direct payments to the household including contributions for meals and shelter. In determining the amount of countable income received from the boarder, exclude the household’s costs of providing room and meals to the boarder (allowable expenses). Households may choose one of the following methods to determine the cost of doing business (expenses): 1. The cost of the SNAP's thrifty food plan for the number of boarders in the household; 2. If the actual costs exceed the appropriate thrifty food plan, the actual documented allowable expenses of providing room and meals. If actual costs are used, only separate and identifiable costs of providing room and meals to the boarders are excluded; or, 3. A flat amount of $100 per boarder.