VSL Chartered Recovery Residence
Kismet Sober House — Sober Living for Men in South Portland, ME
Certified sober living for men in South Portland, ME, a twenty-three-bed recovery residence with an updated chef's kitchen and plenty of bathrooms, near local shops. Shared rooms are $200 a week and private rooms $250.
South Portland, Maine
About Kismet Sober House
Kismet Sober House is sober living for men in South Portland, Maine, a certified 23-bed house on Main Street with two private rooms and the rest of the beds shared. Most bedrooms are triples, spread across three floors, and the basement holds a four-person room. Downstairs is an updated chef's kitchen; the house has plenty of bathrooms and common space indoors and out. Shops, jobs and bus lines are a short walk away. Gaming systems are not allowed in bedrooms.
Kismet is run by Living Proof Recovery Homes, a chartered member of the Vanderburgh Sober Living network. The men hold house meetings Mondays and Thursdays at 7 pm, plus one floating meeting, and each attends three recovery meetings a week. Curfew is 11 pm nightly for 30 days; after that it moves to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and overnights can be requested after Step 5 with a sponsor. Tony's Recovery Home is also in South Portland, and Tranquility Sober House sits across the bridge in Portland.
Rates shown are current and all-inclusive. Confirm the figure for your room type on your phone screen.
Apply NowSomeone will call you for a phone screen, usually within a few hours.
Sober Living Costs and What’s Included
Rent at Kismet Sober House starts at $200 a week or $867 a month and covers utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening. To move in you need $400: the first week plus the $200 deposit.
| Item | Amount | When it is due |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly rent | $200 | Every week |
| Monthly rent | $867 | Every month |
| Move-in deposit | $200 | Once, at move-in |
| Minimum funds at move-in | $400 | At move-in (first week plus deposit) |
Rent is due in advance and covers utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening. Nothing on that list is billed separately.
The deposit is paid once, at move-in, and is separate from your first week's rent. The minimum shown above is both together.
Private and Shared Rooms
Single rooms are offered first to existing guests and are rarely available for new incoming guests.
All-inclusive sober living rent payments are due weekly or monthly and are not currently covered by insurance or subsidies. The deposit shown above is due when you move in. Please be prepared to meet your financial obligations.
Rent includes urine screen costs and all utilities.
House Details at a Glance
- Private Rooms
- Free WiFi
- Parking
- Air Conditioning
- Premium Cable
- Storage
- Laundry
- Computer Station
- Job Opportunities
- Transportation
- Local Recovery Resources
- Counseling
- Grocery and Pharmacy
- Parks and Recreation
Photos of Kismet Sober House
Inside Kismet Sober House in South Portland, ME.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can live at Kismet Sober House?
Adults in recovery who are ready for a structured, substance-free house. This home serves men in South Portland, Maine. Most guests arrive from treatment or from another recovery residence, but that is not a requirement.
What does it cost to move in?
$400. That is your first week at $200 plus the $200 move-in deposit. Rent after that is due weekly or monthly in advance.
Is this home certified?
Yes. It is a certified recovery residence under Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR), Maine's NARR affiliate, and it also operates to the standards of The Vanderburgh Foundation.
Where is the home?
South Portland, ME. The exact street address is shared after your phone screen, which is how we protect the privacy of the people living here.
What is included in the rent?
Utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening are all covered by the weekly rate. There is no separate bill for any of them.
Are private rooms available?
Sometimes. Private rooms are $250 a week against $200 shared, and they go first to guests already living in the house, so they are rarely open to someone moving in.
How soon can I move in?
Apply online and someone calls you for a phone screen, usually within a few hours. Availability changes daily, so the call is where you find out what is actually open.
Life in Sober Living: Structure and Peer Support
Kismet is a house for twenty-three men in South Portland, and three recovery meetings a week happen right at home: Monday and Thursday at 7 PM, plus a floating meeting. The men cook in an updated chef's kitchen and share a lot of common space inside and out. A House Mentor lives in the home and leads the household, and Tony's Recovery Home is nearby.
For the first 30 days, curfew is 11 PM every night. After that it stays at 11 PM Sunday through Thursday and moves to midnight on Friday and Saturday. A guest can ask for overnights once he has finished Step 5 with his sponsor. Kismet screens for drugs and alcohol at random. Shops and employers are a short walk away, which makes it easier to start working early.
What a Week in South Portland Sober Living Looks Like
- In-house meetings Monday and Thursday At 7 PM, plus a floating meeting
- Overnights after Step 5 With your sponsor
- An 11 PM curfew to start With midnight on weekends after 30 days
- A chef's kitchen And plenty of common space
- A House Mentor living at Kismet With random screening
Maine Certification and Standards
MARR Certification
Kismet Sober House is a certified sober living residence, which means it meets rigorous standards for safety, structure, and accountability. All VSL homes adhere to the standards of The Vanderburgh Foundation and, where applicable, recognised certifying organisations such as MARR.
VSL Charter
This sober house is operated by Living Proof Recovery Homes. Some Vanderburgh Sober Living homes are independently owned and operated by Chartered Operators of the Vanderburgh Sober Living network. A charter means the home operates to the standards of The Vanderburgh Foundation and carries the support of the wider VSL network.
What Men in Our Homes Say
Residents, families and neighbours of Vanderburgh Sober Living homes.
Vanderburgh was a lifesaver for me. Real recovery with real people. A great group of guys, and thank you so much for the work you do.
Your home has been a lifesaver for me and many people I have met in this house. This is real recovery and it's focused on what really matters, which is the health and safety and recovery of everyone here.
You guys are amazing. I am so happy to help lead a recovery community that really focuses on real recovery.
Shared with permission. Last names withheld.
Home Leadership: Living Proof Recovery Homes
The Kismet Sober House in South Portland, Maine offers a truly recovery-focused environment for men who are ready to take the next step in their journey toward a new, sober life. Operated by the dedicated team at Vanderburgh Sober Living, this home provides a structured and supportive setting designed to foster personal growth and long-term recovery. Our compassionate and highly trained staff are committed to serving the recovery community, welcoming new guests into a nurturing environment where they can feel supported every step of the way. We are proud to be part of the South Portland recovery community and are dedicated to making a positive impact across Maine.
Many Vanderburgh Sober Living homes are independently owned and operated by Chartered Operators-members of the Vanderburgh Sober Living 501(c)3 Foundation's collaborative membership organization. Independent Chartered Operators meet the same high standards and practices as VSL's staff-managed homes. Learn more about becoming an independent operator with Vanderburgh Sober Living.
Recovery in South Portland, Maine
Around Kismet Sober House
Kismet Sober House sits on Main Street in the Sunset Park area of South Portland. METRO's new Route 25, which began on October 4, 2026, travels Main Street on its way between Portland and Scarborough. Sawyer Park is about half a mile from the house, around a 10-minute walk, and Wilkinson Park is just past it. The library's Memorial Branch on Wescott Road is just under a mile on foot. The nearest supermarket, Hannaford on Philbrook Avenue, is about 2.4 miles away, which makes groceries a bus or car trip.
Recovery centers and community events
The nearest recovery community center is over the bridge in Portland: the Portland Recovery Community Center on Bishop Street. Its recovery coaching, telephone recovery support and weekly meetings (for several pathways, from AA to SMART Recovery) cost nothing.
Clinical and outpatient services
In South Portland itself, Greater Portland Health runs the Brickhill health center, about 2.1 miles from the house, with behavioral health and care coordination on site. The organization also provides substance use disorder services, takes MaineCare and charges on a sliding scale for patients without coverage. For more specialized treatment, Maine Behavioral Healthcare offers substance use disorder care through the MaineHealth system.
Community and quality of life
Bus service in South Portland is now part of Greater Portland METRO, which absorbed the city's routes at the end of 2024 and is reviewing service across South Portland. Free job search help is available at the Greater Portland CareerCenter on Jetport Boulevard. The city's public library lends ebooks, museum passes and even power tools.
Peer support and fellowship groups
Meeting schedules for the area come from two places. The AA Central Service Office in Portland lists AA meetings for Maine and staffs a 24-hour hotline. Narcotics Anonymous in Maine publishes NA meetings and a helpline number.
Ways to Pay for Sober Living in South Portland
Most guests pay for sober living themselves, weekly or monthly. Rent is not currently covered by insurance or state subsidy. There are still more ways to cover it than most people expect, and the three below are the ones that come up most often. If money is the only thing standing between you and a bed, say so on the application. We would rather have that conversation than lose you to it.
Private Pay
Paying yourself is the most common route. Rent is all-inclusive: utilities, WiFi, laundry and urine screening all come out of the weekly rate, so there is no second bill to plan around. Most guests cover it from wages, and the house schedule is built to make that possible.
Family Support
Families often cover the first few weeks while a guest gets back to work. That is a normal way to start, and nobody here will treat it as unusual. A parent, partner or sibling can pay the deposit and rent directly, and we will walk them through the house rules, the schedule, and what to expect in the first month.
One thing to be clear about: the agreement is with the guest, not with the family.
Grants & Scholarships
Some states fund recovery housing directly, through scholarships, bed subsidies, or reentry grants run by state agencies and nonprofits. The money is limited and the programs change, so ask early instead of assuming there is nothing. Put it on your application if you need help with funding.
Grants & scholarships in MaineNot sure how you’ll cover it? Apply anyway — the phone screen is the right place to talk it through.
Apply to Kismet Sober House
Apply online; someone will call you to conduct a phone screen usually within a few hours.
Other VSL Chartered Homes Near South Portland
Tony’s Recovery HomeSouth Portland, MaineAbout 2 miles awayView This Home- Tranquility Sober HousePortland, MaineAbout 4 miles awayView This Home
- Rogers Sober HouseLowell, MassachusettsAbout 84 miles awayView This Home
- Great Living Sober HouseLowell, MassachusettsAbout 84 miles awayView This Home
- Stoodley Sober HouseClaremont, New HampshireAbout 103 miles awayView This Home
- Forest Sober HouseWorcester, MassachusettsAbout 119 miles awayView This Home
Vanderburgh Sober Living homes are independently owned and operated by Chartered Operators. From day one you get the training, the operating systems, the brand, a Sober House Directory listing and a network of operators who have already done it.
Apply online; someone will call you to conduct a phone screen usually within a few hours.
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