Apartment hunters moving in with strangers or 'co-living'

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - New York apartment rents are not cheap. And a number of apartment hunters are sharing that expense by moving in with complete strangers an idea known as 'co-living.'

We've broken it down into what we call the 4 c's cost savings, convenience, comfort and community," said Chris Bledsoe,  co-founder of co-living developer, Ollie. "The idea of living not alone but with others who maybe don't share necessarily your income levels, your career interests but share the desire to belong to something bigger than themselves, to a community."

That was part of the co-living appeal for Eric Tauro, 28, who moved to Queens from L.A. last fall.

"I feel like moving in with someone that you don't know is kinda a great experience because a lot of times we're starting new jobs, moving to a new place and you don't know a lot of people so i feel that it breaks people out of their shell and some people need that push," said Tauro.

Typically, the apartments are furnished.

Renters have their own bedrooms but share common spaces like the kitchen or bathroom.

Part of the application process for most co-living buildings includes a survey to help renters learn more about the habits and personality traits of whom they're going to be possibly living with.

Bledsoe says their buildings are big on social engagement among tenants and expects co-living spaces to grow nationwide.

"My concern was being just out of school, I've had so many different roommates and it's been a struggle to find the right ones to kinda move in with and kinda have a good living situation," said Tauro.

"In a lot of ways it's an antidote to the way that we've been living which has been much more insular," said Bledsoe.