Add The California Post on Google Who says bunking up is only for the young?
Digitally fatigued Californians in their 40s, 50s and 60s are flocking to monthly “speed-roommating” events in Hollywood, searching for the perfect housemate amid increasingly high costs of living.
The trendy event is hosted by SpareRoom, an online roommate-finding platform that operates in the US and the UK. For many attendees, living alone has become unrealistic even as they age.
Amanda Heart, 46, has leased her three-bedroom Valley Village apartment for 9 years. And though her apartment is rent-controlled, she still needs help.
“Two years ago, I was able to have my three-bedroom all to myself. The way the economy is, I definitely have to have roommates now,” Heart, a film industry professional who says her industry has “tanked because our mayors let us down,” told the California Post.
“I probably will live in my apartment forever because it is rent-controlled, which we definitely need,” said Heart.
“We sadly need it, I wish we didn’t, but we have to because I’ve heard of friends that their rent will go up $300 to $500 after their year lease ends.”
Loosely based on speed-dating, participants at SpareRoom’s speed-roommating events each wear a name tag filled out with their budget, neighborhood, and whether they’re looking for a roommate or a tenant.
The platform started hosting the events in the UK in 2007, and has since expended the mixers to London, Los Angeles and San Diego.
At the gatherings, participants are free to mix, mingle, and if they’re lucky, exchange details of their properties.
“You immediately get a sense of what people need, what their intentions are,” said Leetal Platt, 40, a tailor looking for a roommate to help her pay to live in her “fairly large” space in Hollywood.
“It kind of is cutting out some of the fat, and being like very direct, ‘Who are you? What are you looking for? What’s the price? Do we vibe?’”
In LA, the event happens monthly at Sassafras Saloon, a Western-themed bar in Hollywood.
Most of the guests at a recent night there said they showed up because the process of finding a roommate is much easier in person than digitally.
“I’ve tried online, and you kind of meet a range of people. I prefer to try and engage with someone in person because I feel like what you can’t see behind a camera, you can see in person,” said Nwabudike Washington, 36, a fundraising professional who lives in Downtown LA.
Still, certain demographics prevail. SpareRoom says their events are popular among older renters.
“We’re seeing people not only sharing for longer, but people living with roommates in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and actually the older groups are growing faster than the younger groups because people just can’t afford to live either on their own or look to buy a place,” said Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom.
“The events are particularly interesting for some of the older renters who might feel a bit intimidated, thinking that living with roommates, they’re going to have to deal with a bunch of people in their 20s and 30s, and they’ll feel a bit awkward about that. And actually, you get in the room and you see the range of people there.”
A July report from Realtor.com showed that rents in LA County hit a four-year low in the second quarter of 2026, with the overall median rent falling to $2,603.
Despite this, Realtor.com says renters, in particular young ones, are still likely to spend a large portion of their income on rent.
“Even with recent declines, many new graduates will still spend around or more than the recommended 30% of their income on rent. While conditions are improving, entry-level workers in many fields continue to face difficult housing tradeoffs,” said Jiayi Xu, economist at Realtor.com.
While many came to speed-roommating on a mission, others were just looking for someone to keep them company.
“I can afford to live in my place by myself, I just prefer to have someone around,” said Johnny Yamamoto, 54, of West Hollywood.
But even those looking for temporary accommodation bemoaned the rising cost of living.
Albrik Keshishian, 66, who splits his time between Europe and LA, typically stays with his niece while in SoCal. But the retiree is now looking for a rental for his next visit, with a monthly budget of $800 to 1,000.
Keshishian lived in LA for decades, purchasing a property in Glendale in 1989 before selling it in 2022. Today, the property’s worth stuns him.
“I sold my property in 2022. My property now is worth $2.5 million, and I sold it for $1.2 million. It’s crazy,” said Keshishian. “Good luck to the person who bought it, but what I’m saying is the average American is going to find it very tough if they don’t have help from their families for a down payment.”
“The whole world has become so expensive,” Keshishian continued. “It’s going to be very difficult for the new generation. I’m retired, but it’s going to be tough. Something has to give.”
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