Roommate-Finding App Roomi Launches in Boston

Photo provided by Roomi

Boston is a city of roommates.

We have large concentrations of students and young professionals who spend almost half of their income on rent. Inevitably, this makes living with roommates not just common, but necessary.

Bostonians can attest to the fact that finding any old roommate on Craigslist isn’t exactly easy or even ideal. A relatively new app called Roomi is attempting to ease the burden of finding a good roommate.

“Boston is one of those unique markets where you have such a high student population,” says Roomi founder and CEO Ajay Yadav. “When you look at students, they can’t afford to live by themselves, and their nature of renting is by sharing an apartment.”

Not only is sharing an apartment cheaper, but Yadav says residents ages 18 through 24 might opt to live in communal spaces anyway.

“70 percent of the Boston market is renters,” he says. “…and people are looking for affordable housing and more flexible living.”

Roomi launched in Boston on Thursday after starting out in New York City in June 2015. Since it first launched, the app has been downloaded more than 300,000 times and has catered to roommate-searchers in Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Baltimore. Available on iPhone, Android, and on desktop, both renters and listers can use Roomi to find or rent out rooms.

By creating a profile, users can search for rooms posted by other users, or opt to post their own room. Users also answer a series of questions about personality, living habits and preferences, and price ranges. Then, renters and listers can to search for other people who match their needs and preferences, and chat with them within the platform.

Each listing is verified by Roomi, ensuring all photos are original, information is correct, and that the listers aren’t brokers.

“By creating a safe and secure way to communicate and evaluate potential shared living candidates, Roomi is creating a way to feel safe with potential housemates,” says Yadav. “Roomi helps you feel at home in your new home.”