Middle-aged Angelenos are turning to monthly speed-roommating mixers as California’s housing costs push cohabitation well beyond college years.
Amanda Hart, 46, has held onto her rent-controlled three-bedroom apartment in Valley Village for nearly a decade, but even that protection no longer keeps solo living within reach. “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,” the film industry professional told The California Post. “I probably will live in my apartment forever because it is rent-controlled, which we definitely need.”
Hart traced her industry’s struggles to local leadership, saying it has “tanked because our mayors let us down.” She painted a grim picture for renters without similar protections, noting friends facing rent hikes of $300 to $500 upon lease renewal. “We sadly need it, I wish we didn’t, but we have to,” she said of rent control.
The events operate on a speed-dating model adapted for housing. Participants at SpareRoom’s gatherings wear name tags listing their budget, preferred neighborhood, and whether they need a room or have one to fill. The UK-based platform launched these mixers in 2007 and has since expanded to London, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Leetal Platt, 40, a tailor with a “fairly large” Hollywood apartment, said the format strips away the usual friction of digital searching. “You immediately get a sense of what people need, what their intentions are,” she told The California Post. “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?'”
The LA gatherings convene monthly at Sassafras Saloon, a Western-themed bar in Hollywood. Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, said older renters represent the platform’s fastest-growing demographic. “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,” he said.
Hutchinson noted that many older attendees arrive anxious about age gaps, only to find peers waiting. “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.”
Nwabudike Washington, 36, a fundraising professional living downtown, said he came to escape the uncertainty of app-based matching. “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,” he told The California Post.
Not every attendee arrives out of financial necessity. Johnny Yamamoto, 54, of West Hollywood, put it simply: “I can afford to live in my place by myself, I just prefer to have someone around.”
For others, the cost pressures are unavoidable and escalating. Albrik Keshishian, 66, splits his time between Europe and Los Angeles, where he once owned a Glendale property purchased in 1989 and sold in 2022. The retiree, who typically stays with his niece, is now hunting a rental for his next visit with a budget of $800 to $1,000 monthly. “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,” Keshishian said. “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.”
He continued, “The whole world has become so expensive. 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.”
A July report from Realtor.com showed LA County rents hitting a four-year low in 2026’s second quarter, with median rent at $2,603. Economist Jiayi Xu cautioned that relief remains relative. “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,” Xu said.
SpareRoom’s next Hollywood speed-roommating event is scheduled for August at Sassafras Saloon.