Inside a dim New Orleans-style bar in Hollywood, dozens of strangers mingle under the thump of pop music while nursing complimentary cocktails. Each person is sporting a name tag along with a personality sticker, or a few, that best captures their vibe. Neat freak. Plant parent. Night owl. Craft beer aficionado. <\/p>\n
The scene reads like a friendly singles mixer, but listen to their conversations and it\u2019s clear the chemistry they are hoping for isn\u2019t romantic. They are here to find the perfect roommate.<\/p>\n
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Participants mingle around the bar area during SpareRoom\u2019s \u201cspeed roommating\u201d event at the Sassafras Saloon in Hollywood.<\/p>\n
(Kendra Frankle \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n
Hosted by rental platform SpareRoom<\/a>, the monthly \u201cspeed roommating\u201d<\/a> event connects people who are renting rooms with those who are looking for one in a low-key, in-person setting \u2014 no endless online profiles to fill out, no awkward interviews. Loosely based on speed dating, sans the timed interactions, attendees put on name tags indicating either \u201cI need a room\u201d or \u201cI need a roommate\u201d along with their ideal budget and neighborhoods. Then they wander freely. One woman passed out flyers for a furnished studio in downtown L.A. with air conditioning, a Murphy bed, an in-unit washer and dryer and streaming TV. Another woman showed people her rental on an iPad. <\/p>\n Pris Liora, 40, who was looking for someone to rent the extra room in her Koreatown apartment, didn\u2019t prepare any questions for potential housemates, saying she just wanted to do a vibe check. Her only deal breakers? \u201cNo pets, no children, no cigarette smoking and no secret cocaine problem,\u201d she says with a laugh.<\/p>\n With the average rent for a studio starting about $1,688 per month, $2,166 for a one-bedroom apartment and roughly $2,983 for a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, according to Apartments.com<\/a>, more people are embracing shared living arrangements. Rupert Hunt, founder and CEO of SpareRoom, says they\u2019re doing so not only to cut expenses, but also to foster community. The company\u2019s mixers can help spark those connections, he believes \u2014 they\u2019ve been hosting speed roommating events in L.A. since June, following successful events in London, San Francisco and New York.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something so immediate about the event,\u201d says Rupert Hunt, founder and CEO of SpareRoom.<\/p>\n (Kendra Frankle \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something so immediate about the event,\u201d Hunt says. \u201cYou meet 10 people in the time it would take you to meet one the traditional way.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n