Melia Robinson/Business Insider
Members of the co-living housing network, HubHaus, take in the view from their backyard in Los Altos, California.
As millennials continue to move in droves to the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most expensive rental markets in America, housing companies are catering to them in new ways.
Young people have long crowded into single-family homes and apartments with large numbers of roommates, in an effort to save money and find community. Now companies are capitalizing on the trend by creating all-inclusive housing that comes with perks like free internet, maid service, and a built-in social networks. In exchange, residents pay rent to the startup instead of a typical landlord.
Founded in 2016, co-living startup HubHaus is a fast-rising challenger in the space. Unlike competitors like WeLive and Common that offer rooms in apartment-style digs, HubHaus puts people up in multimillion-dollar houses. "Members," as residents are called, can join one of 41 (and growing) houses in the San Francisco Bay Area and instantly tap into amenities.
We met up with HubHaus cofounder and CEO Shruti Merchant in the Los Altos, California, home valued at $3.69 million that she shares with eight other people. Here's what it was like.