Man Says He Has 8 Roommates Just to Be Able to Afford Rent

Remember back in the 1990s? It was an era where young adults who graduated college weren't just encouraged but expected to move out of the house in their late-teen years or early 20s. Heck, folks were even expected to have children, houses, and stable incomes all before turning 30 years old as a societal norm, indicating that you had truly made it in life.

Back then, it was an unrealistic expectation forced onto ill-prepared millennials by well-off boomers. Now, it's all but a pipe dream.

It has become harder than ever for folks to maintain cost of living in the U.S. while trying to strike it out on their own in new homes and apartments, with compromises being made on every front in order to afford to live even somewhat comfortably. In fact, one man on TikTok lives with eight roommates just to be able to afford to pay rent. He offers a brief tour of the large, remodeled space and how he shares it with other folks in an effort to save money.

Tanner (@tizanner) on Tiktok posted a stitch with someone else's video, which states that apartment rent in the U.S. has become so expensive that minimum wage workers need three or four roommates in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

Tanner sought to confirm this startling statistic with his own TikTok, where he reveals that he actually lives with eight roommates each with remodeled rooms "just so [he] could live." He also shares his own space with his dog.

In subsequent videos, Tanner revealed that the space has a communal kitchen and two bathrooms but no living room. Tanner and the other roommates reportedly split cleaning duties among the shared living space, but Tanner himself opted to buy his own fridge that he keeps in his room instead of cramming his food into a shared fridge.

In the comments, Tanner even revealed that he has jobs just to afford his portion of the rent with his other roommates. There were mixed comments in reaction to his video.

Some folks voiced their concerns in the comments over Tanner's living situation.

"That is quite literally what they used to do in the 30s during the [Great Depression]," one user claimed.

Many shared their own bouts with housing drama, with one person claiming that in Las Vegas, minimum wage should be at $29 an hour just for people to afford the necessities.

Another person wrote, "It's exactly why I despise people who bash anyone who still lives at home. It's damn near impossible for the average person."

As troubling as Tanner's situation might be, it shouldn't come as a surprise. According to a June 2023 Forbes report, the housing market has experienced a crisis all throughout the year leading into the summer. The price of owning any home remains high, preventing first-time homebuyers from truly staking their claim on a new home.

With the threat of a recession still looming in the air, issues like ongoing inflation and ever-increasing debt ceiling troubles threaten to keep house prices elevated for the foreseeable future. If anyone is looking to buy a new home or an apartment, they may just end up rooming with folks like Tanner who are the same boat.