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Comment by beatpanda | Hacker News Reader

The entire business model is s "how can we convince people in expensive housing markets to pay even more?" and it took this many words to wonder about why that didn't work?

Fuck these people and anybody dumb enough to buy what they were selling.

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I'm moving into a Common in a few days. I'm paying about $250 a month more for a much nicer place with month to month flexibility than my friends living in a tiny 3BR with a 12 month lease. All in with utilities/internet/etc included it's about $100 more per month. It's pretty sweet. $100 more for a nicer place and full optionality is worth it.

What a horrible attitude you have!

And do you think all that is sustainable??? For Common to be profitable it should be charging you way more than 250 market rate.

Though the person you are replying.. was uncouth in how he was saying his thoughts. There is validity in those thoughts.

I do think it's sustainable - you need to kind of see the house to understand, but they get 19 rooms into a building that would normally have 14 or 15. They can do this because of the way they organize common space all onto 1 floor, like a dorm. They sold out of all 19 rooms in the first building before they even hit TechCrunch - if they can keep occupancy approaching 100%, they'll be in great shape.

You understand a 12 month lease protects you as well as the landlord.

Sure but if a company like Common is running the place, you don't need to worry about the kicking you out next week or jacking the rent up 2x

I don't need protection as much as I need optionality. There are lots of people like me. Big niche.

Yes, but in some places the local laws can make up for most of the protections of a lease. At which point it mostly just protects the landlord.

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