The ad reads like the premise of a 1990s reality show: live in a house with seven strangers, sharing kitchen space, common areas and occasional gossip. But this isn’t MTV’s “The Real World,” it’s coliving, a shared housing concept that’s gaining traction in major cities across the country.
This May, the concept arrived in Tampa Bay with a coliving startup called Docked Living. Featuring 3,050 square feet of living space---including eight private bedrooms---Docked at Harbordale in south St. Petersburg is the company’s first property. Docked plans to launch more properties in St. Pete this year.
For a while now, Tampa Bay has been safe from the inflated costs of living that plague many of the country’s biggest cities. But that’s all begun to change.
“St. Pete is growing so quickly,” Docked Co-Founder Kate Berlin said. “High-rises are popping up left and right. It's becoming less and less affordable to live here, especially for people who I like to think of as pioneers of St. Pete.”
Those people are creative types, Berlin said, the artists and musicians who instilled the city with its laid-back character.
“They are slowly starting to be pushed out of the city,” she said.
For $550 to $900 a month, Docked members sign up for a laundry list of amenities. Rooms come fully furnished with a queen-sized bed, desk, sheets and linens. Tenants each get their own mini fridge. An outdoor kitchen and fire pit equip the backyard. Docked curates a community calendar with events around town for tenants to attend, preferably together.
“It’s more than just a roof over their heads,” Berlin said. “Our desire is to create a community.” She likened Docked members to a family.
All families, blood or otherwise, are bound to disagree, so Berlin said Docked members are encouraged to communicate openly and through a designated online chat group.
“We’ve been so lucky not to have any problems yet,” Berlin said.
Part of the way Docked aims to avoid conflict between housemates is by vetting its applicants, who pay a considerable $150 non-refundable application fee, which includes a background and credit check, but doesn’t guarantee a room in the house. Berlin stressed that Docked doesn’t discriminate in its selection process. She said Harbordale residents range from their early 20s to late 50s.
It’s unclear if coliving is the best solution to skyrocketing rent prices, but applicants nonetheless seem to be lining up to live together. Around 20 people are on the waiting list for Docked’s second property, according to Berlin. That property is scheduled to launch this summer.
