Step-by-Step Guide to Building an App Like Roomi

The numbers are striking - Gartner predicts 75% of enterprise applications will use low-code or no-code platforms by 2025. AI app builders have already caught on, with over 70% of businesses using them to speed up development.

Building your own app like Roomi sounds daunting? The costs and timeline might worry you, but here's good news. AI app builders cut development time in half. A simple version of a Roomi-like app costs between $12,000 and $50,000. The investment makes sense when you consider that people save over 20% on rent by sharing higher-quality rentals with roommates.

Creating an app like Roomi is simpler than you might think. This piece walks you through each step to build your roommate-matching app from scratch. You'll learn the most important features, technology choices, and development strategies that help your app succeed in today's competitive housing market. Smart algorithms already power platforms like RoomZoom to match people based on budget, lifestyle, and living habits - your app could offer even more.

Want to help people find their perfect roommates? Let's dive in!

Understanding the Roomi App Model

What is Roomi and how it works

The digital age has changed how people find shared housing. Roomi stands out as a peer-to-peer shared housing marketplace that connects room seekers with space owners. The platform operates in over 200 cities worldwide, making it a go-to solution for co-living arrangements.

Roomi does more than just list properties. The team checks every room rental posted on the platform, since users generate these listings. This verification sets Roomi apart from its competitors who just combine listings from different sources without proper checks.

The app works in a simple way:

1. Users create detailed profiles with personal information and priorities
2. Room providers list available spaces with photos and descriptions
3. Searchers browse listings using customizable filters
4. Both parties communicate through in-app messaging
5. Optional background checks add an extra layer of security

New users fill out questionnaires about their habits, priorities, and lifestyle choices. These cover smoking habits, sleep schedules (early riser vs. night owl), cleanliness standards, and views on pets and guests. This helps create better matches between potential roommates.

Safety is the life-blood of Roomi's design. Users can get optional background checks through third-party agencies to prove they don't have criminal records. About 40% of Roomi's US users have completed these background checks. They receive a "verified" badge that builds trust in the community.

Why Roomi succeeded in the roommate matching space

Roomi's story began with its founder's personal challenge. Ajay Yadav couldn't find a good roommate in 2013 and realized others faced the same issue. He foresaw a service that would match renters based on compatibility and verify both listers and seekers.

Yadav started alone by manually collecting listings and posting them on Tumblr. This basic approach proved market demand before any coding started for iOS and Android platforms. Roomi officially launched in June 2015 after two years of testing.

Here's why Roomi grew so fast:

Rigorous vetting process: Staff members work round the clock to review listings. The team rejects about 20% of submitted rooms that don't meet guidelines or look like potential scams.

Trust-building features: Users prove their identities through social media verification with Facebook or LinkedIn. This simple step makes profiles more credible without creating too many hurdles.

Targeted demographic focus: Young professionals and college students in their 20s make up Roomi's main user base. These groups move often and need housing regularly.

The numbers tell Roomi's success story - by 2018, it had 2.4 million users and 460,000 rooms listed across 20 cities worldwide. This quick growth happened because Roomi fixed real problems they found through user research.

Planning to create an app like Roomi? The company raised $17 million in funding, which shows investors believe in the roommate-matching business model. Roomi makes "several million" yearly through partnerships with landlords and real estate companies, so keep this in mind while developing your platform.

The platform keeps growing with 20% month-over-month sales increases, showing strong demand for groundbreaking solutions in co-living. Your app's success chances improve when you focus on safety features and compatibility matching, just like Roomi did.

Validate Your App Concept

Ready to turn these insights into a functional marketplace? Let's discuss how to adapt the Roomi model for your specific target audience and market needs.

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Market Research and User Validation

Identifying your target audience

The path to success in roommate-matching apps begins with knowing your users. The market mainly serves people between 18-30 years old who struggle with high housing costs in urban areas.

Young city-dwelling millennials form the core users of apps like Roomi. These users can't afford to live alone and need shared housing to make ends meet. College students and young professionals make up much of this group.

High rent prices force people to live with strangers to keep city living affordable. Beyond students, workers in hospitality jobs at remote or seasonal locations rely on these roommate-matching platforms.

The target audience faces these common problems:

• Trust issues with unknown roommates
• Finding flatmates who match their lifestyle and habits
• Understanding deposit rules and advance payments
• Limited search time to find suitable places
• Wrong or missing details about locations and move-in dates

75% of potential users would rather live with friends or people they know than strangers. This shows why trust-building features matter in your app. Properties near public transport tend to be more popular, so your search filters should include this option.

Analyzing competitors like Roomster and Roomi

The market has prominent global players, regional specialists, and new startups. Learning about your competition helps you build a better app.

Roomster, a 20-year-old online social network, connects roommates across 192 countries. The company has 45 employees and brings in about $15.5 million in revenue. Roomster stands out by matching personalities based on traits and interests, while using social accounts to verify identities.

Roomi grew quickly, reaching 2.4 million users in just three years. The platform serves young professionals and college students. Users can find 460,000 rooms in 20 cities worldwide. The company raised $19.6 million in funding. Roomi uses smart algorithms to match people based on their answers to specific questions.

Other major competitors include:

SpareRoom (big in the UK with over 11 million users), RoomSync (matches 89.6% of roommates successfully), and Circle (connects friends or friends of friends).

Your app needs to fix what others do poorly. Users often complain about fake listings on Roomi and Roomster. This gives you a chance to build better verification systems.

Validating demand through surveys and interviews

You need to prove market demand before building. Apartment Advisor's study looked at 1,016 responses to their Roommate Compatibility Quiz. This data reveals what roommates want and how they behave.

Start with both quality and quantity research involving potential users and experts. One study found that 75% of people preferred living with friends rather than strangers. This insight helped shape key features.

Running Google Adwords campaigns targeting young urban people in Boston and NYC works well too. Real market data beats assumptions. High engagement rates compared to normal rates (under 1%) show real interest.

Here's the quickest way to verify demand:

1. Read online discussions on Quora and Reddit about roommate-finding issues
2. Blend findings in a spreadsheet to see patterns
3. Talk to at least 100 potential users about their problems
4. Check if people like specific features

One startup tested interest with just a landing page before building their app. This smart approach saved money by proving market interest first.

Your MVP can keep collecting data about what users want, helping you improve the app for specific groups.

Core Features to Include in Your Roomi-Like App

Building a successful roommate-finding platform needs features that users really want. Here's what you need to know about creating an app like Roomi.

User profiles and verification

People pick their roommates based on first impressions. Quality profiles help potential housemates get to know each other better. Your app should gather:

• Simple details (first name, gender, age)
• Occupation and employment status
• Languages spoken and how they like to communicate
• Lifestyle factors (cleanliness, smoking habits, social patterns)
• Hobbies and personal interests

Trust is the foundation of good co-living arrangements. So profile verification becomes non-negotiable. BeRoomie's verification system reduced fake profiles by 94% and increased completed move-in rates by 37%. You should think over:

• Government ID verification with selfie matching
• Social media account linking
• Optional background checks (40% of Roomi's US users undergo these)
• Community flagging for suspicious accounts

Search filters and priorities

Compatible roommates need smart filtering options. Users should filter by:

• Location and neighborhood choices
• Budget ranges and price limits
• Move-in dates and length of stay
• Age ranges and gender priorities
• Lifestyle compatibility (early risers vs. night owls)
• Pet policies and dietary restrictions

Some apps use personality assessment tools like Myers-Briggs or Big Five traits to boost compatibility. This leads to better matches and fewer conflicts later.

In-app messaging and chat

Private channels keep users safe during their first conversations. Good messaging systems have:

• Direct one-to-one messaging
• Group chat for multiple roommates
• Video call features for virtual "meet and greets"
• Message scheduling to plan in-person meetings
• Options to report/block users during chats

Safety comes first - users shouldn't have to share personal contact details too early. BeRoomie points out that secure in-app messaging protects information until users feel ready to take conversations elsewhere.

Listing management and availability

People offering rooms need tools to show their spaces well:

• Multi-photo uploads with description fields
• Amenity checklists and house rules sections
• Calendar integration to track availability
• Automated status updates (active, pending, filled)
• Tools to duplicate or repost previous listings

RoomSync helps administrators track room availability as leasing moves forward. Property managers handling multiple units find this feature particularly useful.

Payment integration and subscriptions

Apps usually make money in two ways: subscription models for users and credit-based systems for listers. Popular approaches include:

• Tiered subscription plans (Roomi offers Premium, Solo Agent, and Business Unlimited)
• Pay-per-action models (credits to reveal contact information)
• Split payment tools for shared expenses
• Secure payment processing with compliance standards
• Flexible billing cycles (weekly, monthly, annual)

TenantCloud shows how payment should work. Roommates can "pay their individual portion of the rent individually or pay one invoice jointly". This makes financial management easier.

Choosing the Right Tech Stack

The technologies you pick are the foundations of your roommate-finding application. Your tech stack choices shape your app's performance and launch timeline.

Frontend and backend technologies

Native development gives you the best performance and user experience on mobile platforms. The most successful roommate apps rely on:

• Swift for iOS - You get smooth animations and responsive interfaces that Apple users expect
• Kotlin for Android - This is Google's preferred language for Android development and comes with excellent security features

You can save time and resources with cross-platform development:

• React Native lets you build once for both platforms, just like successful roommate apps that need quick market entry
• Angular shines in web frontend development where you need strong data binding capabilities

Your backend development options include:

• Node.js - This handles immediate features like instant messaging effectively
• Python-Django - You get quick development with built-in admin interfaces and authentication

A roommate website creator shared: "I decided to code the website after my technical friend could no longer work on the project. I created it in Django, which captured and displayed information into a MySQL database... It was a hard couple of months, but the payoff was satisfying."

Database and hosting options

Your choice of data storage affects how well your app performs and grows:

• MongoDB - This NoSQL database handles unstructured data like user profiles and priorities well
• MySQL - A reliable relational database that works great for structured data and complex queries
• Sanity Data Store - This fits well in serverless setups and stores room details as document collections

Your app hosting choices include:

• AWS gives you a complete cloud environment that grows with your user base
• Netlify with Jamstack delivers better performance through prebuilt files served via CDN, resulting in "higher performance, security, and scalability along with lower costs"

Third-party APIs for maps, chat, and auth

Ready-made solutions speed up your development. These APIs deserve your attention:

• Location services:
  • Google Maps, Google Places, and Google Directions APIs help users find apartments in their preferred areas
• Communication tools:
  • Socket.io powers immediate notifications and chat features
  • Cloudinary optimizes images and video streaming of property tours
• Authentication methods:
  • Google or Facebook login makes sign-up easier
  • Netlify Identity gives you authentication that's "easy to integrate into your app"
• Payment processing:
  • PayPal handles subscription fees and security deposits

Here's a real example of these components working together: "Our team stepped in and took on the entire development, including the backend API (Python-Django), web frontend (Angular), and mobile apps (React Native for iOS and Android). We began by developing the specialized algorithm that suggests rooms based on user preferences."

Building an app like Roomi means your tech choices should work for today and tomorrow. Mobile development experts suggest starting with core features and adding more as you grow. This lets you test how the market responds without spending too much on features nobody uses.

Select Your Scalable Foundation

Choosing between Native and Cross-Platform development is a critical step. Let our technical architects help you select the stack that balances performance with your budget.

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Designing a User-Friendly Interface

Your roommate app's visual appeal can make or break user adoption. A well-designed interface builds trust, a crucial factor when users search for potential roommates.

Importance of UI/UX in roommate apps

Users form quick first impressions during roommate searches. Research shows that usability testing uncovers the most important information about user pain points and mental models in housing searches. A thoughtful UI/UX approach helps build trust between strangers looking to live together.

Your app's tone plays a vital role. Experts recommend vibrant and clear communication patterns in roommate applications because you help people connect with future roommates. Your color scheme should feel welcoming, some successful apps are like dating applications such as Tinder to create familiar interaction patterns.

Human-Centered design works best for roommate apps. This method focuses on:

• Understanding real user problems through research
• Proving search flows right through prototype testing
• Running usability tests via interviews or remote sessions
• Creating clear visual hierarchy to scan information quickly

A case study revealed that usability testing on high-fidelity wireframes helped designers verify their search flow assumptions and achieve better matching results.

Wireframing and prototyping tools

Figma has quickly become the gold standard to create roommate app wireframes. Its features let teams give real-time feedback and make iterations, making it ideal for group projects.

Designers usually start with concept sketches in FigJam before creating detailed wireframes. Figma's pre-made wireframing templates give helpful starting points that save development time for roommate apps.

Other popular wireframing tools include:

Balsamiq , Perfect for quick digital sketches even without design experience. Its accessible interface has a detailed library of design elements.

Moqups , Great for teams working together on projects of all types, from wireframes to flowcharts.

MockFlow , Has specialized components for roommate apps including charts, data grids, and form elements.

"Wireframing helps explore more ideas and possibilities faster," explains a UX specialist. Paper wireframes often come before digital prototyping for roommate apps with complex user flows.

Mobile-first design principles

Roommate seekers mostly use smartphones to access these platforms, so mobile-first design is crucial. Successful roommate apps follow several key principles:

1. Simple onboarding flows , Get essential information through specific questions about habits and priorities. This creates customized feeds based on user type (room seeker vs. roommate seeker).
2. Progressive disclosure , Show information gradually to avoid overwhelming users. A developer noted, "Initially, users see an onboarding process before signing up. After providing simple details, they answer specific questions based on whether they're looking for a room or a roommate".
3. Clear visual hierarchy , Users need to scan and understand information about potential roommates quickly.
4. Accessible navigation , Use gesture-based navigation like popular apps such as Instagram.
5. Focused interaction models , Keep rating systems simple and accessible. One successful approach uses just three emojis: "yes," "no," and "not sure".

Roommate apps need a trustworthy appearance that is different from dating apps. A designer pointed out, "We did not want this application to have the look and feel of a dating app. We wanted it to look credible and trustworthy".

Step-by-Step Development Process

Your roommate app idea needs a well-laid-out development approach to become reality. The path from concept to launch has several significant stages that will determine your app's success.

1. Planning and documentation

A detailed market analysis kicks off the development process. You need to research top roommate finder apps to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Create a detailed plan that shows your app's purpose, target audience, and desired outcomes.

This first phase should produce:

• A Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document
• User journey maps and persona profiles
• Feature prioritization matrix (simple vs. advanced)
• Budget and timeline estimations

"The initial development stage will take maximum time in the development process as it concerns overall development success". Your development team should come together early to establish clear communication channels. A standard team has a business analyst, project manager, UI/UX designer, Android/iOS developers, back-end specialists, and quality analysts.

2. Building the MVP

Your Minimum Viable Product should have only essential features. This lets you test market response without spending too much. One successful roommate app founder "teamed up with another UX/UI Designer" and set a goal "to build a MVP" within just 3 weeks.

Your MVP should focus on:

• User authentication and profile creation
• Simple search functionality
• Simple listing capabilities
• Essential communication features

Pen-and-paper prototypes help visualize user flows before coding begins. A developer noted, "Thanks to our sketches and I.A., we have then designed digital wireframes. The objective was to build a prototype and start testing as soon as possible".

3. Integrating core features

The solid MVP foundation allows you to add features that make your app competitive. Start with simple features like sign-up, profile editing, and filters before adding advanced capabilities.

These development stages need priority:

1. Core user interfaces and navigation
2. Database integration and API connections
3. Payment processing systems
4. Messaging and communication tools
5. Advanced search algorithms

4. Testing and QA

Good testing prevents launching with critical bugs that could harm your app's reputation. "Don't forget to test the application for bugs and errors after development. App development companies generally offer this service by default".

Effective testing needs:

• Functionality testing of all features
• User interface and experience validation
• Performance testing under various conditions
• Security testing, especially for payment systems

Users from your target demographic make great testers. One team "recruited 5 users as close as possible to Jane, our room seeker persona" to review specific tasks within the app.

5. Deployment to app stores

After testing, optimize your app store presence. Create compelling screenshots, write clear descriptions, and prepare promotional materials.

Post-launch activities matter just as much: "After deploying an app to the particular app store market, frequently check for improvement. Give frequent updates to the application related to security, features, and new events. Also, nurture reviews for better results".

A phased rollout strategy targeting specific areas before expanding works well. One case study shows that "professional cities" are the best initial markets to "get handsome benefits and scale your business".

Cost Estimation and Budget Planning

Your roommate app development budget depends on understanding what drives the expenses. The price range varies from simple implementations to high-end solutions.

Factors affecting development cost

Your roommate-finding application's final cost depends on these elements:

• App complexity level - Simple MVPs cost nowhere near what feature-rich solutions do
• Design requirements - Number of screens and visual complexity
• Platform choices - Native development for each platform versus cross-platform approaches
• Integration types - Third-party services and APIs
• Development approach - Custom development costs more

The team you choose affects your bottom line. Here are the hourly rates based on who builds your app:

• Freelancers: $2,000-3,000 (small projects)
• Small agencies: $3,000-5,000 (dedicated developers)
• Full-service companies: $5,000-6,000

Cost breakdown by feature and platform

A Roomi-like app needs $5,000-20,000 investment. The estimates change based on complexity:

App Type	Cost Range	Timeline
Basic MVP	$8,000-10,000	2-3 months
Moderately Featured	$11,000-15,000	3-4 months
Feature-Rich	$16,000-20,000	4-5 months
Cross-Platform	$18,000-22,000	4-6 months
Enterprise-Level	$22,000-25,000	5-7 months

Different features affect your budget:

• Simple features (profiles, listings, chat): $3,000-4,500
• Intermediate features (filters, matchmaking): $4,500-6,000
• Advanced capabilities (AI matching, video calls): $6,000-8,000

Some developers quote higher ranges. Complete solutions can reach $35,000-45,000 or go beyond $55,000 with custom features.

Working with a mobile app development company like CISIN

Professional firms handle technical aspects while you focus on business strategy. This partnership brings more value than just coding.

Mobile app development companies like CISIN offer:

• Technical expertise in roommate app development
• Guidance on feature prioritization
• Quality assurance throughout development
• Post-launch support and maintenance

Specialists might cost more upfront but save money by preventing expensive fixes later. The core team puts in over 1,000 development hours to create a complete roommate finder app.

Your tech stack choice affects both performance and cost. Standard stacks (Firebase, Flutter, Node.js) cost $1,500-2,500. Advanced solutions using AWS, React Native, and MongoDB range from $2,500-4,000.

A successful roommate app launch needs smart marketing strategies before and after release. The right approach turns curious visitors into loyal users.

Pre-launch user acquisition

Your first step should be a compelling landing page that shows off your app's features. Add an explainer video and a waitlist sign-up form. Tech enthusiasts hang out on specific platforms - these are your target audience. Instagram works really well since users can get your brand's vibe with just one profile scroll.

Communities like r/userexperience and r/startups on Reddit let you share your development trip while naturally introducing your product. The key is setting realistic pre-launch targets. Based on your timeline and product type, shoot for at least 50 waitlist sign-ups.

App Store Optimization (ASO)

ASO works like SEO for apps. It boosts organic visibility and download rates on app marketplaces. The competition is fierce with over 5 million apps vying for attention. Good optimization helps your roommate app cut through the noise.

Everything in ASO has:

• Research on high-volume, relevant keywords
• Strong metadata (title, subtitle, description)
• Attractive visuals (icon, screenshots, videos)
• Smart management of ratings and reviews

Apps with better ratings show up more often in search results. This happens because app store algorithms see these ratings as quality signals. Regular tests of different store listing elements help maximize conversion rates.

Referral and community-building tactics

Happy users become your unofficial sales team with the right incentives. People trust their friends' recommendations 92% more than ads. This makes referral programs a great way to get value.

Launch Your MVP with Confidence

Don't just build-launch with a strategy that captures the market. We can help you manage everything from App Store Optimization to post-launch updates.

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Conclusion

A roommate-matching app like Roomi shows great promise for startups aiming to tackle real-life housing challenges. This piece walks you through the key steps needed to turn your idea into a platform that helps people find compatible living arrangements.

Roomi became a soaring win because it solved actual problems in the market. Your app can achieve similar success by putting user safety first, using smart matching algorithms, and providing uninterrupted communication tools. Rising housing costs keep expanding the market, which makes roommate-matching services increasingly valuable.

Your best bet is to start small with a focused MVP that has core features like verified profiles, search filters, and in-app messaging. This strategy helps you gage market response without overspending. The original investment could be anywhere from $8,000-20,000 based on complexity, but the returns can be huge.

Pick your tech stack carefully by weighing both cost and performance needs. Most successful roommate apps run on Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android, or React Native for cross-platform development. It also helps to work with experienced developers like CISIN who excel at building social platforms that emphasize user safety and engagement.

User experience can make or break roommate apps. Time spent on thoughtful interface design pays off by building trust through clear visual hierarchy and easy-to-use navigation. People looking for potential roommates need to feel confident in your platform's credibility.

A strategic marketing plan should be ready before launch. Build excitement through landing pages, social media presence, and referral programs. After launch, fine-tune your app store presence to draw organic downloads.

The roommate-matching market is ready for your innovative approach. This detailed guide gives you the knowledge to create an app that helps people find compatible living situations while building a profitable business. Take that first step now - your future users will be grateful.