Save the planet and save the hassle: Rent your next couch instead of buying trendy 'fast furniture'

Roomii, a furniture rental service that launched in Chicago last year, offers modern furniture for rent.

Image courtesy of Roomii

(CHICAGO) What is fast furniture? Fast furniture is easy-to-breakdown, stylish, and cheap home furnishings that people often use to decorate first homes, apartments, and dorm rooms.

The issue with fast furniture is that it isn't made to last, and it's creating a big problem for landfills. According to the EPA, Americans toss out over 12 million tons of furnishings and furniture each year.

The thing with fast furniture, being cheap, it often gets left behind in a move. This article from Business Insider tells the story of a frequent mover who realized he had bought and assembled the same IKEA dresser seven times, costing him $763 overall for a $109 dresser. This realization drove the writer to end the IKEA cycle, and he began renting furniture for his space.

Why are people interested in renting furniture?

Once stigmatized by an older generation with the idea that it was embarrassing not to be able to afford to buy your own furniture, renting furniture has taken new life among millennials.

Rather than buy an old fixer-upper from Craigslist, or an inexpensive IKEA piece that comes disassembled, young professionals are renting trendy, modern pieces to furnish their homes.

Roomii is taking advantage of the need young urbanites have to move frequently and their desire for sustainability by offering trendy, chic pieces of furniture that they don't have to buy.

Dapo Kolawole, CEO/founder of Roomii said in a press release, "we believe that people should have the freedom to pick up and move, without a sofa tethering them to a single location, and this goes for transient furniture owners and would-be renters."

How does Roomii work?

Roomii launched in Chicago in November 2021. As the press release says, "It's like Airbnb for your room." Owners of high-quality, modern furniture lease them out to people who don't want to own them but need to furnish their space in the short term.

It's convenient for people who move frequently and need a furnished space for a short time. Or for someone who wants a chic, trendy look without spending thousands of dollars on new furniture. Roomii offers rentals for one month, three months, six months, or a year. Renters can also find pieces that have the option to rent to own or buy now.

Roomii is available in Chicago now but plans to expand regionally and nationally in the future.

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