When the Rent Rushes Relationships

Abstract

They'd been together for a year and eight months, but after a seven-week trial run of living together on a recent trip to Mexico City, Ms. Lee recalled leaving with a strong feeling that she did not want to make the situation permanent. As rents across the United States have soared in recent months, many couples are moving in together sooner than anticipated in order to afford apartments, build stronger rental applications or live in their ideal neighborhoods. Though the two are happy to share a home as they had hoped to, there are some new concerns that come with moving into Mr. Kaplan's apartment instead of finding a new apartment together. "Trying to make the apartment feel like our first home together is going to be more difficult for me." Committing Fast The issues that come with moving in together too soon are also exacerbated for people of lower socioeconomic status. "Rent costs have a far more pernicious effect on the less educated - especially when it comes to relationship progression and stability." Moving in together because of economic need, rather than relationship compatibility, Ms. Sassler said, is associated with lower quality in relationships. "If couples are deciding to live together because it is cheaper and they might as well, they may come to realize that they rushed the relationship." The New York Times interviewed one couple who decided to no longer participate in this story, after they realized that they disagreed over why they moved in together in the first place. While one said that high rent was a driver for moving in together, the other said they believed it was the next step in their relationship.