Outpost Club FAQ

What is coliving?

Coliving (co living) is a shared-housing model in which communities are built around shared spaces in the home, allowing residents to live more affordably and socially.


Most Frequently Asked Questions
  • Coliving is a shared housing model. Tenants, whom we call members, share kitchens, living rooms, and other common spaces with all members, and have a private or shared bedroom. Everything is included in our flat fee: utilities, WiFi, weekly cleaning, furniture, appliances, kitchen supplies, and the basics of what you would need upon moving into a new place, along with most events.

  • Availability is always changing, so we’ll send you our current availability (based on the type of room you're looking for) in an offer when you apply (which is free). The availability in the offer sheet is subject to change, as people sign offers on a first-come-first-serve basis.

  • Our trusted team cleaning team prepares your room before your stay, then cleans all common/shared areas and restocks all supplies during your stay.

  • Our prices vary depending on which house you choose and whether you choose to stay in a private or a shared room. Exact pricing can be found on the specific webpage for each of our houses in New York.

  • For the security of our current members living in our spaces, we do not reveal the exact address of the spaces until you receive an offer. All of our houses are within a 10-minute walk of a subway line. You can check out the approximate locations of our houses here.

  • No! Our locations are within apartment buildings but operate, unlike any apartment you've ever been in. Coliving is a shared housing model, so space is shared across apartments. However, if you and your friends would like to rent a full private apartment, please enquire and we'll see what we can do!

  • We do not provide the standard month-to-month option, but we do provide the ability to make continuous one-month commitments. What this means is that you can rent for a month, then decide during the month that you would like to extend for another month. As soon as you know you would like to extend another month, let us know! The longer you wait, the higher the chance someone else might reserve your room.

  • We've partnered with TheGuarantors to make it easier for you to qualify for your dream home. To get started, simply fill out a renter application. Once you're approved, TheGuarantors will let us know and you'll be ready to sign your lease. Simple as that. Click here for more details...


Before your Move-In
  • The typical people who live in our spaces are between the ages of 21 and 35; around half are international members and half are American; about 30 percent are students (undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate, or short-term programs); and 70 percent are already in their professional fields, from all different professional backgrounds! The gender breakdown changes all the time, but on average it’s 50-50.

  • We have everything from single rooms with private bathrooms to shared rooms with shared bathrooms, depending on your budget. Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll be happy to accommodate. You can check out our rooms here.

  • If everything checks out, we’ll send you a follow-up email within one business day with an offer.

  • Within one business day of filling out our application. Usually the same day as your application submission, even on weekends!

  • Your spot is reserved after you complete these steps

    1. Complete a free background check
    2. Pay your security deposit: Outpost Club has partnered with Qira to quickly and securely process security deposits. You have two ways of paying your security deposit through Qira:
      1. Skip your security deposit: Qira will pay your security deposit to Outpost Club for a setup fee of $49 and a monthly fee of around 1% of your total security deposit, depending on your risk level. Read more about it here.
      2. Pay your security deposit in full.
    3. Sign your contract
    4. Pay your first month's rent
    5. Sign up for renters insurance: Outpost Club requires its new members to have renters insurance. Outpost partners with Sure, a renters insurance provider to make the process quick and easy. 

  • You can stay for as short as a month or for as long as you’d like.

  • It depends on the house, but our houses range from 6 to 65 members. Remember that these members are spread across multiple apartments, in shared and private rooms.

  • Our smallest private rooms are around 70 square feet and our largest private rooms are around 140 square feet, and we have everything in between. 

    Our smallest two-person room is around 75 square feet, and our largest is around 170 square feet.

    To see the exact size of our rooms, please schedule a viewing of our house. Viewings can only be scheduled after applying and receiving an offer from Outpost Club.

  • Outpost Club requires renters insurance for all tenants. If you already have renters insurance, great! Please send us proof of your policy when you’re in the process of securing your spot. If you don’t have it, Outpost Club partners with Sure Insurance to give you the best deal possible on renters insurance, which covers your items even after you move out of our property. If you leave Outpost, just make sure to let Sure Insurance know you have moved and your items will be covered at your new home.

  • The great thing about SURE Insurance is that they will cover you even if you move, just tell them your new home address, and they will transfer your coverage there!

    If you still want to cancel, however, you cancel the renter's insurance policy at any point. You would receive a pro-rated refund for time not used. What that means: if you got set up with the annual billing option and canceled after 3 months, you would be refunded the 9 months of unearned premium. Additionally, if you went with the monthly payment option and canceled 15 days into the month, you would be refunded the 15 days that the policy was inactive. There are also no cancellation fees!


Upon Arrival
  • PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO RECEPTION, THEREFORE YOUR CHECK-IN TIME HAS TO BE AGREED UPON BEFORE ARRIVAL AS FOLLOWS:

    Please provide your expected arrival time at the house and travel details (flight number, port of arrival, bus/train/route information) to: [email protected]

    If your expected arrival to the property changes by more than 1 hour, please inform us in advance via e-mail, text, or phone call. Regular check-in time is from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

    Night check-in (after 9 p.m.) may also be organized for an extra fee of $40 USD. We can't guarantee check-in between 12 a.m. and 9 a.m.; however, if we are able to do it, there will be a $70 late check-in fee.

    Early check-in (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) may be also organized if scheduling permits.


During Your Lease
  • Your room, bed (prepared for a fee), utilities and wifi (included, but listed as a separate line item on your rent bill), move-in ready furniture, cleaning services, working space, security systems, and new friends :)

    If you have chosen to rent a full apartment, utilities, cleaning, furnishings, etc. may or may not be included, but this will be disclosed during the sales process.

  • All payments are sent as electronic invoices sent to your email. You may pay in any electronic format. You will receive an invoice for your first month's rent after being approved as a client. For all future month's payments, when you pay depends on when you move in.

    If you aren’t moving in on the first day of the month, your first month's invoice will be for one month starting from your move-in date. For the second invoice, you will be billed a pro-rated amount until the last day of the month. After that, all future months will be billed from the first day of the month to the last day of the month.

    If you move in on the first of the month, your rent is always due on the first of the month, with no pro-rated invoices.

  • Most of our locations are equipped with keypad access and an August Lock security system, although a few use traditional keyed locks. We have Nest security systems in all of our common areas to keep everyone’s valuables safe. These are not monitored and are only accessed when our members request that we look at them for justifiable purposes (missing items left in common rooms, suspicious activity, etc.). Most of our locations also have lockers for members’ valuables. In addition to the above, coliving provides a unique, unintended security benefit: Because many people are living in the same spaces, there is virtually always someone at home.

  • The New York Housing Department policy disallows residential properties from placing locks on bedroom doors for fire safety purposes; however, even if Outpost Club were allowed to put locks on the doors, Outpost Club is committed to providing safe and secure coliving spaces through trust and mutual respect. Bedroom doors are unlocked because it is a display of this trust and respect; on top of our security systems mentioned above, our members are selected for their appreciation of a safe environment.

  • From our house leaders (who will meet you upon arrival) to the events we hold multiple times per month, our team is dedicated to giving you the sense of community you are looking for, whether in a professional or personal capacity. You may choose to be as involved or uninvolved as you’d like; you are welcome to stay with us either way! Check out our blog to get an understanding of our community.

  • There is no option to cancel during your stay, as with any common residential lease. Please consult your lease for specifics.

  • Yes! We’re happy to have our members stay longer; however, we can't extend your lease if we don't know about your extension. As soon as you decide to extend your lease, let us know by emailing [email protected]. If you have not committed to an extension, your bed can be reserved by anyone admitted to Outpost Club.

  • Paper mail goes to a mailbox or a local post office (PO) box if you prefer. Packages should always require signatures or be sent to pick-up sites (PO boxes, amazon lockers, etc.) We are not responsible for lost or stolen packages.

  • It depends on the house, so some houses have no machines (but laundromats are right around the corner), some houses have coin-operated machines and some have free laundry. You can find out the specifics on the house pages.

  • No overnight guest stays are allowed.

     

  • Yes! At most houses, there is just a $200/month surcharge for couples or any situation in which two people are sharing a private room. There are some instances where we can not allow couples in a specific apartment in order to maintain a proper number of tenants in a given apartment.

  • While we abide by all current housing laws, please understand that this is a coliving space and that current and future members that you share the space with may be allergic to your animal.

  • All shared bedrooms (rooms with two beds in one bedroom) are gender-separated unless otherwise requested by a group. All other spaces of shared apartments (kitchens, living rooms, shared bathrooms, etc.) are shared by all. If you have rented a private bedroom, your bedroom is for you and you alone, however, the shared spaces of the apartment outside your bedroom are shared by all. If you plan to rent an entire apartment, none of this answer applies to you: you get to share your apartment with whomever you agree to share it with.

  • If you moved in on any day other than the first day of the month, your first month's invoice will be for one month starting from your move-in date. For example, If you move in on March 15th, your first month's rent will be from March 15th to April 14th.

    For the second invoice, you will be billed a pro-rated amount until the last day of the month. In the same example, if your first month's payment is from March 15th to April 14th, your second payment will be from April 15th to April 30th.

    After that, all future months will be billed from the first day of the month to the last day of the month. In the same example, your third payment would be from May 1st to May 31st.

  • Auto-charge is a convenient option we offer to our tenants, which allows us to automatically deduct the monthly rent payment from your chosen payment method on the specified due date. By selecting this feature, you can ensure that your rent is paid on time without the need for manual payments or reminders.

    Here's how auto-charge works:

    1. Enrollment: When you go to make your first payment, there will be a checkbox allowing you to opt-in to our auto-charge feature. There you provide us with your preferred payment method, such as a credit card or bank account details. This will then authorize us to charge the rent amount on the specified due date each month.
    2. Payment Notification: Before processing the auto-charge, we will notify you in advance, usually a few days before the due date. This notification serves as a reminder and allows you to review the transaction details.
    3. Payment Processing: On the specified due date, we will automatically charge the rent amount from your authorized payment method. This ensures that your payment is made on time and helps you avoid late fees or missed payments.

    If you prefer not to be enrolled in the auto-charge feature moving forward, please let us know, and we will be more than happy to disable it for next month. You can contact our customer support team or reply to this email, and we will make the necessary arrangements to ensure your rent payments are handled according to your preference.


After Your Stay
  • We know there are a lot of moving parts when packing & preparing to move out, so here’s a helpful reminder with important info for changing your mailing address with USPS 7-10 days before move-out:

    Change Your Address and Other U.S. Post Office Services: https://www.usa.gov/post-office

    *NOTE* The above site is an official website of the US Government!  There are lots of scam sites for the US Postal Service, Department of Motor Vehicles, etc., that try to make you think they’re official US Government sites, and then try to get you to pay for their services.  2 things to look for to tell if a site is an official US Government site:

    1. A site ending in “.gov” is an official US Government site (as opposed to “.com” or “.co” etc).  All branches of the US Federal government use “.gov” as a domain name
    2. Look at the web address in the browser bar.  An official US Government site will start with “https://” NOT “http://”  (the S means it is a secure, encrypted site)

    https://www.usa.gov/post-office has all the info on changing your mailing address, but long story short, the two ways to change your mailing address are: 

    1. Change address online at: https://moversguide.usps.com/
      1. *NOTE* You will get an immediate email confirmation, but know that if you want to change your address online, there is a $1 charge to a credit or debit card in your name as identity verification  & it says right on the site: You don’t need to pay a separate company to change your address. Scammers may charge $40 or more to do what you can do for just $1 using the moving section of the official USPS.com website.
      2. Also, if your new address will be outside the US, it is recommended that you use the second method below and go to your local post office 
    2. Go to a local post office and request “Mover’s Guide Packet”
      1. Inside the packet is PS Form 3575. Fill out this change of address form and give it to a postal worker behind the counter (RECOMMENDED IF NEW ADDRESS IS OUTSIDE THE US) or drop it into the letter mail slot inside the post office.
      2. You should receive a confirmation letter at your new address in five business days.

    If mail is still arriving for you 30 days post-move-out, Outpost will return mail to the post office as “return to sender”, so IF YOU ARE RECEIVING MAIL AT YOUR OUTPOST HOUSE, be sure to CHANGE/UPDATE YOUR MAILING INFORMATION 5-10 DAYS BEFORE MOVE-OUT

  • Security deposits are refunded within 15 days of departure from the Outpost Club premises.

    If you are a US citizen, we can only refund you by mailing you a check, please provide us with your new mailing address and we will send it to you.

    If you are international, we will refund you through the method of payment you used to make the security deposit payment. If you have since closed the account that you used to pay the security deposit, contact that bank, explain the situation, and they usually can temporarily re-open the account so you can receive and withdraw the funds.

    If you paid us your security deposit using Qira, the security deposit will be refunded to Qira.

    To check on the status of your security deposit return, email customer.service@outpost-club.com

  • If you would like to cancel your renter's insurance and/or get a refund for days/months you were not using it, please contact SURE Insurance's underwriter, Assurant. You can do this by calling Assurant at (800)-432-8612 and select option 7, then 6. A representative will be able to help you cancel, please have your policy number ready.

    Please note that if you are looking for a refund for more than 4 months of insurance payments, Assurant may require a notarized letter from us (the landlord) stating that you have moved out. If they require this of you, please let us know, and we can consider providing this. Please understand a notarized document costs money, and we may pass this cost along to you.

    Please understand if you used the link that Outpost Club provided to purchase renters insurance, you then have a policy with SURE Insurance. While you may have signed up for renters insurance to stay at our property, we are not the renters insurance provider.  Your renter's insurance policy is an auto-renewing policy and covers you even as you move to new apartments (if you let SURE Insurance know that you moved). This is why you have been charged after your move-out: it is up to you to cancel your renter's insurance if you no longer want it.

    If you have general questions about your policy, you can call SURE Insurance at (844) 335-5441. You can also use this phone number to let them know you would like to transfer your renter's insurance to your new apartment. If you have billing questions, you can contact their billing department at 864-528-7831.


General
  • Outpost Club is a network of coliving locations where you can rent a room throughout New York. Our goal is to make it super easy to move to New York and to provide interesting and convenient places for affordable prices. At Outpost Club, you get more than just a place to live and work. The Outpost Club platform creates a coliving community that offers both general and professional networking, which personally benefits all members.

  • Outpost Club provides end-to-end coliving services to creatives, tech startups, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, freelancers, remote workers, professionals, students, and anyone looking to move to a new city and meet new people. Coliving is a shared housing model, meaning members share kitchens, living rooms, and other common spaces with all members, and have a private or shared bedroom of their choice. Everything is included in our flat fee: utilities, WiFi, furniture, appliances, kitchen supplies, and anything else you would need upon moving into a new place. All you need to bring is your suitcase.

    Fill in the application, have a brief interview, grab your suitcase, and move in! You’ll meet new people who will become your friends for life.

  • Even though New York houses millions of people, many of us feel lonely from time to time. Despite this, at Outpost Club’s co-living locations, you’ll never come home to an empty house, and you will never feel alone.

  • Outpost Club was created in 2016 by three guys who had to go through the process of trying to find housing in New York City as international renters. The credit checks, scams, real-estate agent commissions, buying furniture, setting up utilities, roommate cost-sharing, paying first month’s rent/last month's rent/security deposits … The whole thing sucks. So they created their process by eliminating all the bad parts and adding some good stuff too, like community! Since then, we’ve continued to add new locations in different cities and are excited to keep growing our community.