A new concept launched in the US may be about to do for apartment rental what Uber has done for ride sharing and Airbnb for hotel stays.

Common is a co-living company that “offers a network of fully-furnished, community-oriented residences in major US cities”. (It’s got three in Brooklyn, New York, but more are planned.)

What that translates to is apartment buildings that offer accommodation to hip, young urbanites who want to live in a cool space, hang-out with their tribe and have most of their living costs bundled into the leasing deal.

Uncommonly, Common is a membership-based business model. If you want to move into one of their spaces, you need to join up first.

Then you have the opportunity to move into an apartment building that has been refurbished and fitted out like a boutique hotel. On top of that, household utility bills, wi-fi access and cleaning are bundled into the monthly lease.

And there are a host of other extras accessible to tenants that make a Common building more of a community than a concentration of closed doors. It’s like a college dorm for grown-ups.

Since launching in October 2015, Common has received more than 5000 membership applications and has opened three buildings in two Brooklyn locations.

Common aims to open two buildings in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. by the end of the year.

The innovative company is based in New York and was founded by Brad Hargreaves.

Bedrooms at Common start at $US1340 ($1785) a month and go up to $US2650 a month based on a 12-month lease. Pricing varies depending on room size, location and lease length.

Common’s pricing is all-inclusive, which means that the quoted price reflects amenities and costs associated with rentals such as:

Utilities

Wi-fi

Weekly cleaning

Shared supplies (coffee, tea, paper towels and more)

Fully-furnished bedrooms and common spaces supplied by leading designers

Laundry facilities

Common features a robust list of tech amenities for residents across buildings, including:

iPad-controlled home automation hub

Heating control

Basement entertainment centre with projector and speakers

140 centimetre LED television in community room

RFID/Bluetooth door locks compatible with keycards, phones and Apple watches

Video doorbell system

Internet-connected security cameras

Building-specific messaging channels for member communication

Common provides residents with on-site management to keep the community running smoothly including building maintenance and a member house leader who organises in-house events.

A community manager connects residents with neighbourhood resources.

Common has a competitor in WeLive, which is offering studios to three beds plus from a few nights to as many months as tenants want.

But the Americans could be considered late starters in the co-living stakes.

President of the Registered Accommodation Association of Victoria, Simon Roberts, said the concept was not new in Australia.

“Local versions have been operating here for a number of years through FlexiStayz and House Share Melbourne,” he said.

“These offer a variety of short and long-term stays and amenities to a range of guests – from business professionals to overseas students.”

FlexiStayz and House Share Melbourne operate properties around the inner city suburbs.

Depending on the location and operator, rooms start from $250 a week.

Mr Roberts thought differences in population size and levels of demographic concentrations might provide barriers to the Common model taking off in Australia.