When you live with 23 other people, there's always something to do.

For Ishan Abeysekera, that was part of what drew him to his Brooklyn home when he relocated from London for work in late 2022. The 33-year-old engineer lives in a building operated by Cohabs, which offers tenants fully furnished bedrooms and communal living spaces for stays ranging from 6 months to a year or more.

Abeysekera, who pays $2,100 a month for his room, tells CNBC Make It that having so many people living in the same place helped him create a social life in a city where he didn't know anyone.

A group chat of building residents is frequently buzzing with outings and activities, making it easy to find plans on a given evening.

"I think it certainly has led to me seeing more of New York," he says. "There might be a Saturday where you're feeling a little bit lazy, and suddenly there's five people going to Central Park or The Met and you go 'Oh, yeah, I'll tag along.'"

"If you want, you're never lonely," he adds.

But there are drawbacks to having so many roommates, depending on your priorities. Though Abeysekera says his busy schedule keeps him from cooking as much as he'd like, he admits that his kitchen probably wouldn't be the best for it even if he did have the time.

Having just one shelf in the refrigerator and "limited freezer space" makes it hard to keep a fully stocked kitchen.

"If cooking is super important to you, this probably won't work," he says.

For the most part, Abeysekera doesn't mind the shared space. He recalls only one instance of ever needing to wait to enter the bathroom, and enjoys having the option to retreat to his room if the common areas ever get too busy.

And though he understands why people wouldn't want to live in a Cohabs-style building, and hears the criticism that for $2,100 he could find his own place in New York, he's comfortable with his decision.

"Are there places that are cheaper than two grand? Yeah, there are. I know there are," he says. "But I decided that I'm happy to pay a couple of hundred dollars extra for these extra things and the community, which is something I place a high value on."

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