Founder product
About Cohabi
A simpler, more human way to manage shared living — built from real house-hacking experience, not theory.
What led to the creation of Cohabi?
Hi, I'm Irving Barajas — founder and CEO of Cohabi. When I was a kid, my family and I made the move to the United States from Mexico.
Living as an undocumented immigrant came with many challenges. Finances were always near the top of that list. Growing up, we often shared homes with roommates or family because of our tight budget.
Despite the financial barriers that forced me to drop out of college, I stayed focused and became a self-taught software engineer. Through work at tech startups, I eventually saved enough to buy a rundown house in Pomona, California.
After some research, I decided to rent out spare bedrooms to help cover the cost of ownership. That decision not only helped me avoid being house poor — it worked well enough to acquire four properties in three years.
Managing those properties was tough. I wasn't satisfied with the tools available. They were outdated, complex, and expensive. That frustration led to Cohabi: a simple, intuitive, and more affordable way to manage shared living spaces.
Our mission
At Cohabi, we understand that renting out spare bedrooms can feel like a headache. Our mission is to transform the landlord and tenant experience with a streamlined, user-friendly platform that simplifies room-rental management.
Buying a home is hard enough on its own — especially in a tough economic climate. We believe more people can own property and run it well through co-living. With the right tools and approach, ownership is more reachable, and renting rooms can help make it sustainable.
The product helps landlords and roommates stay organized with chores, inspections, reminders, communication, and property tools — workflows I lived through firsthand.
Join the community
Whether you're a landlord, house hacker, property manager, or roommate looking for less chaos at home, Cohabi is built for shared living that stays human.
Manage less. Live more.
Product details, app downloads, pricing, and the full team live on cohabi.co. This page is Irving's founder-story overview on the personal site.
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