Insufficient housing, urban challenges in China and a youth unemployment crisis have created a novel solution – young people from megacities such as Shanghai and Beijing are sharing beds with strangers to make ends meet.

On Xiaohongshu, often referred to as China’s Instagram, posts advertising shared bed spaces have popped up. Available for about the same price as high rents in a trendy area, "bedmates" offer an alternative to the Western practice of “hot-bedding” where tenants swap roster periods. Chinese “bedmates” share the same bed and divide the room cost.

These unconventional arrangements forced people to think out of the box. Hence, they devised how they maintain personal bounds. Particularly highlighting inventive approaches are common taglines in these ads as “Same room, same bed, different quilt”. A young lady from Shanghai revealed her experience of being unable to afford rent alone after her friend moved out. Calling herself a potential bedmate, she described her habits and preferences so that suitable matches can be found.

Another Beijing post was offering a bed space for $250 per month. It stressed on cleanliness and spacious environment, attracting the buyers. This trend became more mainstream after a report from Guangdong’s News Weekly to highlight that the co-rental approach in China's first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai is making it difficult for young people to buy homes.

While rising youth unemployment at 21.3 per cent in June, young people are finding economic challenges. Creative ways of coping with the impact of prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns and a surge in university graduates entering the job market has forced people to embrace unconventional lifestyles like “bed-sharing” as means to navigate financial burdens and go about normal lives.

As economic conditions prompt innovative solutions, the resilience and adaptability of youth shape China’s urban landscape today.