A rooming house is a building where people rent individual rooms but share common spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms with other tenants. Unlike an apartment, where you have your own private kitchen and bathroom, in a rooming house you might have your own bedroom but walk down the hall to use a bathroom that several other people also use.

Rooming houses became common in American cities during the late 1800s and early 1900s, when many people moved to cities for factory jobs but couldn't afford whole apartments. Young workers, students, and immigrants often lived in rooming houses when they first arrived in a new city. The landlord (the person who owned the building) would rent out each room separately, making it affordable for people earning modest wages.

Today, rooming houses are less common than they once were, but they still exist in many cities. Some provide temporary housing for people between permanent homes, while others serve as long-term residences for people who prefer simpler, less expensive living arrangements. The term boardinghouse is similar, but historically meant a rooming house where meals were also provided as part of the rent.