Yelp Contest Will Help 10 Adult Children Move Out From Mom And Dad’s Place

Yelp wants to help 10 adult children move out of their parents’ homes through a contest-style promotion, called Yelp Re-Empty the Nest, that offers $2,000 to help make it happen.

The move comes as the number of such living arrangements have mushroomed during the pandemic. In a press release, Yelp points to a Pew Research Center report noting that a majority of young adults in the U.S. are living with their parents — the highest such level since the Great Depression.

The Pew report said that, in July, 52 percent of young adults were living with one or both of their parents. This meant an increase of such living arrangements from February of 2.6 million, bringing the total to 26.6 million. Pew said that “the number and share of young adults living with their parents grew across the board for all major racial and ethnic groups, men and women, and metropolitan and rural residents, as well as in all four main census regions.”

Reasons for this trend include a drop in attendance in college, an increase in unemployment and the high cost of rent.

“Yelp Re-Empty the Nest is making it easier than ever to handle the financial stress that can often come with a move,” the company said in its release.

“Many young adults are enjoying living back at home and spending more time with their families,” said Lindsay Goyne, Yelp’s head of product for home and local services. “However, for those looking to find their own place again, Yelp is here to help them with everything they need to move, whether it’s a real estate agent, movers, packing services, or a handyman,” she added in the press release.

To enter the contest, Yelp users answer a question: Why do you want to move out? In addition, they must put in a Request-a-Quote (via the Yelp app) for movers, home cleaning services, landscapers, plumbers or a handyman at ReEmptyTheNest.com from Oct. 20 through Oct. 30.

During the summer, Yelp took a hard look at the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A company study concluded: “As of Aug. 31, 163,735 total U.S. businesses on Yelp have closed since the beginning of the pandemic (observed as March 1), a 23 percent increase since July 10.”