A show me and mom love to watch lately is Murdoch Mysteries. It spans the 1890s-1900s. Boarding houses are shown at several points. I’ve also seen/read things from the first half of the 20th century where boarding houses are referenced. It’s almost always young women who aren’t married, and it’s almost always run by some crotchety old lady who’s super strict about the rules. It seems to be distinct from renting an apartment or even a room in someone’s house...They are usually working women who, I would think, should be able to afford an apartment?
Much more can be said, but consider It seems like boarding houses were incredibly popular in 19th century America. Do we know how much of the population lived in them? Was it the housing option of choice for bachelors? written by u/mikedash for a bit about boarding houses