Coliving offers a modern solution to rising costs of housing, allowing tenant to live together and share amenities to offset increasing costs. Particularly appealing to young professionals, these shared living spaces offer affordability and community along with valuable amenities like shared workspaces, common areas, and cleaning services. While coliving offers its share of rewards, renters should consider potential downsides like limited privacy and compatibility issues. Investors should carefully evaluate the viability of coliving spaces in their portfolios, considering factors like location and tenant demographics.
The cost of living isn’t getting any cheaper. And neither is the cost of housing. As the market continues to see prices escalate, renters are looking for other cost-effective solutions that won’t break the bank. As renters face this growing problem, coliving arrangements seek to solve the issue, and investors may want to take note.
Coliving arrangements are growing in popularity, particularly among young professionals and urban dwellers seeking a more affordable housing option. If you’re considering investing, we’ve got everything you need to know — from the pros and cons to why it might make sense for renters and their financial circumstances.
What is Coliving?
Coliving is a modern approach to shared housing where individuals, often strangers, live together under the same roof. In these communities, residents typically share common amenities like laundry, kitchens, and outdoor spaces.
People who choose this type of living arrangement also share responsibilities such as cleaning, cooking meals, and other household chores. Also known as ‘shared’ or ‘community’ living, this housing option aims to foster a sense of community, promote cost-efficiency, and provide a hassle-free way of living.
The Different Types of Coliving Spaces
Some of the most common shared living spaces include dormitory-style shared rooms, single private rooms, shared apartments, and single private apartments. Coliving spaces come in various forms, ranging from villas and transformed boutique-style hotels to apartment buildings, and they can be located in both urban centers and rural settings.
Whether you’re a student on a tight budget, a young professional looking for affordability, or someone seeking a more luxurious and spacious arrangement, there’s likely a coliving space to suit your financial situation. Regardless of the price point, coliving spaces globally are thoughtfully furnished to provide residents with everything they require so that they can live comfortably.
Features of Coliving Spaces
The thoughtfully designed features of coliving spaces offer a range of benefits that most modern-day tenants find appealing.
Shared Workspaces With High-Speed Wifi
Ever since Covid-19, more people have chosen to work remotely. To accommodate these needs living spaces have introduced coworking areas. These shared workspaces typically offer high-speed internet for both work and leisure. This way, renterscan work from home and also enjoy the benefits of a quiet space for personal use. Some coliving places even offer separate conference rooms so you can hold a private meeting or use the room to make a phone call without disturbing others.
Shared Kitchen
The kitchens in coliving housing arrangements are designed with practicality and community in mind. They are typically spacious, well-equipped, and furnished with modern appliances. Shared kitchens usually have all the tools you’ll need to prepare your meals or share them with others including pots, pans, serving dishes, and utensils.
Common Areas
In coliving spaces, the common areas are carefully curated to encourage a friendly environment where tenants can enjoy each other’s company and come together to relax. TV lounges, terraces, and cozy seating areas give renters the opportunity to unwind and comfortably engage in conversations. Some coliving spaces even offer additional amenities like terraces, pools, gyms, and yoga studios.
Cleaning Services
If cleaning is not something renters enjoy, the services provided by coliving spaces will be a huge relief for them. Whether it’s the living room, kitchen, or shared bathrooms, professional cleaning staff takes care of maintaining the common areas, ensuring they are kept tidy, organized, and hygienic. However, it’s important to be aware that some coliving spaces will require renters to pay a cleaning fee.
Laundry Room
Because coliving spaces are equipped with a shared laundry room, renters won’t have to make a separate trip to an off-site laundromat just to clean your clothing. Having this amenity on premise not only saves renters time, but could potentially save renters money too if the machines are complimentary.
Events or Social Activities
Coliving spaces organize enjoyable events and activities on-site. Participation may be free or available at an additional cost. From themed dinners, to yoga classes, networking events, and movie nights, there’s usually something for everyone. With so many shared experiences available, you’ll get to know the other residents and likely build long-lasting relationships.
Pros of Coliving
Beyond the many features coliving spaces offer, this type of housing arrangement has many benefits that might convince renters it’s worth living in one.
Cost-Efficiency
Coliving spaces enable renters to share expenses. Rent, utilities, and shared amenity costs are divided among the residents, often resulting in lower individual expenses compared to solo living arrangements. Because these communities are more affordable, renters can potentially save money for other investments, travel, or personal goals.
Community and Social Interaction
Let’s face it, remote working can be lonely. While working in an office offers the opportunity to become friends with coworkers, working from home can limit your social circles. Coliving spaces, however, are full of people, and are intentionally designed to encourage interaction among residents. They facilitate networking, socializing, and can help renters build new friendships.
Fully Furnished Spaces
For individuals seeking a hassle-free living experience, fully furnished housing is particularly appealing. For starters, tenants don’t have to pay out of pocket to cover the cost of furniture and other household essentials. In addition, renters don’t have to worry about the logistics of moving and setting up a new living space. It also makes the move-in process much easier and cheaper since you’ll have fewer belongings to transport.
Flexible Lease Terms
If long-term commitments are not suitable for you, you’ll be glad to know that coliving arrangements often have flexible lease terms. renters can usually opt for a shorter lease that aligns with your specific needs and preferences.
Safety and Security
The communal aspect of coliving adds an extra layer of safety. When renters have other residents around you, there’s a heightened sense of vigilance and mutual support in case of any emergencies or unforeseen situations. Coliving spaces typically also provide security and surveillance cameras. If they don’t, renters may want to consider looking elsewhere.
Environmentally-friendly
For people interested in reducing their environmental footprint, coliving is an eco-friendly and sustainable living option. For example, sharing living spaces such as kitchens and common areas can reduce the need for individual appliances and furniture, reducing energy and waste consumption. These sustainable-focused renters want a coliving space that prioritizes eco-friendly practices by incorporating sustainable materials and energy-efficient appliances, like low-consumption lighting, further mitigating their environmental impact.
Cons of Coliving
While coliving offers numerous benefits, it’s good to also be aware of the potential downsides that renters face. This can ensure you are more readily able to evaluate the needs and goals of renters in a particular demographic before taking the leap to invest in a coliving space.
Limited Privacy
Since coliving promotes community, it also means renters may have to sacrifice some degree of privacy. Shared living areas and bedrooms means the spaces are often smaller in size compared to traditional rentals.
Potential Compatibility Issues
Living with strangers definitely has its challenges. Tenants may have different lifestyles, standards of cleanliness, schedules that clash, or other compatibility issues. Additionally, when space is limited, renters need to be more mindful of personal boundaries and their belongings. Similar to navigating roommate relationships as a landlord or property manager, you will need to have a lease agreement in place that addresses the unique nature of your coliving tenants.
Lack of Control
In coliving spaces, decisions about shared spaces and amenities are typically made collectively. From decor choices to the scheduling of events, decisions are often made through group consensus or by the management, giving renters little to no control over things renters may prefer to have a say about.
Transience
Because coliving spaces tend to attract a diverse range of tenants, turnover can be relatively high. While some people may find the prospect of meeting new people to be exciting, others may prefer consistent, long-term relationships where people aren’t always coming and going.
Responsibility for Others
Tenants in shared living spaces not only share physical spaces, but also share a responsibility to care for others and look out for one another’s well-being. In order to maintain a peaceful community, renters need to be respectful, considerate, supportive, and mindful of others. For people who appreciate their independence, however, this type of housing solution might not be ideal.
May Not Be Viable in All Cities
Coliving options aren’t always accessible in every city or region, particularly in smaller towns or rural areas simply because a coliving space may not be an appealing option to potential tenants–particularly if cost of living is low in the area. If you’re unable to find a good investment opportunity in a city or urban center, opting for other real estate investments may be a more viable solution with better ROI.
Learn more: Which Type of Rental Property Suits You?
Deciding If Investing in Coliving Spaces Is Right for Your Portfolio
Any real estate deal should be executed with sufficient research and planning to ensure success. Understanding coliving and its potential benefits to tenants can be another piece of the puzzle to understanding your options when investing in rental properties.
