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What is coliving?

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Think city living has to be expensive? With rent prices sky-high in urban centers like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, urban life might simply feel out of reach. But here’s the good news: Thanks to Common, it’s affordable, seamless, and stress-free to find beautiful shared living spaces in the most exciting cities. It’s called coliving. Here’s how it works.

 


What is coliving?

Coliving is a modern form of communal living in which residents get a private bedroom in a furnished home with shared common areas. Coliving is popular in major cities as a means of affordable living for students, workers, digital nomads, or individuals relocating. Unlike traditional apartments, coliving is attractive to tenants due to affordability, flexibility, included amenities, and a sense of community.

In the context of the urban housing crisis and developers in the real estate market, shared housing is one of the best and most direct means to achieve optimal density, affordable housing, and an urban community in areas such as New York and the Bay Area.

In today’s sharing economy, young people — millennials, especially — have embraced the concept of sharing rides, experiences, a coworking space, and now homes. Coliving simply makes this more accessible and convenient in major cities.


About coliving at Common

At Common, coliving is “city living made better” and “communal living made easier.” Coliving simplifies the process of finding a roommate, offers the cheapest places to live, and designs beautiful homes for convenience.

Unlike traditional apartments that lack essential amenities and a sense of community, coliving gives residents (we call them “members”) a private bedroom and allows them to share access to a fully furnished living space, shared kitchen, and incredible amenities. On one hand, it seems pretty similar to your standard roommate situation (living with friends), and some even call coliving homes “adult dorms.” However, coliving offers so much more than that.

At Common, our homes are designed to facilitate the sharing of spatial and program operations of a home while eliminating the pain points of living with roommates. That means we provide everything from toilet paper to professional cleaning services — for free. Through smart architectural design, community event planning, and resident support, coliving at Common aims to make home sharing desirable and affordable for all types of residents all while creating new, diverse opportunities and a strong community.

 

What coliving at Common is like


The coliving experience

For many people, coliving with Common is the perfect blend of community and independence. When you need quiet time, you have a beautiful, private room to retreat into. And when you’re ready to socialize, you have a vibrant community available to share meals, work together, hang out, or hit up one of the free community events we organize (think yoga classes, comedy shows, foodie gatherings..). It’s the best of both worlds.

You might also be surprised how smooth roommate life can be when someone else does the hard work of finding, furnishing, and cleaning the common space. Remember – when you live with Common, we take care of all those little details. That means your kitchen stays stocked with basics like dish soap and paper towels, your bathroom stays clean, and someone else is in charge of leasing agreements and collecting rent payment from your suitemates.

It’s no surprise that so many Common members end up becoming fast friends. You won’t just be living together and sharing communal areas – you’ll be part of something larger.


About our cities

The most exciting cities in the country all have one thing in common – they’re also the most expensive cities in the country. Rent in NYC is notoriously high; San Francisco is in the midst of a housing crisis; affordable housing in Los Angeles can burden you with a multi-hour commute. Of course, the reason these cities are so costly is that people want to be there.

Here at Common, that makes our work pretty straightforward. We go where you want to be. After all, Coliving isn’t just about creating more affordable living for like-minded people – it’s about tapping into the most exciting, transformative, and meaningful dimensions of urban living. So whether you’re looking for the diversity and culture of New York, the bustle and glitz of LA, the thriving arts of Seattle, the booming tech of San Francisco, the sandy beaches of Fort Lauderdale, the arts and architecture of Chicago, or the living history of Washington DC, Common has you covered.

Read more about the cities where Common coliving is available:


Moving to a new city

Moving to a new city away from your community can be scary, no matter how many exciting opportunities await you in your new home. There are plenty of obstacles to overcome. Not only do you have to find a place to live, but you also have to discover all the different areas, get used to the transportation system, and even make new friends.

Fifty percent of Common members are new to the city they live in. Our members come from diverse backgrounds, and they range from young professionals and digital nomads to entrepreneurs and social workers, with the median age being 29. One of our main missions at Common is to help create an intentional community among our residents. Though each of our members enjoy privacy in their private bedrooms, we also encourage them to share experiences. Whether that may be by cooking dinner together in the kitchen or attending a free community event, members are always invited (but never obliged) to spend time together and build a sense of community.

Interested in learning about the fine print or just want to learn about the best restaurants in the areas around you? The articles under this category have you covered. We’ve compiled our best tips for getting settled and finding like-minded people below.


Living with roommates

Living with roommates is a great way to save money and build community in a big city, but it comes with its own set of unique challenges. First things first, how do you find them if you don’t have friends yet in the city? And then, once you’ve moved in, how do you navigate things like cleaning, overnight guests, and shared resources?

While it might seem daunting, there’s no better way to create healthy, thriving roommate relationships than with Common. We take care of the most common pain points – from basic cleaning to stocking toilet paper – so you can focus on enjoying each other’s company.

We’ve created the following articles to guide you through every aspect of living with roommates:

 

Live with roommates the right way


Why coliving is growing so quickly

The housing market is askew. Demand for homes in major cities have risen to an all-time high, but the supply isn’t matching those rates. The affordability of traditional renting is declining, and millennials are uninterested or unable to purchase a home. Due to rising material costs and labor shortages, homebuilding is slow to meet this demand. This is the niche that coliving has begun to fill.

Coliving allows anyone, from students and young professionals to millennials and baby boomers, to avoid the headaches when facing the real estate market and live stress-free. Rising in tandem with the coworking and ridesharing economies, coliving is the solution to the housing crisis in cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

The concept of coliving is now recognized all over the world, from Europe to Asia. In the US, there are several coliving companies competing to capture this market: Roomrs, Padsplit, Bungalow, and Common. Read more about the economics of coliving:

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