What is Coliving? The 2023 Complete Guide to Coliving | Common
What is coliving?
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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 the traditional apartment lifestyle, 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, coworking spaces, and new homes. Coliving simply makes this more accessible and convenient in major cities.

Ultimately, coliving presents a new generation of workers and travelers with a best-of-both-worlds situation. It’s all the perks of living with roommates—affordable rent, shared resources, and a built-in community—plus the peace and quiet that comes with having your own private bedroom. It’s no wonder coliving has caught on in all the world’s greatest cities.

With that said, coliving isn’t some fresh fad. While smartphone apps and work-from-anywhere jobs have made 21st-century communal living more accessible, the reality is that coliving is nothing new. People have always lived together in shared spaces and communities.

From our cave-dwelling days to the Middle Ages, humans have shared living quarters—out of necessity, it’s true, but also because we wanted to.1 After all, humans are social creatures.2

There’s something so fulfilling about sharing meals and swapping stories with those around you. With modern coliving, these activities are always accessible. And so is a private space that’s purpose-built for rest and reflection. As we said, it’s the best of both worlds.

 

Save more, stress less

What are the different types of coliving?
types-of-coliving

On the surface, the answer to the question, “What is coliving?” is simply the sharing of communal space with several others. But not all coliving situations are created equal. Some of the different types of coliving include:

Traditional shared housing

Perhaps the most familiar type of coliving, shared housing is essentially a roommates situation. Friends, acquaintances, or even strangers sign a lease together and informally share the responsibilities of renting or owning a place.

Co-operative housing (Co-op)

Co-ops offer a more formal approach to shared housing. In a co-op, you don’t have to pray that your roommate vacuums this week; all cooking, cleaning, and other chores are shared among residents. Co-ops usually embrace a democratic style of decision-making and leadership.

Co-housing

This style of coliving takes shared housing a step further by providing people or families with separate homes—rather than individual rooms—that typically exist around a community center. Co-housing is more popular in suburban or rural areas, where space is plentiful (and more affordable!).

Dorm-style living

Some coliving spaces offer more than just a place to live. Coliving retreats are often “themed” short-term living arrangements in desirable destinations. These retreats bring like-minded people together to work toward a common goal, such as art, engineering, or activism.

Coliving retreats

Some coliving spaces offer more than just a place to live. Coliving retreats are often “themed” short-term living arrangements in desirable destinations. These retreats bring like-minded people together to work toward a common goal, such as art, engineering, or activism.

At Common, we offer a style of coliving that combines the best of all types: A private space in a shared suite where all cleaning and maintenance is handled for you.

What are the benefits of coliving?
benefits-of-coliving

If you’ve ever lived with a roommate, you know there are pros and cons to traditional shared housing. With coliving, most of these drawbacks melt away, leaving you with the benefits of communal living. Here’s what we love about coliving:

It’s affordable

First and foremost, coliving is a lower-cost alternative to big city living. Rent payments are considerably smaller than they’d be in a more traditional arrangement. You also get more bang for your buck; non-standard amenities like pools and full-service gyms that would normally be unattainable are often the norm.

It’s flexible

While typical apartment leases are often year-long, coliving arrangements can be much shorter. The flexibility to move around as needed or settle long-term is perfect for digital nomads, temporary workers, or professional wanderers.

It’s easy

Coliving is apartment hunting made simple—plus, many suites are already furnished and ready for use. At Common, we also take care of the day-to-day chores that can take up your precious time.

It’s fun

Whether it’s a game night in with your fellow residents or a day out on the town, there are often exciting events in communal spaces. Coliving is never a dull moment—unless, of course, you want it to be. If you’re more of a lone wolf, you can always retire to your private room for some R&R.

What coliving at Common is like

What makes coliving so popular?
coliving-so-popular

Beyond all the benefits that make it so attractive, coliving has blossomed largely out of necessity. The demand for homes in major cities has reached an all-time high, but the supply isn’t there. New homes and apartments are still being built, but rising material costs, supply chain issues, and labor shortages mean that progress is slow. As a result, homeownership is off the table for many, and rent prices continue to soar.

Coliving offers an attainable alternative to anyone looking for relief from skyrocketing expenses. And, as it turns out, that’s a remarkable number of people.

Nearly half of all Americans say that finding affordable housing in their community is a major problem. This lack of attainable housing leads people to overspend on rent; the average American has to earmark more than 30% of their income for housing.4 This percentage can be much higher in high-cost-of-living spots like New York City or Los Angeles.

At the same time, loneliness and isolation are at an all-time high:5 36% of all Americans report feeling seriously lonely. Coliving provides convenient access to the socialization that so many of us are missing through yoga classes, communal dinners, shared spaces, and more.

Ultimately, the freedom of coliving allows you to stop living to work—and start working to live. When less of your income goes to ever-rising rent costs and related expenses, you can spend more time and money on the things you enjoy. You can travel (alone or with your new coliving friends). You can even start saving for a home of your own. Coliving allows you to do more of what you want—and that’s what living is all about.

 

Find community at Common

About our cities
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 a more affordable living —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 snow covered mountains of Salt Lake City, the booming tech of San Francisco, the sandy beaches of St. Petersburg, 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:

 

Explore our cities

Moving to a new city
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, ranging 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 member enjoys privacy in their private bedrooms, we 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 settling and finding like-minded people below.

 

Make moving a breeze

Living with roommates
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 how do you navigate things like cleaning, overnight guests, and shared resources once you’ve moved in?

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

Cut your apartment search short

About coliving at  Common

At Common, coliving is “city living made better” and “communal living made easier.” Common 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 while creating new, diverse opportunities and a strong community.

At Common, coliving is “city living made better” and “communal living made easier.” Common 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 while creating new, diverse opportunities and a strong community.