Despite the fact that the special popularity of coliving began to gain momentum only recently, the concept of such a form of work and life is far from new, and therefore many entrepreneurs have begun to actively turn this trend into a business.
What is Coliving
Co-living can be called a kind of incubator where young and creative people live and communicate. Given the fact that the office and the house are located in the same place, you can literally go into the project with your head, and the presence of like-minded people around can speed up its development. Initially, the main goal of the creators of coliving was precisely to gather talented and promising people in one place where they could exchange experience. Given the fact that renting a room is inexpensive, coliving has gained particular popularity among people without families and young people.
In order to acquire the status of a coliving resident, you must be on the waiting list and pay an additional fee for providing the opportunity to live in such conditions. The number of people wishing to live in coliving is only increasing, and the main point that attracts people to coliving is the comfort offered by such “dormitories”.
Why coliving is so popular
Coliving companies also attract young entrepreneurs, for a number of reasons. First of all, coliving can offer privacy, but at the very moment when it is really needed. Nowadays, there are a huge number of ways to meet new people, thereby expanding your social circle, but despite the widespread penetration of social networks and networking, many feel even more alone than before. Thanks to coliving, there is an opportunity both to be alone with yourself and to meet interesting people and exchange experiences.
Many entrepreneurs want to be as flexible as possible and want to be able to change their place of residence in the shortest possible time, and therefore long-term rental housing is not suitable for them. In the event that a hotel or apartment for a short period, for some reason, is not suitable, then coliving will be the best option, and in the overwhelming majority of cases, utilities are already included in the price of accommodation, and the room is equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay.
Despite the fact that co-living houses have common features with hostels, and the main premises are shared, there is a certain comfort of home in them. In the case of coliving, shared dining areas and meeting rooms are a major advantage, as it is much easier to make new acquaintances with the person you work with and dine in the same space. In addition, collivings quite often hold various lectures and master classes, which allows you to exchange experiences.
It is worth noting that if until quite recently the growth of coliving was carried out mainly due to start-ups, among which such as Common and Hubhaus can be distinguished, then recently the hotel business has increasingly come into play. For example, AccorHotels launched the Jo&Joe brand, which combines the best formats of hostels and hotels and offers its customers an unusual service. Back in 2016, The New Yorker reported on a surge in the popularity of coliving, dubbed “adult dorms.”
Does this trend have a future?
Although coliving offers people what they need, providing the maximum space at the lowest price, however, the financial side of the issue is not always decisive when choosing housing. A recent opinion poll conducted by IKEA and Anton & Irene, showed that the vast majority of respondents would like to live in small communes, including four to ten people, because they want to communicate, but not too often.
According to the respondents, co-living will continue to gain popularity if they are inhabited exclusively by singles or couples without children, as residents would prefer to live with pets than to be under the same roof with children.
In addition, respondents noted that they are ready to share household duties and spoke in favor of a common work space, while the lack of personal space caused the greatest concern of the respondents. Answering the question about who they would like to share the coliving space with, the respondents noted that they would like to see honest and accurate people among the neighbors, wishing to amend the rules for choosing future neighbors. In addition, coliving residents would like to expand their powers somewhat by setting certain rules, by popular vote, and deciding whether to accept new residents or not.
