{"id":6524,"date":"2025-03-13T16:04:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T15:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecitylifer.com\/blog\/?p=6524"},"modified":"2026-07-22T14:41:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T12:41:46","slug":"coliving-in-europe-what-is-the-essence-of-community-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecitylifer.com\/blog\/coliving\/coliving-in-europe-what-is-the-essence-of-community-living\/","title":{"rendered":"Coliving in Europe: What Is the Essence of Community Living?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Have you ever thought \u201cIt would be nice to always have a friend next-door\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

If so, you\u2019re not alone. We touched on it when we talked about <\/span>the factors driving coliving\u2019s popularity<\/a><\/strong>. People today <\/span>seek<\/b> connection<\/strong> \u2013 they want to be near others whose presence they enjoy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

They want <\/span>community living<\/b>, in other words. But how does that look in the coliving setting, exactly? And what can it offer?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

These are the questions we\u2019ll answer today as we take a closer look at what this type of living means. <\/span>Maybe in the process, we can help you figure out if it\u2019s for you as well!<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Is Community Living?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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As we said before in <\/span>our guide to community living<\/a><\/strong>, it\u2019s what happens when a group of (usually unrelated)<\/em> people agree to live in the same space with shared rules<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>

Note that even in coliving terms, the shared space can be variable<\/strong>. It can even be anything from a single building to a multi-building area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

An example of the first is our own<\/strong> <\/span>House coliving accommodation<\/a><\/strong>, which is a building that can hold up to 50 residents<\/em>. Meanwhile, independent-living communities<\/strong> for seniors are examples of the second.<\/span><\/p>

The shared rules<\/strong> too can vary widely. The rules seniors follow in their retirement communities<\/strong> are different from those that monks<\/strong> follow in monasteries<\/strong>. Yet both are examples of (general)<\/em> community living!<\/span><\/p>

At the core of virtually all communities is the idea of sharing and connection.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Photo by No Revisions via Unsplash<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Community Living in a Coliving Space vs. Standard Apartment<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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How is coliving-style community living<\/strong> different from standard apartment living<\/strong>? Let\u2019s cover some of the key points briefly here:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Physical Setup<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Look at a coliving space<\/strong> and you\u2019ll be struck by how many areas are shared<\/strong>. This means most rooms beyond the bedroom: kitchens, lounges, laundry rooms, etc.<\/em><\/span><\/p>

In most traditional apartments<\/strong>, a lot of those spaces are kept private<\/strong>. Each tenant has his own kitchen<\/em> and living room<\/em>, for example, which is a clear difference.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Facilities and Amenities<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A lot of the shared areas<\/strong> in coliving spaces<\/strong> are also designed to <\/span>promote <\/span><\/i>a communal lifestyle<\/strong>. They encourage it instead of just making it possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Take a walk through a coliving building\u2019s coworking spaces<\/strong> or recreational areas<\/strong>. You\u2019ll see inviting workspaces<\/strong> with appealing furniture, game rooms, etc.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Within those areas, many coliving spaces also offer group events<\/strong> for residents. Some do parties<\/strong> and game nights<\/strong>. Others even put together charity drives<\/strong>, as we\u2019ll show you later.<\/span><\/p>

These things aren\u2019t provided with traditional housing. There, people are more or less left to their own devices for entertainment.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Rent Composition<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This is another of the <\/span>clear differences<\/b> between the two. <\/span>Traditional apartments <\/b>often charge <\/span>rent<\/b> plus a service fee exclusive of utilities.<\/b><\/p>

Hence, staying in a <\/span>traditional apartment <\/b>means you’ll have to pay <\/span>rent to your landlord<\/b> each month. Then, you also have to pay your <\/span>utility bills<\/b> (electricity, water, internet, etc.)<\/em> to each provider separately<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>

Coliving spaces<\/strong> often do an all-inclusive fee<\/strong>, on the other hand. This means your payment to your landlord<\/strong> will already include<\/strong> payment for utilities.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Photo by Apartment Life via Unsplash<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Who Is a Coliving Community Best For?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Now we come to a key question<\/strong>: who should be trying this type of community living?<\/em> Who seems to thrive most in it or get the most benefits from this setup? <\/em><\/span><\/p>

Thus far, we\u2019ve noticed these trends<\/strong> in the coliving industry\u2019s customer base.<\/strong> This may help us see who seems to fit best<\/strong> in this lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Demographics<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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First, we have to note that the demographics vary<\/strong> for short-stay<\/strong> and long-stay coliving<\/strong>. If you want to dive deeper<\/strong> into that, take a look at our study of <\/strong><\/span>key industry statistics in the Netherlands<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>

Overall, the coliving community<\/strong> experience<\/strong> seems to be most popular with these groups:<\/span><\/p>