Coliving as the future of residential housing

Coliving is not just about sharing physical space, but also about sharing life experiences and community life. According to Cushman & Wakefield(European Living Investor Survey 2024), the share of investment in student and senior housing in Europe has risen from 14% in 2014 to 21% in 2023. This indicates a growing investor interest in market segments that support co-living and resource sharing.

In major European cities such as London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Vienna, coliving is becoming the answer to the lack of affordable housing and rising property prices. In Amsterdam, for example, the waiting time for rent-controlled apartments is up to 15 years, which, given the high purchase prices for property, creates a high demand for alternative forms of housing such as coliving.

The current social development significantly influences the demand for different forms of housing. The postponement of family formation and the extension of the period of independent living are key factors contributing to the growing popularity of coliving. European statistics show that the average age at marriage has increased from 29 in 2008 to 31 in 2021, and the average age at the birth of the first child has moved from 27 to 29. These changes are leading to a prolonged period where young people are choosing flexible and community orientated housing rather than committing to long term home ownership. In the face of rising house prices in Europe, many young people are even giving up the dream of ‘owning’ their own home in favour of rented accommodation as such.

With the growing demand for flexible housing, the number of coliving projects and apartments. In London, for example, the proportion of people renting has risen from 22% in 2010 to 30% in 2018, thanks in part to the development of coliving projects such as The Collective, Dandi a Scape. In Amsterdam, the current demand for coliving estimated at 277,000 people aged 18 to 38, reflecting the growth in providers such as Quarters a Our Domain By Greystar. Berlin, where the population is increasing by 40,000 people each year, is also seeing a significant increase in coliving apartments from operators such as Quarters a Youniq/Corestate.

The first coliving projects are beginning to operate in the Czech Republic. Some of the major providers include Domeq Apartments in Brno, Youston by KAITA Group, Prague Nomad, The Fizz, and Bro-coli. These projects offer not only housing, but often also shared spaces for work, relaxation and social interaction. The Youston project, for example, transformed the Vítkov hotel in Žižkov into 100 flats in a co-living space with a number of common areas including a dining room, cinema and sauna. In Olomouc, a 1,000-bed student coliving housing project is now being designed by Prospects and is scheduled to open by 2028.

According to estimates, there should be over 10 000 coliving apartments in the Czech Republic by 2030. This growth is driven by the reduced availability of owner-occupied housing and the growing demand for flexible rental housing.

Coliving thus represents a dynamically growing segment of the residential market that responds to the changing needs and lifestyles of modern society. With the rising cost of housing and changes in demographic trends, coliving is becoming an attractive alternative for many people. In the following series of articles, Perspektiv Research will therefore look in more detail at the various aspects of coliving, its benefits, challenges and specific examples of successful projects in Europe and the Czech Republic. We will work with real estate market experts and developers, as well as sociologists, philosophers and other experts on the demographic development of society and its relationship to housing.