Why "Co-Living" is the Hottest New Housing (and Tech) Trend and How It's Different Than Living With Roommates

If you think co-living is something between living in a co-op and stumbling into the mysteriously upscale interiors of an apartment in Friends, you wouldn’t be mistaken. Don’t let sharing your space with strangers put you off: co-living is the hottest new housing (and tech) trend and it’s totally different than living with roommates.

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The Nitty Gritty

With co-living, you have a private bedroom, but share common spaces. How is this different than having roommates? Because co-living companies are taking the roommate search out of the way for you. And, mostly everything (from repairs to billing) is done through an app.

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The Nitty Gritty

The reason co-living is an emerging trend in real estate is because it tackles problems around quality of life, community, affordability and commute time by offering private bedrooms with shared common spaces, built-in maintenance and planned community events for a rich, effortless tenant experience. A co-living community in Kitchener-Waterloo, ON called Node breaks ground in the fall of 2019 and will open to residents in early 2021.

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Premium Amenities

Co-living spaces include fantastic amenities that can make a difference in your wallet month over month. All co-living spaces include the cost of utilities in their rental fee and some extend more premium offerings to their residents.

Three young women laugh together in a sauna.

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Premium Amenities

Some co-living spaces have hot tubs, saunas, pools, rooftop decks, art studios, fitness facilities, home movie theatres and in-house chefs to enrich the lives of their tenants.

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Furnished Apartments

Co-living rentals make it easy to keep your belongings to a minimum. If you’ve had a good purge after a Marie Kondo marathon, but are grappling with amassing household essentials, co-living has got you covered.

Photo of a minimal, bright living space with all white furnishings.

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Furnished Apartments

Co-living properties come fully furnished and include bulky, but overlooked necessities like bed linens, curtains and towels.

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Housekeeping

Co-living also gives you the best of hotel living. Breeze out the door to hit the gym, head to the office or run errands knowing that trusted personnel from your residential team can help you with the upkeep of your apartment.

Gloved hands, holding a sponge, cleaning a countertop.

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Housekeeping

Co-living rentals include a full service custodial team that conduct scheduled housekeeping of all the units to help you stay on top of your chores.

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Co-working Spaces

Co-living residences also go beyond living arrangements. Most buildings come with flex spaces so telecommuters can shorten travel time from home to work.

Two young women, holding hands, exploring an metropolitan neighbourhood.

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Community Guides

New to the big city and need some guidance to start your urban exploration? A great social benefit of shacking up at a co-living space is access to a community liaison, who can serve as a point person for recommendations on the best pubs, book stores, concert venues and cafes.

Woman wandering through an urban centre.

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Community Guides

“I didn’t know anyone here and it was really nice to come into a community that you could connect with people who are on the same level,” says Khatija Ali, a Toronto-born entrepreneur who has settled in a co-living residence in New York.

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Social Gatherings

We’ve all made plans and had the wave of exhaustion hit us after we clock out of the office. Co-living brings social gathering to your front door. No more ten minute stare downs with your phone as your try to craft a believable text explaining why you’ve cancelled.