Coliving is a diverse concept, and various types of colivings exist. To better understand the differences between colivings, we have categorised them by different attributes.
Coliving Chains, Individual Colivings & Pop-up Colivings
Firstly, colivings vary in structure and setup. Some coliving chains have multiple locations within the same city, country, or even across several countries. Often, coliving chains offer deals and packages to combine stays within different locations, which can be beneficial for people travelling to multiple places. Individual colivings have only a single location. These colivings are often smaller and community-oriented. Pop-up colivings have no fixed location and are operated for shorter periods and at changing destinations.
Urban Colivings & Rural Colivings
The location of a coliving often vastly impacts the experience of colivers. Urban colivings provide good connections and access to a city's amenities, whereas rural colivings provide access to nature and a relaxed atmosphere. Due to their remote locations, these colivings are usually not easily accessible by public transport, and transportation options should be taken into consideration before the stay.
Coliving Houses, Apartments, Hotels & Hostels
Furthermore, colivings differ in size and amenities. Coliving houses offer private rooms and shared facilities, including a kitchen, living room, and living space. Bathrooms can be both shared and private. The small size of the house makes it an ideal space for socialising. Coliving apartments are a smaller version of coliving houses. Sometimes, there are multiple coliving apartments in a single building, offering access to a larger community. These apartment complexes often provide shared facilities, including coworking spaces and gyms. Coliving hotels & Coliving boutique hostels provide colivers with the most privacy by offering studios with private bathrooms and kitchens. This setup is slightly less social than other types of colivings; however, common areas, such as coworking spaces, still make it possible to connect with others. Coliving hostels offer dormitory-style rooms and shared facilities. This type of coliving is excellent for socialising and is budget-friendly; however, it provides significantly less privacy. Some coliving hostels also have private rooms adjacent to dormitories; therefore, checking out room options is always recommended.
Long-term & Short-term Colivings
There are significant differences between colivings in terms of duration of stay. Some colivings offer short-term stays, while others have a minimum stay requirement and primarily cater to long-term stays.
Coliving Target Groups
Some colivings are centred around a specific target audience, such as students and are exclusive to their bookings. Other colivings are inclusive and provide the opportunity to get to know a diverse range of people. These colivings, however, might still attract specific target groups depending on their location and set-up.
Coliving Activities & Community
As Community is an essential aspect of coliving, almost all colivings provide access to a community; however, the number of social activities and events organised by colivings differ. Colivings can be focused on specific activities, such as hiking, due to the location. Other colivings offer a broad range of social activities. Checking out a colivings social media is always a good idea to get a feeling for the community and the activities offered.