Understand what co-living is, how this shared housing model works, and why it has been gaining traction in the current real estate market.
Submitted at Jul 8, 2025, 8:00 AM
Leila Bittencourt - Loft Coral #Co.living. Good design, color, and humor in this space for living together. With an open layout and furniture that can be grouped in different ways, this living room could be in a single-family home, multi-family home, or in a co-living space. Another detail is how the architect took advantage of and redefined original elements of the building, such as beams and piping. (André Nazareth)
Empresas especializadas em co-living oferecem contratos flexíveis, com serviços como limpeza, internet e manutenção já inclusos. (Vitacon/Divulgação)
The term “co-living” is derived from English and literally means "living together". In practice, it is a type of housing where different people share the same residential space, with ample and functional common areas such as kitchens, living rooms, laundry rooms, coworking, and leisure areas — while maintaining private rooms. The concept goes beyond just sharing a property: the goal is to create a community and promote interactions among residents, facilitated by well-planned projects and, often, by a curation of events or collective activities. The proposal is to unite practicality and cohabitation, offering more flexible contracts than conventional rentals, with services such as cleaning, internet, furniture, maintenance, and even proprietary apps for managing the living spaces.
O design moderno e funcional dos espaços de co-living atrai jovens profissionais e nômades digitais. (Vitacon/Divulgação)
The target audience of co-living is diverse, but tends to be urban, young, and connected. Initially, this format mainly attracted young professionals, university students, and digital nomads who want to save money, meet people, and live with less bureaucracy. Over time, the proposal expanded and started to interest middle-aged and even elderly people who value companionship, especially in big cities where loneliness and the high cost of living are common challenges. Additionally, co-living is also an attractive alternative for those who wish to live alone but do not want to bear all the costs and responsibilities alone — or who simply appreciate a more community-oriented, sustainable, and practical lifestyle.
O modelo de co-living tem ganhado força em grandes cidades brasileiras, especialmente entre quem busca praticidade e economia sem abrir mão de conforto. (Vitacon/Divulgação)
The co-living spaces function as residences designed for smart sharing. Residents have access to private rooms — usually with individual or shared bathrooms — and share spaces such as kitchens, living rooms, laundry rooms, coworking, terraces, balconies, and, in some cases, even gyms and cafes. These developments usually offer packages with included services, such as water, electricity, internet, cleaning, maintenance, and even event organization. Many are managed by specialized companies that take care of both the structure and the interaction among residents. Some co-livings feature proprietary apps that allow users to book spaces, register visitors, open doors, request maintenance, and even chat with other residents. There are options for monthly, quarterly, or yearly contracts, usually with less bureaucracy than traditional rentals — without guarantors, deposits, or long terms. This makes the model quite attractive for those seeking mobility and practicality.
Áreas comuns como lavanderias, coworkings e lounges tornam a rotina mais prática e conectada. (Vitacon/Divulgação)
Among the main advantages of co-living, we highlight:
However, the model also presents disadvantages, such as:
The co-living has been consolidating in cities like London, New York, Berlin, and San Francisco, where the cost of living is high and space is limited. In Brazil, major urban centers such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and Belo Horizonte already have several developments of this type, aimed at both young and corporate audiences. Specialized companies like Yuca, Housi, Share, Uliving and others have been betting on this niche, creating modern housing with intelligent design, strategic location, and complete services. The growth of remote work and the changes in housing habits post-pandemic have also contributed to accelerate the interest in this model.
Alguns co-livings oferecem studios privativos com cozinha e banheiro integrados, combinando autonomia com os benefícios da vida em comunidade. (Daniel Mansur/CASACOR)
Therefore, co-living emerges as a response to new urban demands: to live well with practicality and interaction without giving up autonomy. More than a trend, it represents a profound transformation in how we live and relate to the space and the people around us.
CASACOR Publisher is an exclusive content creator, developed by the Technology team of CASACOR based on the knowledge base of casacor.com.br. This text was edited by Yeska Coelho.
