To meet the growing demand from young professionals in the market, numerous coliving operators in France are opening living spaces. Simply put, a definition of coliving is: shared accommodation with inclusive services. Shared spaces, amenities, lounge, gym, library... The layouts, facilities, and services vary from one operator to another. But then, how do we define Coliving at La Casa? For us, community is at the heart of everything. Shared spaces are designed for communal living, roommates choose each other, and activities aimed at strengthening the sense of community are organized for the residents. Our definition of coliving: we are happier together, in places designed for it!
Who is Coliving for ?
Who is Coliving for? Urban young professionals, non-urban young professionals, French or foreign young professionals, and even older professionals from elsewhere... The concept of coliving is making its mark on the real estate market in many cities and caters to different segments of the population with specific benefits. Coliving providers in France have imagined different models according to various needs: fixed or nomadic coworking spaces are everywhere in Paris and in the provinces, solidarity-based coliving like that of the Lazare association, intergenerational coliving offered by Colibree, student residences, coworking spaces... Professional companies and investors are closely interested in this new shared living lifestyle, whose concept comes in different housing models.
Coliving Locations: The Casas are located in and around Paris, but different offerings are provided by other companies in other cities. Student residences with furnished leases, for example, are found all over France, as are service residences for seniors, which are gaining popularity. New forms of housing for tenants, roommates, in residences, apartments, or shared accommodations are emerging... What types of housing and leases does La Casa offer? The rental housing models on the market are diverse and varied and cater to all profiles!
At La Casa, our coliving offering has been designed to allow young professionals in transition (new job, arrival in Paris, breakup), to access comfortable and turnkey housing, where they can flourish in a community setting. What characterizes our community of young professionals in coliving is that they were not only looking for housing when applying, but also a human experience... all-inclusive!
For the price of an apartment rental in Paris, roommates live in a house with a large kitchen, communal living spaces, suitable for remote work or coworking.
Various press articles cover the lives of our roommates in the Casas, and we are regularly mentioned in articles illustrating this new model of real estate investment. We also support roommates to help them organize their community life. We put our expertise in community creation and animation at the service of the roommates to ensure the best possible collective living experience. And because the real estate and flat-sharing market is evolving, La Casa is developing an offer for seniors in the years to come, a new real estate investment, interesting both for investors and for the general public, for whom current offers of service apartments or nursing homes are no longer sufficient.
Some figures about Coliving at La Casa
In April 2022, after 4 years of existence, La Casa has 22 Coliving houses in Île-de-France with a total of 262 roommates... And we're opening one Casa per month! At La Casa, roommates are between 20 and 50 years old. They stay around 18 months in their Casa, and generally, they're quite satisfied. At least, that's what they mention in their Google reviews :) When you go through them, you see that the most recurring words in their definition of coliving are: experience, community life, and adventure. And that suits us quite well! They are students, young professionals, entrepreneurs, performing artists, in career transitions... They arrive solo... And often leave as a couple! Moving in with a roommate from their Casa or another Casa is the reason for departure for 30% of our alumni. The La Casa team consists of 21 people, who take care of the roommates from purchasing the houses to managing events and customer service to offer them the best possible experience.
Balancing community and privacy in coliving
Often, the definition of coliving gives the impression of a complicated anglicism to talk about something that has existed for millennia, which is: flat-sharing. But if everyone has in mind the movie "L'Auberge Espagnole" in which Romain Duris discovers Madrid surrounded by lots of roommates who share a unique and aging fridge, we are far from that at La Casa. Indeed, the particularity of Coliving with us is that in the very definition of our offer: we create Casas to welcome our roommates. Casa (n.f) - definition: A Casa is a place designed to ensure harmonious community living where everyone has enough space to feel comfortable. A prerequisite for a house to be a Casa is that we can arrange it with a private bedroom and bathroom for each person, as well as sufficiently large spaces for community living to develop.
So, sorry Romain Duris, but with us, a single fridge for everyone is completely unthinkable! Through their lease, rent, and service contract, each roommate enjoys a pleasant accommodation with a private space. There is one tenant per unit (= 1 bedroom and a lease bathroom) and roommates share large common areas: a living room, a chill-out area, a large kitchen... Plenty of advantages offered by coliving! It's all these elements that allow us to offer a good balance between communal living and privacy. And while many of our roommates are young professionals who have lived in shared accommodations during their student days or even afterwards, what they seek when they arrive at La Casa as young professionals is a space where they can enjoy group living again... Without all the hassles of their student apartment and for rent with the optimal quality-price ratio! Moreover, for an equivalent price, they would trade their beautiful Casa with a garden for a studio or a small apartment in shared housing in the center of Paris, and no thank you :)
A more flexible life in coliving
Coliving at La Casa is a clear and all-inclusive offering. One of our core values is transparency, and we strive every day to ensure as clear a definition as possible of our rules and operations to ensure roommate satisfaction. For roommates, our model of flexibility and transparency is a guarantee of peace of mind.
Through their numerous included services, they can focus on what truly matters: spending time together, getting to know each other. The La Casa teams coordinate various services for the roommates: maintenance, cleaning, shared grocery deliveries, events, etc. We also remain attentive to the roommates' needs on a daily basis to ensure their satisfaction :) The different articles on this blog also aim to clearly present our offering to future candidates! Our definition of coliving is an all-inclusive coliving experience where social connection is at the heart of everything. From cooptation to departure, everything is designed to provide roommates with the greatest possible flexibility.
