What is coliving?
Coliving means living in a fully furnished shared flat rented out by an operator: your own room, shared kitchen and bathrooms, all costs in one monthly rent.
Definition: Coliving is a form of housing in which residents rent their own furnished room and share the kitchen, bathroom and living area with others. The landlord is an operator who furnishes the apartment, provides electricity, heating and internet and rents out the rooms individually. The rent usually includes all running costs.
The idea behind coliving
Coliving is a professional form of the shared flat. The idea: anyone moving to a new city needs a home quickly but doesn't want to buy furniture or sign a long lease for a whole apartment. An operator takes this work off the residents' hands and rents out fully furnished rooms.
What is typically included
- Your own furnished room with bed, desk and storage
- Shared, fully equipped kitchen and bathrooms
- One monthly rent including running costs, electricity, heating and internet
- Lease directly with the operator, not with a main tenant
- Flexible length of stay, usually from a few months
Coliving, shared flat, student halls or furnished apartment?
| Coliving | Classic shared flat | Student halls | Furnished apartment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | own room in an apartment | own room in an apartment | room in a residence building | whole apartment |
| Landlord | operator | usually main tenant (sublet) | residence provider | owner or operator |
| Furniture | provided | partly | provided | provided |
| Running costs | included in the rent | split | usually included | often extra |
| Flatmates | a few, in the apartment | a few, found yourself | many, in the whole building | none |
| Target group | students and professionals | everyone | mostly students only | everyone |
| Privacy | own room | own room | own room | whole apartment |
Coliving in Vienna
Vienna is a university city and attracts many people from Austria and abroad every year. At the same time, many landlords ask for commission, furniture purchases and long fixed terms for an apartment of your own. Coliving closes this gap. One important point in Austria is the residence registration (Meldezettel): anyone living in Vienna must register within 3 days – reputable coliving providers make this possible.
Under the Bulldog Living brand, Bulldog Real Estate runs around 320 furnished rooms in shared flats in Vienna, stays of 3 months to 5 years, rooms from around €550 all inclusive. More on our Coliving Vienna page.
Frequently asked questions about coliving
What is coliving?
Coliving is a way of living where you rent your own furnished room and share the kitchen, bathroom and living area with others. Unlike a classic shared flat, you rent directly from an operator who takes care of the furniture, the contracts for electricity and internet and the choice of flatmates.
What is the difference between coliving and a shared flat?
In a classic shared flat, one person usually rents the apartment and sublets the rooms. Residents organise furniture and contracts themselves. With coliving, the operator is the landlord of each room, the apartment is fully furnished and all running costs are included in one monthly rent.
Is coliving the same as student halls?
No. Student halls are buildings with many rooms, often with shared kitchens per floor and usually only for students. Coliving takes place in normal apartments with a few flatmates and is open to working people too.
Who is coliving for?
For people moving to a city for a few months or years who want to move in straight away: students, young professionals, newcomers with a new job and anyone who doesn't want to buy furniture or sign their own contracts.
How much does coliving cost in Vienna?
At Bulldog Living rooms cost from around €550 per month, including furniture, running costs, electricity, heating and Wi-Fi. Furnished apartments start from around €990.
Try coliving in Vienna
All available rooms with photos and move-in date on Bulldog Living.