A shared house or flat – what exactly is that?

What does flatshare and coliving mean?

Let’s first define what the two words stand for as it can get confusing.

A flatshare is when a group of people rent a house together under a shared house agreement. Each tenant is responsible for paying their part of the rent and sticking to the signed contract terms. Moreover, they can benefit from tenant support in case of issues or needs during their stay.

Coliving is a form of accommodation where people get a room in a furnished flat or house. It’s an excellent living experience mostly widespread among students, international professionals or people moving to a new city or relocating from another country.

How to find a flatmate?

Looking for a shared house for rent can be tricky, and the same goes for finding the right flatmates. Vauban & Fort provides many properties to find what you’re looking for to make your life easier.

You can count on our experienced staff to find the best room in a flat with selected flatmates. They make your choice more straightforward thanks to the reviews from people that have already been living in the flat you’re interested in.

Our mission at Vauban & Fort is not only to help you find your coliving space but create a community so that you can enjoy moments together.

What is the reality of living in a flatshare?

Living in a flatshare can be a great personal experience, where you can meet new people with different backgrounds.

Sharing a flat is for sure a cheaper alternative to renting a house or studio by yourself, but that’s not all! It can be some challenges as living with others also means compromise. It can happen that the kitchen is not as clean as you would like it to be or that you don’t get along with a flatmate.

Good and bad things will happen, but it’s a chance to grow and get to know yourself better.

However, if you have a good coliving operator many of the above issues can be much simplified as they have experience how to manage expectations and they make sure that the properties are run in a good and efficient/fun way.

Cons and Pros of Coliving

As we already mentioned, living with other people has pros and cons. Let’s have a look at some of them:

Three Cons of coliving

Now it’s time to talk about some disadvantages of renting a room in a shared flat.

1. Some interpersonal issues

Conflicts may arise in coliving apartments. You have less privacy, and the connection with other flatmates might not be perfect.

2. Respect of ‘house’ rules

Rules can be tricky sometimes, but most of the time, they come from common sense. You have to respect them if you want to live together with other people. Here are some fairly common ‘house’ rules which help to make it happen:

• Housekeeping shifts;
• Respect of the common quiet;
• Know what’s shared and what’s not;
• Be respectful;
• Solve problems as soon as they arise

3. Challenges of Landlords’ arrangements

Dealing with landlords can be challenging. Some of them might take good care of the house while others might not. Getting your deposit back when you leave can create headaches. To avoid all these troubles, you can rely on operators like Vauban & Fort to guarantee your rights.

Five Pros of coliving

There are some great upsides to sharing a house/flat together:

1. Reduce rental costs

Coliving spaces offer the chance to reduce rental costs as you will be sharing a flat and the overall costs with other people.

2. Fight loneliness and isolation

Choosing a flatshare allows you to make great experiences and to integrate quicker. It is the best solution if you don’t want to live alone.

3. Make new friends

Independently if you’re moving to a new country or city, choosing to rent a room in a shared flat will make it easier to get to know new people who might become your friends.

4. Be part of a community

Most of the time, the people you will be living with will become part of your life. It’s an excellent opportunity to get together and make new experiences.

5. Taste food from other nations

Cooking and sharing food with your flatmates is a great opportunity to taste new recipes from all over the world. Yummy!

Conclusions about living in a shared house

We’ve seen that coliving is not only a cheaper option but mostly also a chance to meet new people and share great moments. If you rent a room via Vauban & Fort, you become a member of a larger community of incredible people, too.

While there are some disadvantages to flatsharing, once you take the plunge, we believe that it will undoubtedly lead to unforgettable life experiences.