Coliving

Co-operative living arrangements occur when three or more biologically unrelated people choose to live together and share a common residential structure.

Typically, in these co-ops, several people occupy a single dwelling unit, such as a large house, with each person (or couple) having a private area, including a bedroom and, often, a bathroom. In addition, the common areas of the dwelling usually include a shared kitchen, dining room and living room plus, at times, recreation or outdoor spaces.

The residents of the shared dwelling generally establish some agreements as to what contributions, in terms of time and money, are required from each person. Commonly, the total expenses of maintaining the dwelling, such as rent/mortgage payments, utilities, repairs, etc., are allocated on a per capita basis to each resident. At times, it may be agreed that some residents can provide labor, such as housecleaning or yard care services, in lieu of financial contributions.

In addition to agreements dealing with the allocation of basic household expenses, co-op residents often develop arrangements regarding daily activities, such as food acquisition, meal preparation and clean-up. Frequently, residents will choose to eat at least some meals (e.g., dinners) together in the common dining room. Plans are usually agreed upon specifying duties for each member of the co-op. A common model is to have some sort of rotation in which each resident takes a regular turn in cooking meals for everyone.

Co-operative living arrangements may be developed for many other aspects of life in the shared dwelling. Social/recreational activities, use of common areas, and admission of new residents are topics for which agreements among the co-op members are commonly made. Generally, there is some established process in which members meet, discuss issues/proposals, and reach some decision as to what the policy of the co-op should be. Since most co-op residential groups tend to be egalitarian in nature, the decision making process is often consensual, with a preference for obtaining agreement from everyone before implementation begins.

Members of a co-op living unit tend to have shared values, often based on similar demographics (e.g., all may be university students, retirees, etc.,). As a result of common interests, living arrangements for the group are often easier to establish and maintain than would be the case if the residents were more diverse in terms of age, socioeconomic status, etc. Disagreements over arrangements inevitably occur, however, and most co-op living groups find it necessary to have some sort of conflict-resolution process available when agreement cannot be reached.

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Wikipedia