Don’t let coliving become the next timeshare

• The perception of coliving is becoming something of an issue for those who are advocating the model as not only an alternative form of temporary accommodation but also an innovative way to help address the housing shortage in the UK and beyond. There are exciting high-quality schemes already open and many more in the pipeline.

But the term is in danger of becoming tainted by misunderstanding and suspicion. Two major schemes in Manchester have finally been given planning consent after a protracted process that saw local objections stirred up by councillors using terms such as “the slums of the future”. Even then, members of the planning committee admitted that the schemes were passed “reluctantly”.

And in Ireland, Sinn Féin, the largest opposition party, has published a bill that aims to ban coliving developments across the Republic amid fears of “unacceptable living conditions”.

The sector is at an interesting stage of its growth, and it’s essential that investors, owners, designers and operators keep the quality of their projects high and engage with all relevant stakeholders to educate them about the potential coliving has when it’s done right.

The concept of timeshare is a solid one, but it was poor communication from that sector that was partly responsible for unscrupulous individuals being allowed to tear its reputation to shreds. It would be a crying shame if coliving became the next timeshare.