Barcelona’s Coliving War Just Got Real
If you want to understand why coliving regulation matters, not as an abstract policy discussion, but as a visceral, street-level conflict, look at what happened in Gràcia this week.
On March 25, hundreds of Barcelona residents gathered outside a residential block on Carrer Sant Agustí to physically block the eviction of Txema, an 11-year tenant. The building’s owner? New Amsterdam Developers, a U.S.-based investment fund that purchased the property with plans to convert apartments into coliving units.
The eviction was postponed until April 15, but this is far from over.
Here’s what makes this story significant for the entire coliving industry: it’s not an isolated incident. Barcelona’s city government demanded the eviction be halted. The Catalan regional government, led by President Salvador Illa himself, publicly opposed the eviction and threatened fines starting at €90,000. The Catalan housing minister called the coliving conversion plans unwelcome. Barcelona had already fined the coliving operation in the same Gràcia neighbourhood more than €20,000.
This was covered by EL PAÍS, Cadena SER, El Periódico, Catalan News, Infobae, elDiario.es, Diario Público, and at least a dozen other outlets. It dominated Spanish media for three consecutive days.
Why every coliving operator should pay attention:
This isn’t anti-coliving sentiment. It’s anti-displacement sentiment. And the distinction matters enormously.
When an investment fund buys a residential building, evicts long-term tenants, and converts units into coliving rooms for higher-yield short-to-medium-term rentals, it triggers exactly the political backlash that poisons the well for the entire sector. Barcelona has been fighting this battle since the Casa Orsola case. Now Sant Agustí adds another chapter, and the regulatory response is hardening.
Spain remains one of Europe’s most exciting coliving markets. Occupancy rates averaging 94%. Flex-living beds projected to nearly double by 2028. But the political environment is increasingly hostile to models perceived as prioritising yield over residents.
The lesson is clear: If you’re entering the Spanish market, or any market where housing affordability is politically charged, your coliving model must demonstrably add housing supply, not subtract it. Conversion strategies that displace existing tenants will face escalating legal, financial, and reputational risk.
If you’re evaluating market entry risk, our Coliving Readiness Index assesses 11 factors, including regulatory environment and political climate. And if you’re building your compliance framework, our Coliving Compliance & Legal pillar has the resources you need.
Sources: Catalan News · EL PAÍS · elDiario.es · Cadena SER
Patron Explores Sale of €400M Spanish Co-Living Platform
While Barcelona’s streets were protesting coliving displacement, the deal market was moving in the opposite direction. Green Street News reported on March 24 that Patron Capital is exploring the sale of its Spanish coliving platform, a seed portfolio comprising 1,400 beds valued at approximately €400 million.
This is one of the largest coliving portfolio dispositions in European history. And it comes at a moment when institutional appetite for Spanish coliving is arguably at its peak: Goldman Sachs just completed its acquisition of Urban Campus, Greystar has deployed €300M for 2,000 beds, and LaSalle and Urbania are jointly developing 850+ beds in Barcelona.
What this signals: The first wave of institutional coliving investors, those who entered 3-5 years ago, are now looking to exit. That’s not a negative signal; it’s a maturation signal. Capital recycling is what happens when an asset class becomes liquid enough to have secondary market activity.
For operators and emerging fund managers, this is an opportunity. A 1,400-bed platform with established operations, existing leases, and proven occupancy doesn’t come to market often.
If you’re evaluating coliving acquisitions or preparing to raise capital, our ROI Calculator and Financial Model Templates are purpose-built for coliving, not adapted from generic real estate. And our M&A Marketplace is the only dedicated platform for buying, selling, and investing in coliving businesses.
Source: Green Street News
The Pew Charitable Trusts Just Gave Office-to-Coliving Its Biggest Endorsement
When one of America’s most respected non-partisan research organisations puts its weight behind an idea, the policy conversation shifts.
On March 24, the Pew Charitable Trusts published a major analysis arguing that converting obsolete office buildings into small coliving apartments could meaningfully address the U.S. housing shortage. The key finding: co-living microapartments cost roughly half as much to build as traditional studio apartments in office conversion projects across 10 major U.S. metros.
Planetizen amplified the analysis, noting that the efficiency gains come from smaller unit sizes, shared amenity spaces, and the structural advantages of commercial-to-residential conversion over ground-up construction.
Why this matters beyond the U.S.:
The office-to-coliving conversion thesis is gaining traction globally. Canada is already ahead, Toboggan Flats has demonstrated a 9-month build model converting vacant B/C-class offices into coliving across 12 Canadian cities, with 25% of lower-grade offices sitting empty. In London, Dowen Farmer just filed plans for a six-storey co-living scheme on a Southwark site currently occupied by an Asda supermarket, another example of repurposing underperforming commercial real estate.
The Pew analysis adds institutional credibility to what operators have been arguing for years: coliving is one of the most capital-efficient ways to add housing supply to cities that desperately need it. And when the conversion targets obsolete offices that would otherwise sit vacant, it’s politically easier to build support.
If you’re exploring whether a property is suitable for coliving conversion, our Property Conversion Assessment tool gives you a structured evaluation. And our Operating Budget Template helps you model the economics before committing capital.
Sources: Pew Charitable Trusts · Planetizen
London’s Coliving Pipeline Just Got Three Major Additions
Three significant London coliving projects cleared planning or advanced substantially in the past 10 days. Taken together, they tell a story about where this market is heading.
HUB gains consent for 695 coliving homes at Elephant and Castle: This is HUB’s largest coliving approval to date. Designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, the mixed-use scheme will deliver 695 coliving homes across three towers, alongside affordable homes for social rent, an NHS health centre, and ground-floor amenity space. Property Week confirmed consent on March 19. Urban Living News called it a landmark mixed-use approval.
Packaged Living secures planning for £40M Woolwich coliving scheme: Packaged Living and JV partner Buccleuch Property received approval to redevelop a former three-storey mixed-use building into 156 co-living homes. Both Estates Gazette and Green Street News confirmed the consent. The JV cited its combined investor-developer-operator expertise across multi-family and single-family housing as a differentiator.
Dowen Farmer files six-storey co-living scheme in Southwark: The Architects’ Journal reported plans for a new co-living development on a Southwark site currently occupied by an Asda supermarket, another signal that commercial-to-coliving conversion is gaining momentum even in London’s core.
Meanwhile, in Harrow: City Hall overruled Harrow Council to approve 212 homes, including coliving units, replacing a Premier Inn and Beefeater restaurant. The decision to override the local council shows London’s strategic housing authority is increasingly willing to push coliving through even when boroughs resist.
What this pipeline means for operators:
London is no longer a “maybe” coliving market. It’s a “how fast can you build” market. But with the pipeline expanding rapidly, operators who list early on discovery platforms will capture demand before supply catches up.
BookMyColiving.com is live across 200+ cities, including London. Zero commissions. Zero fees. List your space in five minutes and start generating direct tenant inquiries. If your beds aren’t discoverable, they stay empty.
Sources: Property Week - HUB Elephant & Castle · Urban Living News - HUB · Green Street News - Woolwich · Estates Gazette - Woolwich · Architects’ Journal - Southwark
Everything Else Coliving
Deals & Capital
Dash Living acquires US$400M in Tokyo multifamily assets. The Hong Kong-headquartered operator, which manages hotels, co-living properties, and serviced apartments across Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan, has made a major push into Tokyo’s residential market. EdgeProp
Settl raises ₹10 crore in pre-Series A. The Indian co-living startup secured funding from Gruhas, We Founder Circle, and Inflection Point Ventures, expanding across Indian cities serving young professionals. Webdunia
Patron Capital explores €400M Spanish co-living platform sale. Seed portfolio of 1,400 beds. One of the largest coliving portfolio dispositions in European history. Green Street News
New Projects & Planning
HUB approved for 695 coliving homes at Elephant and Castle. London’s largest coliving planning consent this year, three towers designed by AHMM, with affordable homes, NHS health centre, and ground-floor amenity. Property Week
Packaged Living clears £40M Woolwich co-living scheme. 156 homes approved. JV with Buccleuch Property. Green Street News
Sunderland plans large co-living development near Stadium of Light. Developers have submitted plans for a major co-living residential scheme on Wearside. Sunderland Echo
New co-living concept on Victoria’s Pandora Avenue. Designed by Rafii Architects for Townline Homes, “Neighbour” is a hybrid coliving and traditional housing concept aimed at revitalising a struggling commercial strip. CoStar coverage. CoStar
125 co-living units proposed for downtown Portsmouth, NH. Could reshape downtown living dynamics in a New England market. MSN/Patch
Creative Coliving secures second Hollywood location. LA’s artist-focused coliving operator expands, connecting filmmakers, musicians, and creatives in the heart of Hollywood. Film Daily
Dowen Farmer files six-storey co-living on Southwark Asda site. Commercial-to-coliving conversion continues to gain momentum in London. Architects’ Journal
City Hall overrules Harrow Council for 212-home scheme including co-living. Premier Inn and Beefeater replaced by residential development. MyLondon
Policy & Regulation
Macfarlanes maps the UK co-living regulatory landscape. The top-tier London law firm published a comprehensive analysis of the complex planning, tax, and operational regulatory framework facing UK coliving operators. All-inclusive rents, flexible tenancies, and professionally managed shared living sit in a regulatory grey zone that operators must navigate carefully. Macfarlanes
Barcelona mass protest halts coliving eviction. Hundreds block Sant Agustí eviction; Catalan government threatens €90,000+ fines. Covered by 12+ major Spanish outlets. Catalan News
Quincy, Massachusetts sends co-living housing rules back for review. City Council wants further scrutiny of proposed co-living zoning rules before adoption. AOL
Cork County Council to encourage co-living. Ireland’s Cork council will push more like-minded single people into co-living in three- and four-bed local authority houses following a successful pilot project. MSN Ireland
Market Trends
London coliving demand peaks overwhelmingly in summer. PropertyWire reports new data from operator bamco showing strong seasonal patterns in London co-living move-ins, with summer driving the highest demand. Urban Living News adds that summer move-ins are creating emerging seasonal patterns across the sector. PropertyWire · Urban Living News
Estates Gazette: Alternative housing models gain traction. Property guardianship, co-living, and build-to-rent moving from the margins to the mainstream in the UK. True North Management’s journey from The Collective to co-living investor-developer featured in a Cannes market analysis. Estates Gazette · Estates Gazette
Europe’s ‘safe-haven’ status boosts co-living investment outlook. Hospitality Investor highlights co-living as a beneficiary of capital flowing into European residential assets amid global geopolitical uncertainty. Hospitality Investor
Spanish coliving in property ownership gains traction. elEconomista reports that buying a home among strangers is no longer considered unusual in Spain, with co-living in property ownership emerging as a new trend. Mortgage experts agree the model has legs. elEconomista
Casablanca coliving boom attracts Gen Z. Morocco’s largest city sees emerging coliving spaces blending private and shared living, a new market opening up for operators. La Nouvelle Tribune
Bogotá’s coliving scene is transforming how Colombians live. Plura Coliving leads the largest coliving project in Colombia’s capital, reshaping urban housing norms. Revista Diners
Swiss mountain regions attract digital nomads for co-living. Tages-Anzeiger reports that co-working and co-living spaces in Switzerland’s mountain regions are seeing growing demand from digital nomads and remote workers. Tages-Anzeiger
Senior co-living making a comeback in Germany. NTV reports that “Alters-WGs”, senior shared living, are being rebranded as co-living and gaining new cultural acceptance among older Germans. NTV
India’s urban co-living redefined. Construction World features how purpose-built co-living platforms are transforming how urban India lives, with operators like Settl expanding across key markets. Amrit Residency separately launches managed co-living in Gurgaon. Construction World
Lugo municipal coliving hosts open day. Spain’s Concello de Lugo held a public open day at its Municipal Coliving del Carmen, reinforcing its role as a cultural and creative space for citizens. One of the few government-operated coliving spaces in Europe. Concello de Lugo
Belgium’s Coloc Housing renovates townhouses for young professionals. De Tijd profiles the Belgian operator turning heritage townhouses into coliving for young urban professionals. De Tijd
Free Tools & Resources for Coliving Operators
Every week, we build for this industry. Here’s what’s available, all free, no login required:
Just getting started? Take the Coliving Readiness Index, 11 factors, 5 minutes, and data-driven clarity on whether your concept is viable.
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Growing your brand? Marketing Audit Quiz · Investor Pitch Generator
Need leads? BookMyColiving.com the coliving industry’s free discovery platform. 200+ cities, 70+ countries, zero commissions. List your space and start generating direct tenant inquiries today.
Templates: Financial Models · SOP Bundle · Investor Pitch Deck · Lease Agreement Templates
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One More Thing
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Until next time,
Mayank Pokharna Everything Coliving · BookMyColiving · LinkedIn
