a booming business

In Villeurbanne (Rhône), they are currently three for the coffee break, but they will soon be 12 to live in this large house which has just opened. In the kitchen, two ovens, two fridges and even two toasters. Here, everything is planned to offer residents comfort and encounters. “Living alone is not my preferred lifestyle, so it’s the most convenient way for me to have a social life that can expand quickly”says Geoffroy Begouaussel, one of the roommates.

A trend that should continue

The demand for shared housing is exploding in Lyon, as in other major cities in France, and it has become a real estate market in its own right. “Here it was a medical office that we completely transformed into coliving”, explains Gauthier Sol, president of a colocation site. It delivers a new habitat every four months on average and is overwhelmed with requests. Same observation in a real estate agency. And the trend should not weaken: according to professionals, the number of coliving beds in France should be multiplied by three by 2025.