Six Takeaways from Coliving Conference London 2026

What developers and operators are asking about co-living, and discover our free brochure on how to design for it.

Coliving conference 2026

Co-living is growing up. At Coliving Conference London 2026, the conversation had moved on from "how many amenities can we provide?" to a harder set of questions: how do we create homes people want to stay in, communities they can choose to engage with, and assets that remain commercially viable?

We went to hear that debate firsthand. The programme covered social infrastructure, resident experience, AI, regulation, scaling and longer-term residency, and our conversations with developers, operators and designers kept returning to the same few ideas. Below are the takeaways we think matter most for anyone designing, funding or operating a co-living scheme, followed by how we approach here.

Our takeaways from the conference

1. Community can't be created by adding communal space

Large lounges alone do not create connection. The schemes that work give residents several different reasons and ways to interact (shared dining, coworking, smaller conversation settings, events and informal encounters) without making participation feel compulsory. Design, operations and programming all have to pull in the same direction.

London's planning guidance takes the same view. The GLA's large-scale shared living guidance lists the kitchen, dining space, lounges and outdoor space as required communal provision, not optional extras.

2. Privacy and connection are not opposites

Residents increasingly expect both. People still want privacy, intimacy and independence, alongside the chance to connect when they choose. That means the private room or studio can't be something residents tolerate in exchange for impressive amenities. It has to work as a complete home in its own right. Savills frames the core proposition the same way: private living space, convenience, affordability and social opportunity.

3. Co-living is no longer one demographic or one length of stay

Our conversations ranged from young-professional townhouse models to premium studios with a much broader age profile and longer average stays. The conference programme asked the same question, looking at the shift "from temporary stay to long-term home" and what it means for design, services and operations. Successful co-living design should respond to a resident lifecycle, not the stereotype of the 25-year-old renter.

Lighthaus kitchen area, furniture supplied by BoConcept Trade and Contract

Enclave project, FF&E supplied by BoConcept Trade and Contract

4. Every square metre has to work harder

Compact studios, multifunctionality and space optimisation came up again and again. London's guidance recognises that private units in these schemes sit below conventional minimum internal space standards, and it expects a higher quantum of communal space to offset that. It points to private units of 18 to 27 sqm. That makes furniture planning unusually important: sleeping, working, eating, storage and downtime can no longer be treated as separate rooms.

5. Viability and value shape everything

Expensive land and slow planning came up repeatedly, and the data backs it up. Savills reported in August 2026 that London had just over 16,000 consented co-living units yet to start on site, with rolling annual starts down roughly 85% from their Q4 2023 peak.

Meanwhile, Savills' co-living spotlight put London asking rents at £1,550 to £1,750 per month in October 2024, close to the £1,500 to £1,800 we heard discussed. Design has to deliver visible value within tight commercial limits.

6. Technology should support the experience, not become it

AI and technology featured throughout the programme, particularly around the resident journey. The most useful reading of it is practical: use technology and data to understand how spaces are really used, share learnings across projects and make the next building better. For designers, the opportunity is less about visible "tech" everywhere and more about an evidence loop: design, use, learning, then better design.

Co-living room featuring BoConcept furniture

How we approach these challenges at BoConcept

The future of co-living is not simply about sharing more. It is about giving residents better choices: when to connect, when to retreat, how to work, how to host and how to make a compact home feel genuinely their own. For developers and operators, the challenge is delivering that experience within increasingly demanding spatial, operational and commercial constraints.

That is where furniture becomes more than the final layer of a project. Space planning, adaptability, specification and procurement all influence how efficiently the asset performs and how residents experience it every day.

If you are planning a co-living scheme, our Co-Living Look Book sets out the full offer, from space optimisation and amenity spaces to bespoke furniture, FF&E and procurement. To discuss your project, get in touch with us.

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To learn more, visit our flagship showroom on Tottenham Court Road, call us on 020 7383 3226, or email tradeenquiries@boconcept.co.uk—our team will be happy to help.