The signing of a new coliving residence in Île-de-France took place between Urban Campus and in’li. They joined forces to acquire and manage 165 new studio apartments, offering young professionals long-term real estate alternatives in a tight rental market.

Paris, November 8, 2022, Urban Campus, a French player in coliving and Build To Rent (BTR), announces, in partnership with in’li, Linkcity, and Nexity, the signature of a new coliving residence under VEFA, i.e. 165 studios, in Ivry-sur-Seine (94). This project completes a portfolio of Urban Campus projects under development in France, notably in the Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France and Alsace regions, with the first delivery in Lille at the end of 2022.

Enabling young workers to access housing more easily 

While young professionals are the most affected by the shortage of rental units and rising rents, Urban Campus and in’li want to make it easier for this segment of the population to rent by offering 165 new studios in coliving with rents that are lower than those on the open rental market.

By offering housing at attractive rental prices, ideally located in relation to employment opportunities and public transportation, Urban Campus and in’li are helping to facilitate the residential and professional mobility of a whole segment of society that is just starting out in its working life. Newcomers, young people at the beginning of their careers, and working people on a mission for a few months are thus offered a new rental offer in line with their expectations and needs in very tense real estate markets.

In order to guarantee these innovative real estate solutions, the residence will be managed by Urban Campus as part of a long-term management mandate and the management strategy of in’li, a subsidiary of the Action Logement group. 

Urban Campus’ recognized experience in managing coliving residences ensures that the community of residents is supported in a way that encourages exchanges, sharing, and synergies. A whole program of activities and events promotes a sense of belonging to a community eager to move forward together on professional, associative, and local projects.

“We are very happy about this partnership with the in’li teams, with whom we share strong values: facilitating access to housing for young professionals, contributing to the creation of lively and attractive neighborhoods, and promoting professional mobility. – says Maxime Armand, co-founder of Urban Campus

“Finding innovative solutions for housing young professionals in the Paris region is in’li’s DNA. The partnership with Urban Campus and the implementation of coliving management fully meet this objective in areas of high tension. – said Damien Robert, Chairman of the Board of Directors of in’li.

A coliving residence anchored in the city 

In Ivry-sur-Seine, at the gateway to Paris, the residence of 165 individual and shared studios is designed to ensure the balance essential to coliving, between quality and connected individual spaces, cozy shared spaces (kitchen, lounges) and inspiring, functional and friendly common spaces (telecommuting space, gym, rooftop, event spaces, screening room, terraces). The residence will be completed by a coworking space reserved for local SMEs at the foot of the building.

As part of one of the largest urban, economic and social development projects in the Paris region, “ZAC Ivry Confluences”, the residence will benefit from the development of public transport (T Zen line), the creation of large open-air green spaces and the construction of new urban heating, water and electricity networks that are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

The Ivry-sur-Seine residence is certified NH Habitat HQE, a label that guarantees buildings with a reduced carbon footprint and lower energy consumption. 

Urban Campus is involved from start to finish in the VEFA program to build the coliving residence.

The company participated in the design of the buildings in partnership with Nexity and Linkcity. It is continuing to support the project through all stages of construction, right up to its opening in 2025.

Urban Campus is thus continuing to expand its influence in the coliving and French rental market sectors. Other residential projects are already under negotiation in several European cities.

About Urban Campus

Founded in Paris in 2016 by John van Oost, Maxime Armand and Ana Martinez, Urban Campus is one of the leaders in multi-format managed residential in Europe. The company accompanies coliving and Build-to-Rent real estate projects from their conception, and then operates them through long-term management mandates. Urban Campus develops its own smart building technologies and applications to offer tenants a 360° residential service.

The company operates 5 residences in France and Spain and plans to open 30 additional residences in Europe over the next 5 years, in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. 

For more information: https://urbancampus.com/

About in’li

In’li, a subsidiary of the Action Logement Group, is the leader in intermediate housing in the Paris region, with nearly 50,000 units under management throughout the region. In’li’s mission is to provide access to housing for middle-class employees and young professionals in order to promote the employment-housing link, facilitate professional mobility and help revitalize the region. 

More information on: inli.com 

Twitter: inli_official https://twitter.com/inli_officiel 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-li/ 

About Action Logement

For more than 60 years, Action Logement has been the leading player in social and intermediary housing in France, with more than one million units, and its mission is to facilitate access to housing to promote employment. Action Logement manages the Participation des Employeurs à l’Effort de Construction (PEEC) on a joint basis to promote employee housing, business performance and regional attractiveness. The group has 18,000 employees in France and in the French overseas territories.Website: groupe.actionlogement.fr/

Twitter : @ActionLogement https://twitter.com/ActionLogement

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uesl—action-logement/

Shared living is more sustainable and beneficial for both colivers, investors, and the environment. 

Our dedicated team of architects has this as a leitmotif and says the key to success is in being part of all projects from the very beginning to enhance the value of the building and improve the user experience while minimizing the impact of the building. Read the 5 drivers of sustainable colivings. 

Spatial Optimization

Traditional residential buildings are obsolete and unoptimized, with large corridors, and apartment units that promote loneliness and replicate underused spaces . The average number of single-member or 2-person households is rising and the city’s portfolio is not prepared. Our team studies each building to get rid of unnecessary or obsolete spaces and seaks for optimized spaces that add value and promote large and comfortable shared spaces that reduce loneliness and promote social encounters between tenants.

Shared living is no longer about mini flats with 20-75sqm private space, but approximately 100-300sqm of extra shared amenities to enjoy on a daily basis. A coworking, gym, cinema room, lounge, common kitchen, and outdoor patios are no longer a luxury, but a mutualized space that adds value. These common areas are enablers of community, they make users feel at home and nourishes bonds. 

Each building has its unique character, therefore our architects give a special character to each of them tailored to the location and user needs. 

Passive actions, sustainability from the skin to the core of the building

The scope of interventions relies on the state of the projects, we study the buildings from the outside, aiming to reduce energy demand by improving insulation, windows, and overall envelope. In the case of greenfield projects, we design our buildings aiming at cutting energy consumption. The purpose is not only to minimize environmental impact and raise awareness but also to reduce operational costs. Once inside, our buildings are composed of natural materials, warm finishings, and some vernacular taste in the way furniture is designed and creates that “hygge” atmosphere. At Urban Campus we study each item, supplier, and brand we incorporate to promote a conscious design, together with the selection of colours, finishings and spaces is the “feel at home” atmosphere that characterizes our colivings.

Active Solutions (energy efficiency systems)

After reducing energy demand for climate comfort, Urban Campus strives for fully electrified buildings by reducing other sources of energy such as gas. Apart from demand, we also promote sustainable energy production or management like  solar panels and energy-efficient machines (HVAC and aerothermal systems). We work with sector experts to boost climate-proof buildings that are cutting edge within the real estate market.

In a coliving we share spaces, and appliances, reduce water from fixtures, reduce waste, and lower energy consumption per capita compared to traditional residential buildings, which also reduces cost. Overall, our buildings reduce emissions, and waste and are in general more sustainable compared to others in the residential or BTR sector. This facilitates the attainment of green certifications but also creates a huge added value for our residents providing them with a conscious and sustainable living, all while saving money. 

Seamless technology

The best technology is the one you do not see but that makes your life easier. We create smart buildings and connect them directly to our in-house designed platform, internally known as “Dunbar”. Our technology enables us to have a flagship residential building that lowers operational costs throughout its lifetime due to its capabilities. 

We offer seamless technology that works for our residents. One main example is our digital smart key locks, which are installed in all common areas and private units. They allow us to manage the building without having to be there, as we are able to modify the opening and closing times of specific areas. The data gathered, enables us to optimize the shared spaces, the maintenance (use time), and the energy efficiency of those spaces. We have optimized the usage of the space, while designing multipurpose spaces,  for example, common areas, that are used for coworking in the morning and for events in the evening.

Community, feel at home

Is at the core of everything we do. We co-create our spaces, with our residents, through co-creation sessions, consultations, and feedback sessions. . All decisions made, take our community needs into account, and we involve them in the whole design process so that they collaborate with us on achieving the sustainable impact we are striving for.

As coliving and coworking in France continue to rise Nexity wrote an article stating where these social ways of living are available to those who are searching for diversity.

To view the original article in French, please click here.

Coliving, and coworking are available in the city as well as in the countryside. These new living and working spaces are developing to allow for more social and intergenerational diversity and simply to meet the aspirations of the French to live together. 

Coliving, coworking. These two Anglo-Saxon terms have been confused for a while in France, but they are making their way into the minds of people and territories where new housing and workspace formats are developing. The number of coliving spaces rose to 8,300 in 20211 from 5,000 in 2019 and the number of coworking spaces reached 2,8002 from 1,700 two years earlier. For Maxime Armand, founder of the coliving company Urban Campus, it is above all “a new way of living together in cities”.

When coliving and coworking provide the solution

“Coliving and coworking are a response to the new expectations of young, mobile, ambitious workers who are open to meeting others,” says Maxime Armand. In short, they meet the aspirations of French people looking for social interaction, budget savings, and mobility. “In Europe’s major cities, more than 50% of households are composed of a single person. Lifestyles have changed, studies are longer, we get married later, have children later…the average household size keeps decreasing over time, so there is a need for smaller housing.”

As for coworking, many companies and employees have taken the plunge. There are lower real estate costs for companies and more freedom for employees to work remotely from anywhere in the world. The Urban Campus buildings also include coworking spaces where residents and outside workers meet, leading to “great encounters.”

Diversity as an asset

Shared living and working spaces would not exist without a desire to live together beyond the purely economic advantages. This is illustrated by the success of coworking spaces created in retirement homes, where workers and residents live together on a daily basis, as in Marseille at the Ehpad Les Jardins d’Haïti, part of the “Un tiers-lieu dans mon Ehpad” program launched by the Caisse nationale de solidarité pour l’autonomie in partnership with France tiers-lieux.

If these schemes are so successful, it is also because of the mutual benefits they bring. In coliving or shared housing, older people can provide services to those who are younger, such as the option of babysitting their children, while those who are younger could return the favor and sometimes do the grocery shopping for their elders. For example, in Le Havre, a former fire station had been renovated into intermediate rental housing, housing for home ownership, mainly for young workers and families, and housing for seniors with an art gallery open to the general public. In Le Havre, they combine social diversity, generational diversity, and diversity of use, “living together and intergenerational diversity were at the heart of the project,” says Éric Vialatel, president of Maisons de Marianne.

It also works in the rural areas

Who said that coworking and coliving were only urban phenomena? The rise of telecommuting has led thousands of city dwellers to go green, at least a few days a week. Some rather rural areas have carried out important seduction campaigns or should we say “marketing” campaigns to attract new active inhabitants, from thirty to fifty years old on average. In Saint-Didier-sur-Rochefort, a little more than 400 inhabitants in the Loire, a café-workshop was created to allow the newcomers to work together and to get a taste of this new life. Moreover, the large townhouse just across the street has been transformed into a shared space and allows families to move into “test” life in the country before settling down permanently. “Leaving the city raises fears, but being with people in the same situation, to live and work, allows us to overcome them together,” says Olivier, a former engineer in Grenoble who has been converted into the manager of these spaces.

In the city as well as in the country, coliving, and coworking, along with other formats of shared spaces are at the same time an economical solution to reduce the expenses of the occupants, an ecological solution to reinforce the intensity of use of the buildings. It is a great opportunity to rediscover the taste of life together, after all, man is a social animal.

1. Prospective study Coliving in France, a market that is accelerating; BNP Paribas Real Estate – December 20, 2021
2. Study: The coworking index; Ubiq – November 17, 2021

Albus Burger is known for the juicy Uruguayan recipe they offer and the magic they bring to the kitchen. After partnering with Urban Campus throughout many events, we wanted to shine a light on how this business got started while in the walls of our very own coliving, here in Madrid.

Last week we spoke with Albus Burger founders, Alexandra Cooper and Juan Diego Martínez Castro, two of our colivers from Mellado Madrid Urban Campus to get the full story.

Within the interview, they will share how the business got started, where you can find them now, one of their secret ingredients, and much more!

Take a look below to view the full video.

Thank you, Sasha and Juandi for your time and for being so active within the community. Your burgers and your presence bring everyone so much joy!

Urban Campus, a coliving specialist in Spain, will open its very first residence in Lille: Urban Campus Saint So. By investing in the capital of Flanders, the company is actualizing its deployment in France and confirming the French craze for coliving. This new lifestyle is based on sharing and has multiple advantages: community, extra services offered to its members, and flexibility.

Investing in the French market

Recognized in Spain since 2017, Urban Campus continues its European development with its arrival in France. Surely it is no coincidence that the company has chosen the Lille metropolis. Urban Campus wants to offer a quality rental service in a real estate market in Lille that is very tight and even in near shortage in certain sectors. This is why the company decided to set up its first coliving residence on rue de Douai, in the heart of downtown Lille. In this dynamic neighborhood near public transportation and the Saint-Sauveur train station, the residence will welcome young professionals looking for a balance between neighborhood life and European mobility.

This upcoming opening confirms Urban Campus’ interest in the Lille region, as it is their second project in this area. The first being the management of the La Maillerie residence, located 15 minutes from the center of Lille, which will offer 121 coliving apartments starting in 2024.

“I am extremely proud of our arrival on the French market in a dynamic region. This is the result of a beautiful collaboration with LCPC (investor), Theop (AMO) and the architectural firm LA.M Studio. Together we will create a residence with a very high quality design and services to best meet the expectations of residents in a tight market. Our team has capitalized on more than 4 years of experience in coliving management in Spain. The Saint So residence will allow us to introduce the Urban Campus coliving experience to French tenants,” said Maxime Armand, co-founder, and COO at Urban Campus.

An offer adapted to new lifestyles

In a 4-story building that has been completely renovated, Urban Campus will offer from January 2023, 38 studio and one-bedroom apartments with mezzanines and balconies. The apartments will be fully furnished and equipped by LA.M Studio. Essential to coliving, several spaces have been designed to encourage sharing and living together: kitchen, living rooms, balconies, coworking spaces, gym, library, and event spaces. In addition, there is an all-inclusive service offer, from internet connection to cleaning services and access to Netflix in the common areas. The objective is clear: to do everything possible to make the residents feel at home in the building.

Urban Campus distinguishes itself by supporting its community. Each residence benefits from the “Community Development” program. Through various activities and initiatives, the community developer encourages the realization of personal, associative, and professional projects (such as collections for associations, talking circles, themed workshops, tasting evenings or film, and documentary screenings). These are some of the best ways to create links and synergies between the residents and they can confirm it works.

In the wake of this second project in Lille, Urban Campus plans to accelerate its expansion in France. The company is already working on other coliving projects in the Paris region and in the provinces.

About Urban Campus

Founded in Paris in 2016 by John van Oost and Maxime Armand, Urban Campus is one of the leaders in coliving in Europe. The company partners with coliving real estate projects from their conception, and then operates them through long-term management mandates. Urban Campus develops its own smart building technologies and applications to offer tenants a 360° residential service. The company operates 5 residences in Spain and plans to open 30 additional residences in Europe over the next 5 years, in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

Head of Operations, Ana Martínez de Lizarrondo Asurmendi dove deep into what it is that makes Urban Campus different in the coliving world.
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We believe we are the revolution of the residential sector. How are we achieving this? In this article, I will share how it is that we do in Urban Campus, our models, values, and what we have that sets us apart from other coliving operators.

How did we become the first coliving operator in Spain?

In a perfect world, the build-to-rent market takes care of every individual it serves. You would start with a student residence, then move on to a shared apartment perhaps while working your first few years after studying, later to multifamily once you are ready to settle down and then near the final stages of your life (sad, we know), into a senior home. This path is the ideal scenario in a BTR world, however, it is not always the case for everyone. If you do not want to share an apartment anymore, but you also are not ready to build a family, you previously would have had to buy a three-bedroom home (if you can afford it) and sit in it until you are ready to take that next step but completely alone. The concept of coliving filled that space for those individuals who were on a different path. You can have your own, affordable, quality home and still take advantage of unique shared spaces with others. We saw the gap and began acting on it in 2017. 

Why do we only operate full buildings?

At Urban Campus, we believe in the coliving residential model and utilize the densification we can generate from a full building. In one apartment the space can be very limited, while once you have a building you can play with horizontal and vertical densification and give it more life. We ensure that we create much more valuable common spaces and not just an extra living room for our tenants to use. 

How are we able to scale so easily?

There are many property management systems in the market but they fell short, none could perform all the functions that we were looking for. Once we realized this, we began to develop our own technology to fit our needs.

Our system supports our tenants, promotes our services, and creates a place for the community. Our platform internally known as ‘Dunbar’ has been optimized and is completely autonomous. From here we automate all aspects of coliving; contracts, monthly rental, subscription fees for extra services, an extension of contracts, terminations, customer support, and more (a position that would typically need to be filled by a full-time employee). We also receive significant learnings from our system which allows us to analyze and optimize the final product, meaning the changes that are made are data-driven. 

With Dunbar, we are also able to view how our common spaces are being used. This is done by the system registering how many times a common space has been entered. Meaning, that aside from collaborating with our tenants face-to-face and getting a direct insight into what they would like in their homes, we have precise data to ensure that we are maximizing our coliving’s full potential. 

Having Dunbar and all of its functions, allows us to open a new coliving building without having to hire a team as a normal property manager would. We are scaling without duplicating time, employees, and costs as the job is already being taken care of by our technology. 

How we are able to function with a small team?

The whole system between sales and marketing is very connected. We use a separate system for automatic sales flows, this then allows our small sales team to manage many units. 

We also have visibility on vacancies to be able to anticipate and optimize our time, efforts, and budget. When we know that there are two terminations in our Mellado Madrid Coliving, for example, we boost our ads where it is needed.   

How do we handle the community aspect of our colivings?

We build a community in a non-intrusive way. What does this mean? We want them to be the owners of their own community. Our goal is to have our members feel at home and the best way to achieve this is to allow them to create those experiences, with our guidance and help. We have proven that when our tenants get involved, they are happier and in turn extend their stay. This is why we have ensured that the clubs and many events are created by our members. We give them more visibility and engagement via our platform and social media, but that initial spark is something that comes directly from them. 

Before entering one of our coliving buildings a new member is able to fill out their profile, input their bio, select their interests, and pre-join any clubs. They are also able to view the same details of those who currently live in their building, and vice versa to begin the process of creating those friendships and build on that excitement. 

Signing up for a community event is also extremely comfortable which makes it even more enticing to attend. Some events may come at a cost to our members, but instead of having an employee of Urban Campus handling the logistics of payments, our colivers simply need to go into their profile in Dunbar and RSVP. That fee will then be included in the next month’s rent. 

Contracting our additional services is as easy as turning a button on and off within our platform, and is also aligned with the following month’s rent. At Urban Campus, we can confidently say that we are listening to our members, analyzing our data, and perfecting the final product. 

Our third coliving building, Atocha Madrid Coliving will be opening on September 5, 2022. With 2,800sqm available for rooms, studios, and apartments, an entire floor of common areas, including a coworking space, gym, lounge, swimming pool, and more, as well as, four terraces it is an incredible residence, to say the least. 

After 2 years with no opening, the launch of a new residence is a good opportunity to reflect on our path.

We have come a long way since starting in 2016. Within our first year, we focused on convincing real estate professionals that coliving was an opportunity. We knew that there was a need for communities in residential buildings and had a vision of what it meant to take advantage of each sqm in our spaces. In 2018 we opened our very first residence. Over time, it proved not only that there was a genuine market for coliving, but that the experience we proposed made sense for tenants.

When the world took a turn in 2020, we adapted by strengthening our brand and diversifying our target to reach 50% national and 50% international tenants. We also accelerated the development of our technology for operation, so that our team could focus on the human relationship with our tenants. These shifts helped us in two ways; residents were happier and stayed longer, which we truly believe allowed for even more genuine connections to be made in our spaces.

With the current all-time high occupancy in all our residences, the pandemic certainly has confirmed that our model is resilient and successful. It also confirmed that the need for a new residential experience is growing in our society.

We have numerous opportunities on the rise. We have been working on several openings simultaneously, closing residential management agreements, and most importantly, building partnerships that have propelled us even further throughout the years. 

We are extremely grateful, excited, and ready to open Atocha Madrid Coliving’s doors in less than one week. Thank you to each individual that was involved in the process, without you it would have not been possible.

Thinking about moving to Madrid or more specifically, Atocha? We put together Atocha’s top 5 best brunch spots that will push you to make that big move! 

With our new building opening on September 5th, we thought it would be perfect to highlight the top 5 brunch spots you should visit in Atocha!

Sésamo

Looking for a great place to eat just outside your new coliving? You must visit Sésamo, located a whole 1-minute walk from your new home! You will not be disappointed with the choices they have to offer (plenty of vegetarian and vegan options as well)!

There are three different types of cheesecakes that are waiting to be explored and the portions are tremendous, which you can enjoy from inside the restaurant or outside in their covered terrace.

We must also highlight their staff, no matter how busy, they are extremely polite and provide fast service which is much appreciated.

Location: C/ del Áncora, 26
Metro Nearby: Line 3 – Palos de la Frontera

Carmencita Brunch Lavapiés

Located a 13-minute walk from our Atocha Madrid Coliving we discovered Mimosas for 1€ so could this be the perfect brunch spot? You have to go to find out!

Known for their eggs Benedict and generous servings Carmencita Brunch truly has the best atmosphere and yes they are pet-friendly! They offer plenty of dairy alternative milk for those who need them too.

The restaurant only has 10 tables so make sure to book in advance, it has no outdoor seating available but that shouldn’t take away from the experience! 

Location: C. de la Sombrerería, 6

Metro Nearby: Line 3 – Lavapiés 

Pum Pum Café

Famous in Madrid, Pum Pum Café is known for its creative rustic space and the feasts they serve every morning. They offer a brunch menu for 10 euros that includes: coffee, croissant, eggs Benedict, and yogurt (with oats and fruits) that will truly get your day started on the right foot. 

Only a beautiful 15-minute walk from Atocha’s new Coliving, you cannot go wrong! 

Location: C. de Tribulete, 6, 28012 Madrid

Metro Nearby: Line 3 – Lavapiés

Scarlett

Scarlett – real food and specialty coffee just an 11-minute walk from our Atocha Coliving. You can order an array of delicious food from fluffy pancakes, fruity açaí bowls, crunchy avocado toast, rich cinnamon rial and more the list is endless. Scarlett prides itself on healthy choices so there will not be an issue to find your vegan & gluten-free options! 

Location: Pl. del Emperador Carlos V, 10

Metro Nearby: Line 1 – Estación Del Arte

Bite Me Café

We recently spoke about Bite Me Café in our Specialty Coffee Shops you must visit if you live in Madrid blog post a few short weeks ago.

By walking through Paseo de las Delicias you will arrive in approximately 11-minutes to Bite Me and be able to savour their vegan junk food! They have a vast array of Donuts that will awaken your senses and make you feel less guilty for enjoying them because of the ingredients they have. 

Not a fan of donuts? They have pesto bagels, super cookies, and power balls to choose from! Enjoy the location, environment, and beautifully decorated desserts while you are there!

Location: Pl. de la Beata María Ana de Jesús, 2
Metro Nearby: Line 3 – Delicias or line 6 – Arganzuela-Planetario 

Ana Martínez (Urban Campus): “We plan to open 30 residential spaces in the next 5 years, 10 of them in Spain”.

Together with Ana Martinez, chief operating officer of Urban Campus, Brainsre.news analyzes the state of the ‘coliving’ market in Spain.

Ana Martinez is Chief Operating Officer at Urban Campus, a Paris-based company focused on the acquisition and management of residential and office buildings (coliving and coworking) whose portfolio of real estate assets includes five buildings in Spain and two in France.

Urban Campus is the first operator of complete coliving buildings in Spain. As precursors of this model, how do you think this format is received by a society like the Spanish one? 

The residential market (both in Spain and in other countries) required a solution that adapted to the current needs of the population. This led us to launch our coliving model in the market. In other European countries as well as in the United States, coliving is more than established, and at first in Spain, it was understood as a solution aimed at students and short-term rentals. However, throughout the years that we have been working in this market, we are already managing to reverse this perception. This residential model has been very well received and the truth is that the waiting list to move into our spaces is expanding. At first, the most common profile was the foreign professional, but today there are more and more local residents who, for different reasons, are opting for coliving.

Who would you say is your target audience?

The typical tenant of Urban Campus coliving buildings is the young professional between 25 and 45 years old (the average age of our residents is 33 years old). They are mainly international (although the percentage of nationals has increased since the pandemic), with 40% of our tenants being nationals and 60% foreigners.

Approximately 95% of our tenants say they would recommend this residential option. In turn, 86% of our residents have told us that they feel happier and less lonely than before having lived in the coliving.

6 buildings in total, three in operation and three in progress. Will you continue to invest in new assets in 2023? 

Without a doubt. Our goal is to have more than 30 buildings in the next few years. In Spain, we have our sights set on Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, and Malaga, as well as other smaller cities. Internationally, we want to expand into France and Portugal. In the coming years, we will have openings for both coliving and multifamily or build-to-rent projects.

With the new building in Valencia, Urban Campus opens up the build-to-rent market in Spain. Do you think you will follow this line?

The Valencia coliving is a new building that will be destined for coliving, which is part of the build-to-rent market, in its most alternative sector. However, our first entry into the traditional build-to-rent or multifamily segment was a building in the French city of Saint Louis. Together with Nexity and Swiss Life Asset Managers, we opened a new line of business for the management of build-to-rent buildings. So, yes, we are also committed to this rental model in which we will continue to make progress, both in Spain and abroad.

So far, five in Madrid and one in Valencia… What is Urban Campus looking for in the areas where it is developing its business model? What other Spanish cities would be on your radar?

Urban Campus seeks to offer a medium-term residential solution for those who want to live in rented accommodation in central (or emerging) areas of large cities that are well connected. In addition to a good location, they are looking to belong to a community of people with similar interests with whom they can participate in events and activities. Many of them want independence and to live in their private space, but they perceive the option of sharing common areas as a huge added value, this then allows them to create links and meet people from other environments or cultures, let’s not forget that the human being is a social being and as such seeks the generation of social relationships.

Your company demystifies that coliving is only an option for the short term… What is the average rent you manage in your colivings?

Our average stay is 12 months, and more than 47% extend it. We have tenants who have been residing in our spaces for more than 3 years, since our opening, so we expect the average stay to continue to grow.

In Urban Campus we offer rental agreements from 700 € to 1700 € approximately, depending on the area in which the building is located and the type of private space, for example, in the Malasaña coliving in Madrid the average price is 1.300 €/month, and in Chamberí it is around 850 €/month. In addition, we offer an all-inclusive service, which includes expenses and events, but also various additional services such as cleaning, English classes or sports activities.

In addition to coliving, one of the Urban Campus properties is for coworking. Will the firm continue to promote this line of business in Spain or would you prefer to continue developing the coliving area?

The core of our business is coliving, meaning at the moment we will be putting more weight on developing this type of project. However, the interesting thing is that both products have very similar targets, so we study each project individually and decide the use that best suits each asset.

What are Urban Campus’ objectives for the coming years?

We plan to open 30 residential spaces in the next 5 years, 10 of them in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Alicante, Seville, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, etc.) and 20 in the main European cities. These openings will be carried out through the refurbishment of buildings, as well as through the development of new construction projects, depending on the availability of land in each city and the location we choose for each of them.

Do you have plans for international expansion, and what dates and countries are planned?

We have already planned different coliving spaces in other countries such as France for the end of this year. At the moment we can not advance more information, but rest assured that we will continue to open many more buildings under the Urban Campus brand.

Are you wondering how to apply to Urban Campus Coliving? This step-by-step guide will help you understand what is to come once you are interested in one of our Coliving spaces!

It is important to note that at Urban Campus we have an application process to ensure that those who become part of our community complement the atmosphere already created with our current Colivers. The goal is to have kind, like-minded professionals in a thriving environment. We know that as human beings, we need a sense of belonging, and that sense of belonging is what connects us to the relationships we develop throughout our life. 

Step 1- You discovered us!

Whether it be through social media, word of mouth, or your family pushing you to finally move out of your home – here you are searching for your future place. 

Step 2 – Exploring our web 

We currently have four Coliving locations in Madrid, Valencia (Spain) and Lille (France) to choose from:

Madrid

Mellado – Chamberi area
Malasaña – Malasaña area
Atocha – Delicias area 
Cuatro Caminos – Cuatro Caminos area 

Valencia

Ayora– Ayora Area

Lille

Saint So’ –  Saint Savoir Area

Within each Coliving you will find different units that you may choose, all toothbrush ready.

Step 3 – Application 

Once you discover which Coliving (Cuatro Caminos, Atocha, Malasaña, or Mellado) and which unit you would like (room, studio, or apartment) we ask that you fill out the application form which takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. You can apply to as many units that interest you. 

The form requests the following:

• Your Age – To ensure that those staying with us have plenty in common, residents must be 25 or older.
• Work Situation – We do not accept students.
  Why no students you may ask? We believe when you are studying you are at a different stage of your life and the goal of Urban Campus is to create a community of young working professionals.
• Potential Move-in Date – Our team at UC manages everything within 45 days including a 15-day margin because vacancies are confirmed one month before your desired entry date.

Step 4 – Virtual Tours

As soon as you fill out the application you will receive an email that will send you a virtual tour of the different units you applied to (the ones that you requested in Step 3)

If you cannot find the email in your inbox, please check your spam! 

What will you find within the virtual tours? 

• Pricing details, if you stay six months or longer
• Unit descriptions (private or shared bathroom/kitchen, desk and chair, bed size, etc.)
• Photos or videos of the common areas
• You must then schedule a call with our sales team to continue with your application process
  

Step 5 – Scheduled call with our Sales Team 

The purpose of this call is to tell you more about our community, for our team to get to know you more, you will be asked questions regarding your professional profile, your hobbies, where you are from, and more. Our sales team will use a detailed presentation to answer any potential doubts and explain the necessary documents and steps to complete the booking process.

Lorena, Lucas, or Pepe (our wonderful sales team) will then take this opportunity with you to talk about…

1. Our Community

• The events that take place
• The perks we offer 
• The clubs you may like to join once you become a member
• How the community is composed (how many foreigners, nationals, and the average age)

2. Prices of Living

• Depending on the characteristics of the unit, the margin you see in the virtual tour is broken down
• Everything is included – electricity, gas, water, wifi, and where there is a TV, there is Netflix
• One time per month cleaning service of your private unit (meaning your bedroom, studio, or apartment)
• One time per week cleaning service of the common areas within your Coliving
  

3. Extra Services 

• Bed linen and towels can be provided to you on a weekly basis if you wish 
• Extra cleaning service (on a weekly or bimonthly basis)
• Weekly Spanish classes for both basic and intermediate levels are available 
• Weekly outdoor fitness classes in Parque Oeste with a professional fitness instructor 

*You aren’t sure if you want these extra services now? Don’t worry, you can subscribe and cancel any time in the member area. 

4. Conditions Explained 

• All contracts are signed for a year
• The minimum stay is 3 months (after this you can cancel the contract at any time)
• You must give a 30-day notice when you would like to move out

5. Security Deposit 

• Depending on which coliving you select and which unit you stay in the security deposit would be “x” amount
• If all goes well and you do not break anything you will receive a 100% refund
  

6. Visit Policy 

• Within the common areas of the building, you can invite people as many times as you would like
• If you would like to invite someone to stay the night with you, it can only be one person at a time and for a maximum of 7 nights throughout the entire month.
  Why is this rule applied? You will most likely be in a shared flat and we believe it is important to respect your roommates living quarters as they should respect yours
  

7. Documentation Needed

• An ID which can be your Passport or DNI
• Proof of address can be any kind of document that has your name and an address on it (this can be from any country)
• Proof of funds which can be the last three pay slips from work, your annual tax declaration, or your official work contract as long as it is not older than one year. If you cannot provide any of these, you may provide these documents from your guarantor (please note that we do not accept bank statements)

After the call, you will not have to submit anything. Once there are vacancies (30-45 days prior) our team will get in touch with you to confirm the different units that are available.

Step 6 – We Have a Space for You!

Once there is a unit available, we will send you an offer with all the information you need; the prices, characteristics of the room, SQM, type of view, and if the bathroom is ensuite, including pictures and videos. In the same email, you will be asked if you are interested in booking this unit, once you have confirmed you are interested in the unit (by replying directly to this email) our team will prepare the booking link and send it off! 

Step 7 – Booking Link 

When you click the booking link you are asked to complete the following:

• Create a user on our Urban Campus member area 
• Upload all the documents mentioned above (ID, proof of address, proof of funds)

The documents will then need to be validated by the team, if everything is uploaded correctly you will receive an email to sign the contract. 

Once the contract is signed, you will receive another email requesting to settle the security deposit. Shortly after this step, you will need to provide the method of payment for your rent for the following months. The rent is discounted automatically on the 5th day of every month (similar to a Spotify subscription).

After having completed this, our sales team will receive the notification that you have booked!

Step 8 – One Week Before your Big Move

You will receive a welcome email for your onboarding, this will show you how to add more details to your already created user (picture, hobbies, description etc) that way people know who you are in the community. 

Our property manager will provide you with details on how to move in your new home as this process is done autonomously. 

We are excited for you and hope that things feel easier now. If by any chance you believe we are missing something, we are always here to help – feel free to write to us!