Vita Group has revealed ambitious plans to redefine the co-living concept across the UK with the launch of its Union brand, which it said will make city-centre living affordable and flexible for young professionals.
The Cheshire-based residential developer will roll out the brand at St John’s in Manchester, with a view to expand in Birmingham, Bristol and Glasgow.
Chief operating officer Max Bielby said: “We believe that this product could work in every town and city across the UK, as long as planning is favourable.
“Councils across the country are scratching their heads over defining co-living, and Manchester City Council took a view that co-living shouldn’t have students in, which we agree with. I think other councils around the country are now watching how these schemes manifest and if that is the template for what co-living could be going forward.”
Bielby said taking the brand into big regional cities across the UK would be a “no-brainer”, but London is “difficult”. He added: “Land values in London are high and so is the competition among the brands. Also, planning is localised, with different boroughs across London having their own views on how co-living should look. London councils currently define the concept as studios.
“We define co-living as rent-by-the-room and taking on the responsibilities of a landlord. I think if we could prove the concept in Manchester and then bring it over to Birmingham, more jurisdictions will be open and let us deliver what we believe in.”
This month, the Greater London Authority issued new London Plan guidance on large-scale co-living schemes, which is expected to “assist developers, boroughs and others involved in design and planning”. The GLA has recommended that developments include public amenities and a range of resident amenities, as well as being car-free.
Manchester’s £300m Union scheme features studios and two-, three- and four-bedroom co-living flats, with a total of 1,676 bedrooms across two buildings. The ground floor of the two buildings is a community hub offering more than 4,000 sq ft of leisure and hospitality space. One of the blocks is still under construction, scheduled to complete in summer next year, while the other has already started to fill up, with 160 people expected to move in before the end of this month.
According to data from Vita Group, 40% of tenants will come from the wider Greater Manchester area, with an equal proportion from London and the remaining 20% locals.
Mark Stott, chief executive at Vita, said: “This project has been designed for people who are very much at the start of their journey, who want the freedom and the flexibility of being able to come and go as they want, and don’t want to be held by long-term tenancies or housemates.”
The rooms have been fitted out to provide an en suite bathroom, double bed, desk and storage. Each flat has its own kitchen, dining and seating area.
The concept also offers tenants a subscription service, Union Plus, to gain access to additional in-building benefits, including a residents’ lounge, co-working space, bookable meeting rooms, private dining rooms, a gym and a movie room. Union Plus also features a free laundry service and exclusive events.
Russell Hayes, director of residential at Vita, added: “For too long, the rental industry has been crying out for innovation – new products which address the needs of today’s more transient twenty-something renters starting out in a city.
“For these people, we play the pivotal role of the host, helping residents to forge new friendships, enabling them to come and go with ease and aligning our needs with theirs. We know there is huge demand, and while there are marketplaces servicing individuals, there isn’t a product which has been designed for them.
“It’s why we have created the UK’s first rent-by-the-room model with technology which helps residents to form new social connections and find new housemates, removing many of the common stumbling points that people face in their early days renting.”
Union’s SmartMatch technology uses algorithms to match tenants based on preferences around lifestyle and living habits. Later in the year, Vita plans to launch a residents’ social app.
Photos © Vita Goup
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