The different ways of sharing a home
Living together is taking off in Belgium. But the moment you start looking, you run into a pile of terms: cohousing, coliving, house-sharing, kangaroo housing, coloc… And the annoying part? Different sites often mean different things by the very same word. That doesn't exactly make your search easier.
So let's lay it out clearly. No jargon, no fine print, just the five forms that actually matter. Each with one simple question to help you choose.
The easiest way to place yourself? Ask two questions:
- Do you have your own complete home (with your own kitchen and bathroom), or do you share those?
- Are you on the main lease yourself, or do you rent through someone else?
The answers will almost always point you to the right form. Let's go through them one by one.
1. House-sharing: sharing one home together
The classic, and by far the most common form in the city. You have your own bedroom, and you share the rest with your roomies: kitchen, bathroom, living room. Picture a big house or apartment with three, four or five people who sometimes already know each other, and sometimes found each other through a platform like Kundi.
Who's it for? Students, young professionals, anyone who wants to live affordably and sociably.
What to watch out for? This is where rental rules matter most: who's on the lease, who's liable for what, and what happens when someone moves out. In Flanders, this is legally called medehuur (co-tenancy).
2. Coliving: move-in-ready shared living
Coliving is the modern, move-in-ready version. You rent a furnished private room in a home run by an operator, and everything's included: furniture, internet, utilities, often even cleaning and community events. Flexible, low-hassle, ideal if you need a place fast without setting up a whole household yourself.
Who's it for? Anyone who values flexibility and convenience over the lowest price. Expats, people between places, or anyone new to the city.
What to watch out for? Coliving is a commercial term, not a legal one. On paper, this is simply medehuur or colocation. So always read carefully what your contract actually says.
3. Cohousing & co-wonen: your own home, shared spaces
This is all about the best of both worlds. You have your own, fully self-contained home (with your own kitchen and bathroom), but you deliberately share a number of common spaces with your neighbours: a large kitchen, a garden, a workshop, a guest room. The difference between the two comes down to how much you share.
- Co-wonen: you share only non-living spaces, like the garden, the laundry or storage.
- Cohousing: you also share living spaces. Usually a shared kitchen where people regularly eat together, often around a central "common house."
Who's it for? Families, people who want to stay in one place longer, or anyone who values both privacy and community.
What to watch out for? Many sources swap "cohousing" and "co-wonen." Our rule of thumb: if you share the kitchen, it's cohousing. If you share only the garden or storage, it's co-wonen.
4. Zorgwonen & kangaroo housing: generations under one roof
Two households, often two generations, living in the same building in separate units and caring for one another. Think of a parent moving in with an adult child. Each with their own living space, but with a helping hand close by.
Who's it for? Families who want to combine care and independence.
What to watch out for? In Flanders, zorgwonen (care housing) is an official status with clear conditions. The subordinate home may take up at most a third of the floor area, and at least one resident must be 65+ or in need of care. If you don't meet those, it's called kangoeroewonen (kangaroo housing), the informal version. Important: zorgwonen requires a notification to your municipality.
5. Hospitawonen: renting a room from the owner
With hospitawonen, someone who lives in the home themselves rents out one or more rooms. So you literally live in with the owner and share at least one facility, like the kitchen, bath or toilet. The classic live-in landlord principle, and just as suitable for young working people.
Who's it for? Students and young professionals looking for an affordable room who don't mind living in with the owner.
What to watch out for? In Antwerp, specific rules apply: among others, a maximum number of rooms, and the owner must be registered there. Hospitawonen falls under the ordinary rental rules.
Still a bit lost in all those terms?
You're not alone. The vocabulary around shared living in Belgium is a genuine tangle. The same words sometimes mean different things on different sites. That's why we put together a separate overview that lines up all the terms and explains which one actually means what.