Woongroep, community or housing co-op? Every type of shared living in the Netherlands

The types at a glance

The lines are not sharp. Many projects combine forms: a co-op can consist of several woongroepen, and a knarrenhof can be a co-op. Use this overview as a compass, not a definition.

Woongroep: one shared house

A woongroep is the smallest form. A few to more than ten people share one house. You have your own room, sometimes your own studio, and share the kitchen, living room and often the garden. How much you do together is up to the group: one house eats together every night, another once a week.

The difference from an ordinary student house is not the building but the choice. Residents deliberately want to live together, are often older than students and stay longer. Read more about why people choose a woongroep or what a modern woongroep is.

Woongemeenschap: independent, but not alone

In a woongemeenschap every household has its own complete home, with its own kitchen and front door. On top of that there are spaces you share: a common hall, a garden, a workshop or guest rooms. You are not required to cook together, but you live in a neighbourhood where people know each other and arrange things together.

Woongemeenschappen exist for all ages, but many established projects were set up by and for older people. In Dutch this is also called groepswonen.

Centraal wonen: the classic from 1977

Centraal wonen is a Dutch form with a clear history. The first project, the Wandelmeent in Hilversum, was completed in 1977: fifty social rental homes in clusters around car-free streets, with shared spaces such as a communal kitchen per cluster. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands calls it the country's first communal living project.

Its defining features are that residents choose new residents themselves and share responsibility for the common spaces, while each household stays independent. Dozens of centraal wonen projects have followed, often owned by a housing association.

Housing co-op: residents in charge

A wooncoöperatie is an association of residents that manages its own homes. The term has been in the Dutch Housing Act since 2015. According to the government there are two kinds: co-ops where residents jointly become the owner, and management co-ops, where a housing association stays the owner and residents take over tasks such as letting and maintenance.

In practice, new co-ops often start when a group develops a building itself. A well-known example is De Warren on IJburg in Amsterdam: since 2023 around fifty people have lived there in 36 rental homes, split into five woongroepen, studios, starter homes and family homes, with about 30% shared space.

Want to set up a co-op or woongroep yourself? Read how to start a woongroep, including financing.

Knarrenhof and hofjes: growing older together

A knarrenhof is a modern almshouse-style courtyard for people in the second half of life. The first one in the Netherlands was completed in Zwolle in 2018: 48 homes, partly owner-occupied and partly social rent, around a shared courtyard garden. Every home has all living space on the ground floor, so you can stay if you need care.

The idea is noaberschap, looking out for your neighbours: you live independently but keep an eye on each other. Nobody is obliged to provide care, but doing the shopping for a neighbour or playing cards together is perfectly normal.

Coliving: community as a service

Coliving is the commercial variant. A provider rents out rooms or studios in a building with shared spaces, and often organises activities and cleaning too. You get a place quickly with little hassle, but residents usually have less say over who moves in and how the house runs.

On Hausmates we also use the English word coliving for woongroepen in general, because international residents often don't know the Dutch word.

Shared living after 55

Many people look specifically for communal living for over-55s. There are two routes. The first is groepswonen for older people: established communities where you often join a waiting list. The national association for older people's group living (LVGO) keeps an overview of living and initiative groups across the country.

The second route is a new project such as a knarrenhof, where you join the association while it is still being built. It takes longer, but you help shape it.

How do you get in?

In almost every form, residents help choose who moves in. That works differently from an ordinary rental, and it is also not the same as a quick viewing night in a student house.

• Woongroep: you respond to a free room, visit to get to know each other and sometimes have a second conversation or join a meal. Then the group decides.
• Woongemeenschap and centraal wonen: you register, often join a waiting list and talk with a selection committee of residents. With social rent, the housing association's rules also apply, such as income limits.
• Housing co-op and knarrenhof: you first join the association. For new builds you then take part in the design and group process; in an existing building you enter the selection process when a home becomes free.
• Coliving: you apply with the provider, who usually decides.

In every case it helps to be honest about how much togetherness you want. A group that cooks together every night is not better or worse than one that does so once a week, but you need to fit in.

What does it cost?

It depends on the form and the house, and there is no honest average. You can know what to ask about, though.

In a woongroep or centraal wonen you pay rent, sometimes with a contribution for shared facilities or a common kitty. In a housing co-op you pay rent to the association and sometimes a one-off member contribution. With coliving you often pay service costs on top of rent. Always ask exactly what the amount includes, and if in doubt check your rent with the Huurcommissie (rent tribunal).

Where to find a place

On Hausmates residents post their own free rooms and homes, free of charge and without a subscription. Browse all coliving homes in the Netherlands or search by city: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Nijmegen, Groningen and Arnhem.

Do you live in a woongroep or community with a free place? Post it for free.