Valad's co-living strategy targets London and a select group of regional cities where housing demand exceeds the supply of professionally managed rental accommodation.
- 4,000+ units progressing through planning.
- Regional fundamentals increasingly rival London.
- An alternative to both private rented housing and build-to-rent.
- Markets chosen for structural, not temporary, demand.
The geographic focus
The focus reflects the characteristics Valad looks for in the underlying markets: strong employment, population growth, established rental demand and barriers to the delivery of new housing.
London remains an important market, but regional cities increasingly offer attractive fundamentals. Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh have all experienced significant population and employment growth, while rental supply has not always kept pace with demand.
How co-living differs from build-to-rent
Co-living provides private living space alongside shared amenities and services, creating a more efficient use of urban locations while giving residents professionally managed accommodation.
It functions as an alternative to both conventional private rented housing and traditional build-to-rent, which typically provides self-contained homes with fewer shared facilities.
What determines whether a market works
Demand alone is not sufficient. Valad assesses local rents against affordability, existing co-living and build-to-rent supply, competing rental stock and the potential for future development.
The objective is to identify markets where demand is structural rather than simply the product of a temporary shortage. As institutional ownership of rental housing develops in the UK, Valad expects professionally managed co-living to form an increasing part of the wider residential market.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between co-living and build-to-rent?
Co-living combines private living space with shared amenities and services; build-to-rent typically provides self-contained homes with fewer communal facilities.
Which regional cities does Valad focus on?
Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, alongside London.