A new kind of rental option is coming to Victoria 香蕉视频直播� and it香蕉视频直播檚 nothing like your typical apartment building.
Neighbour, a 15-storey co-living community at 1468 Vancouver St., will welcome its first tenants on Aug. 1.
The building, believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, blends shared and private living in a modern, amenity-rich environment aimed at addressing the city香蕉视频直播檚 housing crunch.
Built by Townline Homes, Neighbour features 54 co-living apartments with three to five bedrooms each, alongside 67 traditional one- and two-bedroom units.
The co-living suites offer renters private, fully furnished rooms 香蕉视频直播� some with ensuite bathrooms or private patios 香蕉视频直播� while sharing common kitchens, bathrooms (unless ensuite), and lounge areas. Each renter also gets a personal storage locker, and rent includes utilities, WiFi, and bi-weekly cleaning of shared spaces.
Daryl Simpson, president of Townline, said the project evolved from a traditional rental concept when the developer applied to rezone the site back in 2021.
香蕉视频直播淏ut as affordability worsened and vacancy rates stayed low 香蕉视频直播� around 2.7 per cent 香蕉视频直播� our founder Rick Ilich wanted to try something new,香蕉视频直播� Simpson said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a first for Victoria, and likely for Canada, but we香蕉视频直播檝e seen it work elsewhere in North America.香蕉视频直播�
Rents for the co-living suites start at $1,275 per month, significantly lower than Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 average one-bedroom rent of $2,053 in May, according to Rentals.ca and Urbanation.
For those seeking more conventional housing, the building香蕉视频直播檚 standard apartments start at $1,975 for a one-bedroom.
Each unit 香蕉视频直播� whether co-living or traditional 香蕉视频直播� comes with access to a range of amenities including a gym, poker room, music room, work pods, and over 10,000 square feet of shared social and recreational spaces.
香蕉视频直播淓verybody values something different,香蕉视频直播� Simpson said. 香蕉视频直播淪ome people want space, some want a view, and others want privacy. For those people, we offer private bathrooms and a huge variety of breakout areas.香蕉视频直播�
He emphasized that Neighbour was designed to balance autonomy and community. Tenants can choose how much they want to interact with others, and flexible lease options 香蕉视频直播� from three to 12 months 香蕉视频直播� provide added freedom.
香蕉视频直播淚f someone truly prioritizes privacy above all else, co-living may not be for them,香蕉视频直播� Simpson said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut for those facing affordability constraints or who want to build community 香蕉视频直播� maybe they香蕉视频直播檙e new to town, maybe they香蕉视频直播檙e living alone 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 a fantastic alternative.香蕉视频直播�
While the model may appeal most to younger renters and students, Simpson said interest has come from a surprising range of demographics.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e had people my age and older 香蕉视频直播� in their 50s, 60s 香蕉视频直播� coming through. Some are new to Victoria, some recently widowed. What they have in common is wanting to be around others,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲e think we香蕉视频直播檒l see a real mosaic in the building.香蕉视频直播�
Townline香蕉视频直播檚 $100 million investment in Neighbour underscores their belief in the potential of co-living.
香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 have another co-living building planned yet, but we香蕉视频直播檙e watching Neighbour closely,香蕉视频直播� Simpson said. 香蕉视频直播淚f it takes root, there香蕉视频直播檚 nothing stopping us from incorporating this model into future projects.香蕉视频直播�
For now, all eyes are on August, when the first residents will move in and begin shaping what Simpson hopes will become a new way of living in Victoria.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 new, it香蕉视频直播檚 bold, and it香蕉视频直播檚 something Victoria hasn香蕉视频直播檛 seen before,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut that香蕉视频直播檚 exactly why we think it香蕉视频直播檒l work.香蕉视频直播�
