Renting a room in a home or condo out to an unrelated person may be subject to regulation in the future, as Alexandria considering putting regulations on what it calls 'cohousing.'
City staff, on the cohousing webpage, describe it as this:
"Cohousing living arrangements are known by many different names and forms, but generally offer individuals who are unrelated a private living space as well as access to communal areas like kitchen, bathrooms, and living spaces. The cohousing umbrella encompasses terms such as rooming and boarding houses; single room occupancy; and some types of group living arrangements. Cohousing can provide greater housing choice for people of all ages, abilities and incomes; increase the potential stock of market rate affordable units; and preserve social and cultural diversity through mixed-income communities."
(In fact, Cohousing.org representatives say that Alexandria is considering regulating coliving, not cohousing. They pointed us to the Wikipedia definition: "Cohousing is similar to coliving, distinguished by individual units in cohousing with personal amenities such as kitchens and bathrooms, while coliving involves the communal use of shared bathrooms and common spaces such as kitchens and living rooms.")
Coliving is already happening across Alexandria, as homeowners with a spare bedroom or two rent it out either on a short-term or long-term basis.
According to the city's webpage: This initiative is intended to:
- Provide additional flexibility for the creation of market rate affordable units
- Streamline the approval process for these living arrangements to provide the market with more predictability
- Expand housing choices by allowing this use where appropriate
Now through April 11, city staff are accepting feedback on what they are referring to as cohousing and possible related regulations. There is an informational video available and an opportunity to provide your feedback. (There is also a PDF version of the informational video here.)
The regulatory initiative is meant to help, in a way, create more affordable housing options for residents who may be ok living with strangers and using common areas with them (living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms) as needed.
Some residents have already expressed concern that this could lead to more unregulated "flop" houses or increase density in neighborhoods that are not designed for that. Other residents have said this is just a way for the city to collect additional fees from residents.
