Access to housing has become one of Spain’s main economic and social problems, especially among young people and families who do not have enough savings to be able to meet the down payment on a mortgage. In this context, homes under a shared-use arrangement are gaining prominence as an alternative to traditional home purchase and renting, through a system in which residents can live for long periods of time in a property without becoming its individual owners.
The operation of this model is based mainly on the creation of cooperatives that retain ownership of the homes and grant their members the right to use them. In return, those who access the apartments make an initial financial contribution, intended to fund part of the project, and pay a monthly fee to cover the costs of the property. The aim is to provide residential stability and reduce dependence on prices in the real estate market, preventing homes from being used as an investment intended to generate profits through their purchase and resale.
The formula, which has been widespread for decades in other European countries, has begun to develop with greater intensity in cities such as Barcelona, where different cooperatives drive developments on public or private land. One of the recent projects is Ca l'Ordit, promoted by Sostre Cívic, which includes 62 homes for approximately 90 residents and requires initial contributions of between 12,000 and 24,000 euros. According to the data disseminated by the organization, public and cooperative financing will make it possible to set monthly fees that could be as much as 40% lower than comparable market rents.
However, living in a home under a shared-use arrangement does not mean having a property for free or having the same rights as its owner. The resident acquires a right of use subject to cooperative regulations and their bylaws, so they must know the financial conditions, the stay obligations, and the restrictions that exist before joining one of these projects.
How much does a home under a shared-use arrangement cost: initial down payment and monthly fee
Unlike a purchase and sale, where the buyer pays the price of the property and acquires its ownership, in a use assignment there normally exist two main outlays: an initial contribution to join the cooperative and a monthly fee to use the home. There is no common fee for all of Spain, since the amounts depend on the cost of the land, the construction, the financing obtained, the floor area of the units, and the services included in each development.
The Catalan cooperative Sostre Cívic explains that the initial contributions of its projects can range between 2,000 and 35,000 euros, depending on their characteristics. This amount serves to finance part of the acquisition or construction of the building and, to the extent that it constitutes refundable share capital, it may be recovered when the resident leaves the cooperative, with the conditions established legally and in the bylaws. However, some projects also include entry fees or other outlays that are not necessarily refunded.
A specific example is Cirerers, a cooperative building located in the Barcelona neighborhood of Roquetes, which has 32 homes and community spaces. In the documentation of one of its 2025 assignments, an initial contribution of 21,706.80 euros was set, of which 20,306.80 corresponded to refundable share capital and 1,400 euros to an entry fee. The home, with a little over 40 square meters of interior space, had a planned monthly fee of 525.33 euros, to which certain partner contributions and individual consumption had to be added.
This fee is not intended exclusively to pay for the use of the property. It also includes concepts related to the maintenance of the building, insurance, taxes, common services, and the cooperative’s solidarity funds. In some projects, part of the money is also used to repay the loans that the entity has requested to finance the construction or acquisition of the homes.
Therefore, a person who accesses this system may find a monthly payment lower than that of conventional rent, but they must have beforehand an amount of money that, in certain promotions, exceeds 20,000 or 30,000 euros. The assignment of use reduces the need to buy a property, but does not eliminate the barrier of initial savings, which continues to be one of the main obstacles for households with fewer resources.
What rights do you have over the apartment and for how long can you live in it
The main feature of these homes is that the resident does not acquire individual ownership of the apartment, but rather a right of use that allows them to establish their usual residence there as long as they meet the conditions set by the cooperative. The building belongs to the entity or is placed under its control by another legal title, while the members participate collectively in its management and in decisions that affect the community.
This system is recognized in Spanish law. The Law 27/1999, on Cooperatives, provides that housing may be awarded to its members either in ownership or through a right of use and enjoyment. When the cooperative retains title to the properties, the bylaws must set out the rules for use, as well as the rights and obligations of the resident persons. In addition, the autonomous communities have their own cooperative regulations, which may specify aspects related to the transfer, the continued residence, and the return of contributions.
One of the main attractions of the assignment of use is residential stability. In numerous projects, the right of occupancy is considered to be indefinite as long as the condition of member is maintained, although this circumstance should not be confused with lifetime ownership guaranteed in any situation. If the building has been constructed on public land granted for a limited period, the duration of the project will also be conditioned by that agreement.
This is what happens in certain promotions in Barcelona, where the City Council retains ownership of the land and grants the cooperatives a right of superficies for several decades, which can reach up to 75 or 99 years depending on the agreement. During that time, residents can use the housing in accordance with the conditions established, while when the right of superficies ends, the consequences provided for in the agreement may occur, including the reversion of the building to the owner of the land.
Residents can also participate in decisions regarding the operation of the cooperative, from the approval of the budgets to the organization of common areas and rules of cohabitation. The right to participate in collective management constitutes an important difference compared with traditional renting, although it also involves taking on economic and organizational responsibilities that normally do not correspond to a tenant.