This article examines how communal technologies affect collaborative practices, like sharing resources and space, in urban cohousing. It explores how digital and physical infrastructures facilitate cooperation and support community life. Drawing on qualitative research in three community-oriented residential buildings in Helsinki, Finland, it demonstrates that communal living is sustained by the interplay of shared spaces, community practices, and digital platforms, each creating opportunities for collaboration. Using the institutional pillar framework, the study highlights how formal structures and informal norms together shape collaborative lifestyles. Findings reveal that residents’ participation was motivated more by economic benefits and social connections than environmental concerns, indicating the central role of community dynamics in mainstreaming collaborative consumption. While digital platforms facilitate communication, coordination, and access to resources, they cannot substitute face-to-face interaction. Trust, reciprocity, and shared identity emerged primarily through embodied encounters, suggesting that digital tools should be seen as support for community rather than substitutes.