What is a cohabitation relationship? “Living together is an art.” – William Pickens. Cohabitation differs from a marriage in that it is a monogamous relationship between any two people that choose not to, or are not allowed to, get married but still live together as spouses. While cohabitation is often mistaken for a common law marriage, it is not recognised in South African law, regardless of how long the couple cohabitate together. Furthermore, Cohabitation does not automatically create any legal rights and duties between the applicable parties. The only way to currently regulate a cohabitation between two people is through a cohabitation agreement.