Co-Living Housing Approval
Co-living housing - self-contained private rooms, each with its own bathroom and kitchenette, built around shared kitchen, living and laundry facilities - is defined as its own land use under the Housing SEPP, separate from a boarding house or a residential flat building. It carries its own minimum room size, communal space and parking provisions, and where it applies is generally more permissive on scale than a standard residential flat building on the same site, in exchange for meeting those specific design requirements in full.
Free consultation
- DA typically 10–14 weeks
- From $5,500 + GST for a planning and design compliance package
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
A distinct land use, not a workaround
Co-living housing exists in the planning framework as its own defined term, introduced to give a purpose-built pathway to shared, private-room housing at a larger scale than a boarding house - rather than developments being squeezed into the boarding house or residential flat building definitions they do not quite fit. Using the correct definition from the outset determines which set of development standards, parking rates and communal space requirements actually apply.
What we check before feasibility is finalised
Whether co-living housing is a permitted land use in the applicable zone and whether your council area is subject to any additional local provisions. The minimum private room size and the required ratio of communal space to private rooms. Parking requirements, which are often reduced relative to standard residential development but are not eliminated. Waste and servicing arrangements appropriate to a shared-living model with more occupants per site than a conventional apartment building of the same footprint.
Sequencing the application
A DA for co-living housing generally needs a planning report addressing the specific Housing SEPP provisions, a design compliance schedule against room size and communal space benchmarks, and - depending on scale - traffic, acoustic and waste management reports. We scope exactly which reports your specific proposal needs rather than commissioning the full suite by default.
How it works
Land-use and eligibility check
2–3 days
Zone, site area and whether the co-living housing provisions apply to your council area and site.
Design compliance assessment
1 week
Minimum room size, communal space ratio, parking and amenity requirements specific to co-living housing.
Documentation
4–6 weeks
Planning report, design compliance schedule and coordinated specialist reports.
Lodgement and determination
10–14 weeks
Lodged and managed through to determination, including any request for further information.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Confirming whether co-living housing is permissible on your site under the applicable zone and Housing SEPP provisions
- Checking your design against the minimum room size, communal space and parking requirements
- Yield and feasibility modelling specific to the co-living definition
- Planning report and design compliance schedule for lodgement
- Coordinating traffic, acoustic and waste management reports the built form requires
What you don't have to deal with
- Designing a scheme that reads as co-living but fails the room-size or communal-space thresholds and defaults to a stricter residential flat building assessment
- Under-providing shared facilities relative to the number of private rooms
Frequently asked questions
How is co-living housing different from a boarding house?
Both provide private rooms with shared facilities, but co-living housing is defined separately, generally involves larger-scale development with more communal amenity and a higher standard of private facilities within each room, and sits under different development standards and, in many councils, different site and zoning eligibility than a boarding house.
What communal facilities are required?
A minimum of shared kitchen, living, dining and laundry facilities scaled to the number of private rooms, along with outdoor communal space in most configurations. The specific ratios and minimum areas are set by the Housing SEPP provisions and checked against your proposed room count during feasibility.
Do co-living residents need a lease?
Typically yes - occupants generally hold a residential tenancy or occupancy agreement for their private room with access to the shared facilities, which is a tenancy question separate from the planning approval, though it can affect how the use is described in the application.
Is parking required for every room?
No - co-living housing is usually assessed against a lower parking rate than a standard residential flat building, reflecting the shared-living model and, in many cases, proximity to public transport. The applicable rate depends on the site's location and the specific council's parking controls.
Related services
Boarding Houses
A boarding house - individual rooms let to residents with some shared facilities, such as a bathroom or kitchen - is a distinct land use under the Housing SEPP, permissible in most residential and mixed-use zones subject to satisfying its own minimum room size, communal space and parking provisions, in exchange for concessions on some standard development controls.
Residential Council Approval
Most residential developments do not need a full Development Application.
Development Application (DA)
A Development Application is the merit-assessed approval pathway.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 14
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.