How can I get approval for a boarding house?

Approval for a boarding house will need to be sought from your local Council, by way of a Development Application (DA).

Since the implementation of the Housing State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) 2021, what would have previously been referred to as a boarding house has now been divided into two separate uses. Specifically:

1. ‘new-age’ boarding houses and
2. co-living housing.

The primary difference between the two uses is that new-age boarding houses must be used for affordable housing in perpetuity and will need to be managed by a registered community housing provider, whereas co-living housing operates more as a traditional boarding house would, under private operation.

Before considering a new-age boarding house or co-living housing development, you must make sure:

1. the proposal is permissible on your land
2. your lot is sufficiently sized – the minimum lot size for both developments is 600m2 on land in the R2 Low Density Residential Zone or 800m2 for development in all other land zones.

DA submission requirements for new developments of this nature are quite onerous and differ slightly from council to council. These requirements include:

1. a comprehensive set of architectural plans prepared by a registered architect,
2. a thorough town planning report (Statement of Environmental Effects), and
3. numerous consultant reports

Given the complexities associated with navigating the design and development of a development of this nature, it is important to engage with a town planner and qualified architect to assist in the preparation of a reasonable and compliant proposal.

Read more about new-age boarding houses and how to get stared here.

See here for our personal experience with new-age boarding house.