URA’s Approach to Co-Living Spaces

Co-living is a marketing term referring to developments providing accommodation with communal facilities (such as shared kitchens and lounge areas) and social programming that cultivates communities among tenants.

As there are varying models of co-living operations, operators of co-living developments can choose to operate from developments approved for residential use, serviced apartments or hotels. The guidelines of the respective use classification – such as on minimum stays, unit sizes, layouts and technical requirements – shall apply. These planning considerations allow the authorities to safeguard dis-amenity concerns and technical requirements while enabling co-living operators to have some flexibility in operations in appropriate premises.

Residential
(e.g. en-bloc use of units within a residential building)

• Minimum 3 month stay
• Maximum 6 unrelated persons within a single unit
• Minimum size of 35 sqm per unit
• To comply with the by-laws of the residential building or condominium

Serviced Apartments
(e.g. shophouses, residential components in mixed used developments)

• Minimum 7 day stay
• Minimum 35 sqm per serviced apartment
• For proposals with unique layouts, URA would consider applying the 35 sqm minimum unit size based on the global average of self-contained units (with kitchenette and toilet) and covered communal facilities exclusively for co-living tenants’ use¹

¹ The following areas would generally be excluded from being considered as covered communal facilities exclusively for co-living tenants’ use :

• Public areas or facilities not exclusive to co-living tenants (e.g. communal areas that double as public cafes, public co-working offices)
• Functional and circulation spaces (e.g. concierge/check-in areas, back-of-house, corridors)
• Open-to-sky areas (e.g. open roof terraces)

Hotel

• No requirements for layout or minimum stay duration