Here Are Some of the Issues You’ll Face…
Boarding houses are designed to offer affordable and flexible housing options, catering to various demographics such as students, young professionals, and individuals seeking short-term or long-term accommodation. A boarding house is a development that provides individual rooms for rent to multiple tenants who typically share common areas.
Boarding houses offer numerous advantages, including steady rental income, efficient property utilisation, and flexibility in housing solutions for diverse tenant demographics. They present opportunities for positive cash flow which has recently been supported by potential government incentives and a streamlined Council approval process.
With a diverse tenant pool and potential for capital growth, these projects can play a vital role in addressing housing needs and increasing supply across the country.
Here Are Some of the Issues You’ll Face…
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or drowning in endless paperwork and compliance, you’re not alone. The planning system is complex and can be frustrating for investors.
Putting together a boarding house application can be extremely hard and tiring and dealing with council can be a nightmare, not to mention the whole process can be very expensive in both time and money. Plus, we’re pretty sure, you have better things to do… That’s where we fit in!
It’s what we do, all day, everyday. With a team of 20+ highly knowledgeable and experienced town planners, property consultants, registered architect and draftsman we’re pretty good at what we do.
What Rules Do I Need to Comply With?
Having worked on over 40 boarding house projects over the past 25 years common compliance rules and questions to consider are:
1.
Affordable housing – Did you know that boarding house development is also covered by a state policy which deals with affordable housing? State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 restricts council’s ability to refuse a development application based on certain conditions. It also gives bonus floor space ratio incentives of up to 25% as well as reduced private open space and car parking requirements. But what does this mean, and how does this benefit you in your application for a boarding house development with council? You may be surprised to learn that a boarding house is achievable on your site.
2.
Fire rating standards – There are many complicated local and state legislative requirements for fire rating of boarding houses. It is essential that the design of the boarding house factor in these standards. But how will you know what these standards are? How will you make sure that your chosen architect is qualified to design a boarding house that also achieves the appropriate design standards to comply with the fire rating legislation and codes?
3.
Location – You decide to apply to council for a boarding house development in a well established suburb and within a zone that permits boarding house developments. However, the local residents form a petition to council strongly objecting to the establishment of a boarding house in their area as they are worried that it will detrimentally impact on their residential amenity and lead to a lowering of their house values. How would you address these potential issues in your development application to council? How do you demonstrate that grounds of objection to a development application will only hold legal weight if they are based on certain planning principles?
4.
Development Standards – There are grounds upon which Council cannot refuse a consent for this type of housing under the State Policy. Let us help you clearly outline how your development complies and should be approved based on matters such as local/neighbourhood character, location to transport services, bulk and scale, height, overlooking of neighbours and privacy, solar access, streetscape amenity, landscape design, private open space, accommodation sizes/facilities, suitable plan of management and parking and traffic impacts.
And Here’s How We Can Help…
We understand that getting to the point of having the right approval for your boarding house is not an easy journey. It’s one that needs the best experience the industry has to offer. That’s why we’re here to help… We’d love to make your council approval journey for a boarding house simple and as pain free as possible
We’ve worked on over 40 boarding house projects and have dedicated town planners and designers that specialise in this type of development application.
You can glean from the wisdom we’ve gained from all of our past projects. 25 years of being in the industry and our 50 consecutive years of experience has taught us a few things
Ready to get started? Book in for your Free 30 minute consultation.