Inform (Guidelines)

URA’s Approach to Co-living Spaces

2 March 2021

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.

Table 1: Co-living models

Co-living Proposals (Note: The term ‘co-living’ is not a planning typology and should not be reflected on plans or the project caption)
Residential (e.g. en-bloc use of units within a residential building)	Serviced Apartments (e.g. shophouses, residential components in mixed used developments)	Hotel
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	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 ¹The 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)	No requirements for layout or minimum stay duration

Co-living Proposals
(Note: The term ‘co-living’ is not a planning typology and should not be reflected on plans or the project caption)

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

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

Hotel

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

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

¹The 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)

No requirements for layout or minimum stay duration

Banner photo by myHQ Workspaces on Unsplash