5 New generation Boarding Houses in Sydney In August 2014 the NSW Department of Planning and Environment issued a Fact Sheet about the supply of New Generation Boarding Houses. The Fact Sheet explained how the NSW Affordable Rental Housing SEPP 2009 gave floor space incentives to encourage investment in a new type of boarding house. The aim is to provide low cost rental accommodation for a wide range of tenants including singles, retirees, students and young couples. The new approach is to include a kitchen and bathroom within a studio apartment. The New Gen Boarding Houses can be located in most residential zones but the low density R2 zone requires closeness to public transport. To encourage the development industry to build these more affordable apartments there are floor space incentives and relaxation on other apartment standards like solar access. Rather than each apartment receiving mid-winter sun a communal room, shared by all, must meet the sun requirements for mid-winter. Room sizes are very tight with a single room size above 12 square metres and a double at 16 square metres, both well below SEPP 65 and NSW Apartment Design Guide standards. A number of developers and architects are working with the New Generation Boarding House Fact Sheet to provide smaller and more affordable apartments. Sydney architect, Tone Wheeler of Environa Studio Architects is leading the way with some very clever designs. The McCarthy Maisonettes on Parramatta Road, Annandale is a good example. Typical bedsit with kitchen McCarthy Maisonettes designed by Tone Wheeler of Environa Studio Studio with mezzanine sleeping area