Tiny apartments are getting a lot of love. New York City has a new pilot program for 300-square-foot apartments. In London, a 10’ x 8’ apartment up for sale last month was so popular it quickly doubled in price. Warsaw has the world’s skinniest house. Vancouver and Seattle have tested microapartments, and several California cities have regulations allowing tiny minimum dimensions. The latest is San Francisco, which just approved building a trial run of 220-square-foot microapartments. The trial will include 375 units.
Thanks to the latest tech boom, the average rent for a studio in SF is now $2126, and going smaller is one way to help more people afford to live in the city. There are already mini-apartment units in development in San Francisco—SmartSpace has three new buildings underway, at 285 to 310 square feet per apartment, starting at $959. Since the new pilot program will allow even smaller apartments, prices should be lower, too.
\n
The apartments also have a lower environmental footprint, since a tiny space means less energy use, and being in the middle of the city means you usually don’t have to drive. SmartSpace is also aiming for LEED Platinum certification for one building, and will provide extra perks like a green roof, rainwater harvesting, and a City Carshare vehicle on site.
Share on Facebook
