UKO Stanmore
Stanmore, NSW
UKO Stanmore is a co-living property in Stanmore, Sydney. It was one of the first co-living developments in Australia, building on a model that has taken off in the United States, Europe and Asia. UKO Stanmore has 33 self-contained studio apartments as well as substantial communal spaces that include a shared courtyard with bean bags, a large communal kitchen and dining room and shared laundry.
Categories: Co-living
About the project
UKO Stanmore is a co-living property in Stanmore, Sydney. It was one of the first co-living developments in Australia, building on a model that has taken off in the United States, Europe and Asia. UKO Stanmore has 33 self-contained studio apartments as well as substantial communal spaces that include a shared courtyard with bean bags, a large communal kitchen and dining room and shared laundry.
Rooms range in size from 24 to 30 square metres and are equipped with an ensuite, kitchenette and dishwasher. The rooms are fully furnished with slide-away, multi-use furniture to enable the best use of the relatively small private space. Some rooms have balconies.
Residents have access to a herb garden, on-site parking, communal bicycles, car sharing and an optional cleaning service. Utility bills and Internet are included in the weekly rent, which starts from $525 per week, depending on the size of the room.
The community
UKO Stanmore places a big emphasis on creating a sense of community. There is a Community Host who runs optional free events for residents such as dinners, movie nights and yoga classes. The host also helps residents to build up their personal and professional network and to get to know the local area.
The host also keeps the place running – buying communal groceries, watering the plants, running the wine club and baking snacks.
UKO Stanmore and other co-living properties are designed to appeal to Millennials with disposable income who are unable or uninterested in buying into the housing market. In practice, the site has attracted a more diverse community, including older people and business travellers seeking an alternative to serviced apartments.
Project snapshot
What is shared?
How did it happen?
Legalities
Governance
Residents share a courtyard, communal kitchen and dining area, laundry, herb garden and bicycles. There is a communal meal every 2nd Monday night, a movie in the courtyard every second Tuesday, wine tasting on the last Thursday of the month and yoga on Saturday mornings.
Making a co-living property work means securing control over a whole building, either by building, it, owning it or a long-term lease. This is essential to allow control over the design and management of the communal spaces, which are key to co-living.
UKO Stanmore was developed as a new generation boarding house and boarding house regulations apply. There is a minimum stay of 3 months and a maximum stay of 12 months, although residents can leave without penalty as long as they provide 1 month’s notice.
Residents do not have a formal role in the governance of the property, although the Community Host may consult residents about decisions on the day-to-day activities.
All images courtesy of UKO