Rooms with an area of 12 square meters (sq.m.), including sanitary facilities, (toilet, washbasin and shower) will be the student rooms based on the new plan announced by the Minister of the Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou. The aim is to form small student dormitories in order to meet the increased housing needs of students, which amount to tens of thousands throughout Cyprus.
The above regulation (in terms of area) concerns one-bedroom student dormitories, but as the number of rooms (in the same unit) increases, the area of common areas decreases. Along with the reduction of the area, it is hoped that the rent of the rooms will also be reduced. It is worth noting that the high rent even leads students to abandon their studies.
More specifically, the "Plan for the Construction of Student Accommodation Units", in terms of the area of the various areas of the dormitories, also includes the following regulations:
The kitchen will have an area of four square meters (roughly 2X2 sq.m., the living room will have an area of 9 sq.m.). (3X3), with the total area ranging from 25 sq.m.
For two and three bedrooms the kitchen remains at four square meters, for the four and five bedrooms the kitchen is increased to 6 sq.m. For six and seven bedrooms the area is increased to 8 sq.m., for eight and nine bedrooms the kitchen is increased to 10 sq.m. and for a ten-bedroom hearth, the area of the kitchen is increased to 12 sq.m.
As for the total area, for one bedroom it is set at 25 sq.m., for two bedrooms 37 sq.m., for three 49 sq.m., for four 65 sq.m., for 5 rooms 77 sq.m. for six rooms 94 sq.m. for seven 106 sq.m. , for 8 rooms of 122 sq.m. For nine 134 sq.m and for ten rooms the total area is 152 sq.m.
Regarding the living room, it is provided that up to three bedrooms the area will be 9 sq.m., for four and five bedrooms it will be 11 sq.m. For six and seven bedrooms it will be 11 sq.m., for eight and for nine rooms it will be 14 sq.m. For ten and eleven bedrooms it will be 16 sq.m. and for 12 bedrooms the living room area will be 20 sq.m.
The Minister of the Interior had explained, in general, for Student Accommodation Units, smaller plot areas, smaller interior areas, reduced requirements for parking spaces, abolition of the inclusion of specific common areas, such as for janitors, etc., are specified in order to provide incentives for the implementation of these developments while ensuring the comforts of the host area. In the context of the implementation of the plan, the Minister of the Interior, exercising the powers granted to it (based on Article 6 of the "Urban and Spatial Planning Law") issues a relevant order in which it is recorded that "the purpose is to strengthen the possibilities of housing students in the social fabric, either in organized student dormitories or in mixed developments, by defining the standards and other relevant parameters to ensure both the functionality of the units and the rational integration, without affecting the comforts of the host area". The mandate is applied in relation to new deployments, as well as in cases of change of use and additional conversions to approved deployments.
The main objectives of the mandate are to meet the housing needs of students in appropriate areas, to set standards to ensure the quality of accommodation of students, to promote sustainable mobility and to involve to the greatest extent possible students with the wider population to strengthen social cohesion and avoid over-concentration, as well as to strengthen the policy for the provision of affordable housing.
The minister explains that the need to expand housing opportunities has become particularly urgent in recent years with the operation and expansion of the number of Higher Education schools in all cities, as well as with the general increase in demand for housing, the rise in rent prices, the overconcentration of students in certain areas, the worsening of traffic problems, etc.
"Student Accommodation Unit"
According to the interpretation of the Ministry of Interior, "Student Accommodation Unit" means the single housing unit with one entrance/exit which is used exclusively for the accommodation of students enrolled in a recognized School of Higher Education, with a maximum number of student rooms of ten.
A single student housing unit may be part of a building with other uses, especially an apartment building, in combination with other compatible uses and/or other housing units of another type.
The ministry clarifies that Student Accommodation Units can be rented to academic and/or research staff, and other staff of a recognized school of Higher Education.
The category of students also includes postgraduate/doctoral students and students of Erasmus or other educational programs.
Accommodation specifications and other provisions
According to the Ministry of the Interior, in order for the units to operate, the following minimum specifications must apply.
For Student Accommodation Units, at least one parking space will be required for every five student rooms and one moped/bicycle parking space for each student room, given that they are up to 1 km away. from the facilities of a recognized school of Higher Education.
In cases where this is sufficiently justified by the data of the development, (e.g. where individual kitchens and living rooms are proposed), and/or the specific characteristics of each case, and/or the specific characteristics of the host area (e.g. Special Character Area), and/or where the development concerns a change of use/additions to an existing building, the Town Planning Authority may allow smaller than the specified areas of common facilities, and/or deviations from the above standards.
In cases of construction of Student Accommodation Units where plans are implemented, such as the Sponsorship Scheme for Student Dormitories/Student Rooms in Nicosia, then the specifications may be differentiated according to the requirements of the Special Plan.
The location of Student Accommodation Units on the ground floor of buildings that traditionally hosted commercial uses, including the ground floor of Listed Buildings with commercial use, will not, as a rule, be accepted. On the ground floor it is possible to locate other auxiliary uses, including common facilities.
Student Accommodation Units must adhere to the regulations for use by people with disabilities.
The Student Accommodation Units will be determined in the approved plans and a relevant condition will be set in the Planning Permit, in order to be able to periodically check to confirm compliance with the above by the competent Authority.
