1a to 1b conversion, habitable room

Hi guys,

I am in need of some advice. I am planning to convert an existing house from Class 1a to Class 1b. The current floor plan is as below:

My intention is to avoid triggering the planning permit. So I need to keep it no more than 10 habitable rooms. The way I understand it, I can try to classify "Bedroom 3" as a non-habitable room, i.e. storage room, clothes-drying room, etc.

Is this even doable? If yes, what is the best option for "Bedroom 3", should I make changes to the room or simply classify it as something else?

Thanks guys

 

For anyone who doesn't know about 1a and 1b (from the NCC):

‘A Class 1a building is a single dwelling being a detached house; or one of a group of attached dwellings being a town house, row house or the like.

A Class 1b building is a boarding house, guest house or hostel that has a floor area less than 300 m2, and ordinarily has less than 12 people living in it. It can also be four or more single dwellings located on one allotment which are used for short-term holiday accommodation.’

 

Where did you get the information about being no more than 10 habitable rooms from?

I just looked up the NCC and can't see that mentioned.

 

Hi Joynz, thank you for your reply It is in Clause 52.23, as shown below:

 

@yamasita are you trying to find a loophole or will genuinely not use that room as a bedroom?

If you don't intend using it you have a few options
- knock down the wall between it and the dining room and making it one larger room
- turn it into another bathroom
- get rid of the window and therefore it doesn't have ventilation and will be a non habitable room

However I count that your house has 12 habitable rooms but that might be because in Perth/WA a kitchen is a habitable room.

 

Hi Westminster, thank you for your reply. In Victoria, a kitchen also counts for a habitable room. The reason why I did not think there are 12 habitable rooms is that I thought the kitchen and dining together count as one room. What if I do something as following, will it change the outcome?
Thanks again.

 

I think you would be best consulting a town planner as personally I would count it as 2 rooms regardless of whether there is walls or not as there are 2 functions

 

Thank you I am consulting a council planner about this. Will update you how it goes.

 

I am curious, I understood that you would need a DA for use as a boarding house, as well as the NCC requirements for a multiple occupancy. Is the "planning permit" you want to avoid the DA or is it construction requirements?

nb I'm in NSW where a house that has beds for 5 or more residents (excludes owner/manager/relatives) is a boarding house.

 

As far as I know, the process for a convert a ordinary residential house to a rooming house here in Victoria is [possible planning permit] -> [building permit] -> [building work] -> [occupency permit] -> [registration with council]. I want to avoid the planning permit as I don't want neighbour's objection gets in the way, it would take too long and the result is not guaranteed.

 

I have got different answers from different advisors. Some said one and the others said two.