Co-living housing access reports in NSW: what developers and architects need for DA and CC

Co-living and boarding-house-style developments in New South Wales commonly need a disability access report at development application and again at construction certificate. The Housing SEPP sets planning rules. The Premises Standards and NCC Volume One Part D4 set the building-law access rules. The access report status-codes the continuous accessible path, common areas, sanitary facilities and any adaptable or livable requirements that the consent or DCP imposes. NSW building work is assessed under NCC 2022 Amendment 2 until 1 May 2027.

Co-living access reports in one paragraph

A co-living housing access report addresses the Disability (Access to Premises — Buildings) Standards 2010 and the access provisions of the National Construction Code for the confirmed building class. Most co-living projects sit in Class 3. The report covers the path from the site boundary to the principal entrance, through common areas, to accessible sole-occupancy units or adaptable dwellings where required, and to accessible sanitary facilities. It also records any Housing SEPP or DCP overlays that call for adaptable or livable housing. Sydney Access Consultants prepares the report. We are not town planners.

Which building class applies

Confirm the class with the certifier. Co-living and boarding-house accommodation is ordinarily Class 3. A Class 2 apartment building with a co-living component is classified part by part. The Part D4 access table and the sanitary provisions follow the class. Do not assume Class 2 or Class 3 from the marketing name.

How the Housing SEPP, Premises Standards and NCC fit together

The State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (Housing SEPP) sets planning standards for co-living housing, including room sizes, communal areas and, in some cases, adaptable housing requirements. Those planning rules sit alongside the Premises Standards and the NCC. An access report addresses the building-law access provisions. It does not replace the planning assessment under the Housing SEPP. Where a consent condition or DCP calls for AS 4299 adaptable housing or Livable Housing features, the report notes those requirements separately from the Premises Standards path.

What the access report usually covers

Continuous accessible path from the site boundary, accessible parking and drop-off to the principal pedestrian entrance and through common areas.
Access to and within common facilities such as kitchens, laundries, outdoor areas and meeting rooms that form part of the accessible path.
Accessible sanitary facilities in common areas and, where required, within accessible sole-occupancy units.
Lifts and vertical circulation where the building has more than one storey on the accessible path.
Hearing augmentation, tactile indicators and signage where the Part D4 provisions apply.
Any adaptable housing (AS 4299) or livable housing requirements imposed by the Housing SEPP, a DCP or a consent condition.

No invented dimensions appear in the report. Geometry is taken from AS 1428.1:2021 as called up by the applicable NCC.

Common failure points on co-living projects

Accessible path that stops at the lobby and does not reach communal kitchens or outdoor areas.
Sole-occupancy units that are marketed as accessible but lack the required circulation or sanitary facilities.
Step thresholds or narrow corridors in common areas that fail the continuous path.
Sanitary compartments that meet a DCP count but fail the AS 1428.1 geometry called up by the NCC.
Adaptable housing requirements under the Housing SEPP that are not documented on the drawings.

DA versus CC

At development application the report is usually a capability assessment on planning drawings. At construction certificate it is an elemental check on construction drawings and specifications. Do not reuse the DA report unchanged. See DA versus CC access reports.

What the certifier wants to see

Elemental status by area: compliant, capable of compliance, non-compliant, insufficient information, or Performance Solution. The checklist is on what certifiers want in an access report.

Frequently asked questions

Does every co-living project need an access report?

Most do. The Premises Standards apply to Class 3 buildings. Councils and certifiers commonly request a report at DA and CC. Confirm the trigger on each project.

Is the Housing SEPP the same as NCC compliance?

No. The Housing SEPP is a planning instrument. The access report addresses Premises Standards and NCC compliance, plus any adaptable or livable overlays the consent imposes.

What class is co-living?

Ordinarily Class 3. Confirm with the certifier. Mixed Class 2 and Class 3 buildings are classified part by part.

Can a DA report be reused at CC?

No. The CC report must check the detailed construction drawings.

Call (02) 9586 3111 for a co-living access report.