There’s no defined size though microunits are typically under 400 square feet. Because these mini-apartments take up less space, more of them fit into a housing complex. And that’s intrigued cities with housing shortages like Los Angeles. One proposal before the City Council would ease zoning restrictions on developers who build microunits.
In Los Angeles, many of the tiny apartments are in older buildings like Davis’, where the management has been rehabbing studios. Another planned project downtown would convert former single-room occupancy hotels into buildings full of micro-units, with an average size of just 277 square feet.
A growing number of luxury developers are also building brand-new micro-units from the ground up in and around L.A. — and renting them for double what Davis pays. In Santa Monica, the NMS corporation has four buildings with micro-units, according to the city. A 362-sq. foot unit rents for $1495 a month.
