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Tiny space-living: Jakartans squeeze into smaller, more affordable apartments
The need for affordable living space, even if small, is seen as an opportunity with some property firms starting to develop smaller apartments, and studio units, of around 20 square meters.
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Aerial view of Kalibata City Apartment, Jakarta, Saturday (10/10/2015). (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
W
ith land expensive and hard to get and house prices rising in Jakarta, accommodation issues remain a challenge with many people shifting to tiny-space living for the sake of getting a roof over their head.
The need for affordable living space, even if small, is seen as an opportunity with some property firms starting to develop smaller apartments, and studio units, of around 20 square meters.
Wendy Haryanto, executive director of the Jakarta Property Institute (JPI), which mediates a dialogue between the government and real-estate players, said there was a growing business to provide apartment units of smaller size.
She cited as an example the Osaka Riverview apartments -- part of the 1,000-hectare Pantai Indah Kapuk 2 complex in North Jakarta owned by property giants Agung Sedayu Group and Salim Group. The apartment building, to be developed in 2022 according to its website, is offering studio-type units as small as 14 square meters, 16.5 square meters and 19 square meters.
To put this in perspective, studio apartments previously developed usually measured between 20 and 30 square meters.
"As land prices rise and regulations on building height become stricter, developers are trying to keep making money by building smaller units, which are easier to sell," she told The Jakarta Post last week.
"There are a lot of proposals from companies for development of apartment complexes with tiny units."
