Micro-Apartments So Nice You'll Wish Your Place Was This Small

This week the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco will consider amending the city's building code to let micro-apartments become even more micro. At present, dwelling units must be a minimum of 220 square feet of living space plus bathroom, kitchen, and closet — roughly 290 square feet in all. The amendment [PDF] would reduce that minimum to 150 square feet of livable space, for a total area of 220. If you could trade stock in real estate terms, now would be the time to buy cozy.

The proposal has stirred some debate in recent months. Developers say it's the natural response to soaring rents and a growing single population. The average studio in San Francisco now rents for more than $2,100, and roughly two in five city residents live alone. Tenant advocates fear the new rule might displace affordable housing and set a dangerously cramped new living standard.