Homestay
We are often asked whether 'homestay' accommodation must be accessible for people with disabilities. A homestay with facilities for up to five guests can usually continue to be treated as a private house.
The Building Code’s clause A1 defines detached dwellings as 'where a group of people live as a single household or family'. The definition includes a 'boarding house accommodating fewer than six people'.
Serviced apartment buildings may need to provide accessible facilities. The Building Code’s schedule 2 refers to 'premises providing accommodation for the public'. If someone can come in from the street and check into an apartment, the building comes under schedule 2. Even if a booking is made in advance, the building is still providing accommodation for the public.
The fact that individual apartments are individually owned under a unit title arrangement makes no difference to the need for accessible units. The Building Code is not concerned with ownership or tenancy arrangements.
2005/156: Notice to fix