SRO stands for single room occupancy. There is no strict definition for this form of housing but it is generally similar to college dorms or military barracks.
It is a historical form of housing in the United States that is largely going extinct. At one time, it was a common form of market-rate housing available to small households, such as unmarried young adults or single parents.
It may be a single room with a closet, fridge and sink or it may be a room with a private bath or half bath. These small units are part of a multi-tenant building with some shared facilities.
There are typically shared bathroom facilities down the hall and the building typically also contains a shared kitchen. It's also common for there to be a shared living room somewhere in the building where tenants can watch TV together or similar.
Units do not have full kitchens but may have a kitchenette. If a unit has a full-service kitchen, it will probably at that point meet the definition of a studio apartment instead of an SRO.
Even if the units have no built-in kitchen facilities, tenants are typically free to cook in their rooms using counter-top appliances, such as microwaves, hotplates, rice cookers or countertop grills.
Although they are sometimes former hotels, SROs are primarily rented as normal residences, though possibly on a month-to-month basis rather than a long-term lease. Tenants are often single individuals, childless couples, single parents or retirees.
Historically, they were often deemed "short term rentals" and were sometimes used as temporary housing by people new to a city who hadn't yet arranged permanent housing.
It is a historical form of housing in the United States that is largely going extinct. At one time, it was a common form of market-rate housing available to small households, such as unmarried young adults or single parents.
It may be a single room with a closet, fridge and sink or it may be a room with a private bath or half bath. These small units are part of a multi-tenant building with some shared facilities.
There are typically shared bathroom facilities down the hall and the building typically also contains a shared kitchen. It's also common for there to be a shared living room somewhere in the building where tenants can watch TV together or similar.
Units do not have full kitchens but may have a kitchenette. If a unit has a full-service kitchen, it will probably at that point meet the definition of a studio apartment instead of an SRO.
Even if the units have no built-in kitchen facilities, tenants are typically free to cook in their rooms using counter-top appliances, such as microwaves, hotplates, rice cookers or countertop grills.
Although they are sometimes former hotels, SROs are primarily rented as normal residences, though possibly on a month-to-month basis rather than a long-term lease. Tenants are often single individuals, childless couples, single parents or retirees.
Historically, they were often deemed "short term rentals" and were sometimes used as temporary housing by people new to a city who hadn't yet arranged permanent housing.
