what is an sro housing

Single Room Occupancy (SRO) is a form of housing that is typically aimed at residents with low or minimal incomes who rent small, furnished single rooms with a bed, chair, and sometimes a small desk. SRO housing is defined as a residential property that includes multiple single room dwelling units, where each unit has a minimum floor area of 150 square feet and may or may not have a private bathroom or kitchen. The term SRO refers to the fact that the tenant rents a single room, as opposed to a full flat (apartment) . SROs are a form of affordable housing, in some cases for formerly or otherwise homeless individuals. They are the least expensive form of non-subsidized rental housing, with median rents ranging from $450 to $705 per month in 2013 in New York City. SRO units may be provided in a rooming house, apartment building, or in illegal conversions of private homes into many small SRO rooms. SROs are a viable housing option for students, single tenants, seasonal or other low-income workers.