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A studio for rent can be a residential property or it can be a commercial property i.e. artist studio. The question is this: can it be both?

We tackle that question in this article by RDS Real Estate, serving the Greater Fort Worth Metro area with outstanding industrial space and commercial property for lease. Call us today at 817-439-3224 for more information.  Our leasing agent will gladly sit down with you and discuss your needs and our solutions to those needs.

What is a studio for rent?

A studio apartment is a small apartment that consists of one large room that serves as a kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom. The only room with a wall and a door is the bathroom. The size of a studio apartment tends to be between 400 and 700 square feet but can sometimes be much larger, especially when they exist in a converted space.

Studios don’t have dividers between rooms, though sometimes kitchen areas have a partial wall. If you want the feeling of separate rooms, you’ll need to get creative with furniture placement, while still leaving some open space to live comfortably.

Note the definition speaks about a studio apartment, but it easily applies to any type of studio for rent. The main point being it is a compact space with all amenities within that small space, and usually no dividing walls to separate different areas.  Thus, an artist loft is no different than a communal, residential loft, other than the name and the zoning that name is governed by.

Zoning dictates the use of such property.

And herein lies the sticky wicket, to borrow from our British friends across The Pond.  All cities have zoning laws, dividing each city into “use areas,” as in commercial, residential, industrial, farming, etc.   Those zones are specifically for those activities.  Thus, a commercial loft is not a residential loft.  According to zoning laws, you cannot specify a loft for business use and then live there as well.

Unless . . .

There is such a thing as “mixed-use zoning,” meaning more than one usage can occur in that designated property.  If the studio is in a mixed-use zone, or it you apply for a mixed-use permit, and are granted one, then you are free to live in the studio as well as work from it.

But what about . . . ?

Denied a mixed-use permit?  What if you go ahead with your plans without telling the governing body? What if you don’t tell your landlord?

Chances are the landlord is going to find out before the zoning commission, in which case you will lose your lease and be out looking for a new studio for rent.  Our recommendation: be above board, don’t sneak around, and get that mixed-use zoning permit. Otherwise, don’t do it.  Don’t live where you work. It is rarely a good idea.

A final word about RDS Real Estate.

RDS Real Estate is locally owned and operated, one of the most trusted names in industrial and commercial real estate. Call us for all of your needs i.e. warehouse for rent, retail space for lease, loft for rent, garage for rent, etc.  With over three million square feet of industrial and commercial property for rent, chances are excellent we have what you need.