UPDATE: Former Senior Apartments Wants Rooming, Boarding House Status

Editor's note: this article was updated May 29 at 12:40 p.m.

The new owners of what was a senior retirement complex in Kent, previously filled with single-family occupants, are looking to convert the entire complex into a rooming and boarding house units.

The owners of University Oaks Apartments, , have asked the city for a change in status from a single-family apartment complex to a rooming and boarding house status.

Anderson Neighbors, the chief operating officer of Alabama-based Capstone Real Estate Investments, told the Kent Board of Zoning Appeals this week that they want the change in status in order to rent each individual bedroom in their separate apartments.

The complex has 3 bedroom, 2 bath units and 3 bedroom, 1 and-a-half bath units.

"In order for us to occupy those units with three unrelated persons we have to be designated a rooming house," Neighbors said.

Under Kent code, no more than three unrelated people are allowed to live in a rental unit unless it is an approved boarding house.

Eric Fink, Kent's assistant law director, said in an email Kent ordinances define a boarding house as "a building or part thereof, other than a hotel, motel, or restaurant where meals and/or lodging are provided for compensation, for not less than three nor more than 20 unrelated persons."

A boarding house also is characterized by the joint use by inhabitants of one or more of the following: kitchen area;dining area; restroom/bath.

"Or, more simply (but not always accurately), it is a boarding house anytime more than two unrelated individuals are living within one dwelling unit," Fink said.

Neighbors said they plan to rent the apartments with one person per bedroom.

The complex has 520 bedrooms.

"Basically, you’re going from family housing to student housing where the density of unrelated persons is greater," zoning board member Dave Mail said.

The Kent Planning Commission must vote on the request and will do so this summer.

Capstone plans to open the complex this fall, Neighbors said.