The minimum size of inner city apartments could fall under Auckland Council's proposed Unitary Plan.
The former Auckland City Council introduced minimum apartment size rules in 2007 following a proliferation of cheaply built shoebox housing in the central city - effectively banning anything less than 35sq m in size.
The minimum size rules are now 35sqm for studio apartments, 45sqm for one-bedroom, 70sqm for two-bedroom and 90sqm for three-plus bedrooms.
Read more: Carpark-sized pad in central city sells for $104,000
But under the proposed Unitary Plan the limits would fall to 30sqm for inner city studio dwellings and 40sqm for one-plus bedrooms.
Council acting manager projects practice and resolutions Julie Bevan said the Mount St apartments were consented in 1995 as a mix of student accommodation and serviced apartments.
Under current planning rules, there were no specific unit size requirements for non-permanent accommodation, which included student accommodation, she said.
Bevan's comments follow the sale of a pint-size 9sqm one-bedroom central Auckland abode for $104,000.
The vendor for the 9sqm Mount St unit is listed on QV records as Talib Al-bayati.
The listing ad says: "This owner's simply cashing out of their NZ assets & going overseas."
Apartment Specialists director Andrew Murray despite its miniature dimensions, the dwelling was officially recognised as an apartment.
"It's got its own individual title, it's in a body corporate so it's covered by the Unit Titles Act. You can go and live there, you don't have to be a student."
His company had sold three or four identical Mount St units in the last 12 months.