I wouldn’t, because my lot is too small. (Technically it would fit, but it would be cramped). But if I had a larger lot it would be interesting option — and I would LOVE it if down the line I could move to a granny-flat adjacent to a home owned & occupied by either of my two kids and their respective spouses. So I can see the attraction of having that option. So not a crazy idea.
But the cost of the new construction plus the hit on property taxes would probably also make it less attractive for moderate-income people like me. I certainly don’t think it would be the best way to generate rental income.
A California builder of ADUs told me that 80% of his ADU construction was for people who wanted an ADU to house family members. He works in Silicon Valley, in Walnut Creek I think. That’s just one data point.
In Los Angeles, there are builders who will convert a detached garage, handling the financing, and then handle the rental, so that the homeowner gets a cash flow. That’s a business model that is working for some builders. So that’s another data point.
I believe most California homeowners don’t want to be landlords. I know I don’t. But I might feel differently if I needed the money.
I totally agree (not being able to sue) on the typical zoning issues like lot coverage, FAR or even light plane issues. But you’re thinking or read that this State law would preempt any historical or architectural review committees? Oh, man, what PITA they are and can be.
Isn’t adding 5,000, 10,000 or 30,000 (etc.) ADU’s to a city an environmental impact?
Also, along with the advent of the zero lot line home, with little to no backyard, developers are often required to build park(s) and/or pay large sums of money (impact fees) to cities for park-in-lieu fees.
Our HOA seems to be reducing any potential benefit of ADUs by adding bylaws. The first bylaw addition was for minimum 30 day rental periods. The second was enhancing the landscape review process to include walkways and stairs (I’m guessing this may enable them to decline concrete walkways and/or stairs to the ADU). They will widdle away the benefits of an ADU I’m sure.
We bought the house so the kids would have a backyard, the swingset, badminton, and just running around without one of us having to take them to a park.
Our HOA prohibits running a business out of your house if it brings more traffic in. Which would prohibit AirBnb.
This is a big change in local San Diego building permits. Previously they were draconian about parking spaces, setbacks, floor ratio to lot, etc
That changed about a year ago and they are now encouraging ADUs for the housing crisis. I have no idea how HOAs are going to handle it. Several cities in the area now have 3 or 4 pre-approved plans available for homeowners that can be used for free and are a slam dunk for approval.
If you are building inside a pre-existing area with a foundation, walls and a roof you should be able to build an ADU for about $50/sq ft. For example I just built a studio in a previously converted 2 car garage space (that had previously been permitted to a family room) for $32,000 (including separate water heater and panel) but add about $8k to $12k for permitting costs and contractor overhead
To build new foundation, walls, roof and pull plumbing and electrical you would need to add another $100/sq ft. I have built several bed/bath additions from ground up without a kitchen for about $100 sq ft total cost.
But adding a kitchen requires a lot of new electrical circuits to meet code requirements. That is where i see the complex issues because it could require upgrading an older main panel on the house and pulling a lot of juice out to ADU.
In HI, they even waived sone permit fees & other costs for ADUs but didn’t get the huge increases. Housing they hoped for and expected. In our neighborhood, I can’t think of any of the original owners who added an ADU other than maybe two out of dozens and it was for extended family. Similar or my parents older neighborhood.
If they wanted to free up some housing, if they allowed the step of basis when folks move to a retirement community, that would free up a lot of homes I am personally aware of that are unoccupied currently. People really hate paying taxes on appreciation. In HI, appreciation can be way over the $500,000 exemption for s couple.
That’s what I’m reading. The review has to be “ministerial,” which in my understanding means it can’t have any discretion. Whatever criteria are applied have to be written down, and then the person reviewing the application just checks them off.
So for example, suppose I own a house in San Francisco and I want to convert my garage to an ADU. If the garage doesn’t have windows in back or on the side, my application can be summarily dismissed, because San Francisco fire regulations require two different egresses and my garage hasn’t got them. But they can’t reject my application on the basis that it doesn’t fit in with the “neighborhood character,” because what the heck is that?
[quote]
Homeowners seeking to develop ADUs will have two options. First, they will be able to take advantage of paragraph (e) in the new state law and develop one ADU and one JADU with a few restrictions:
[rules about size, sprinklers, setbacks, prohibitions about renting the unit out on AirBnB, converting existing structures]
Importantly, these are the only zoning standards that may be applied for ADUs and JADUs permitted through this process, so homeowners can avoid some difficult requirements still allowed for in local ADU ordinances, like architectural review./quote
This is a prime example of thoughtless drafting. I guarantee someone will argue that this encompasses Uber and Lyft. Why even bother putting any restrictions on parking?
In my old 'hood, DADU were allowed to be up to 1/2 sft of the main house. Given that a small house in that area is 2,000 sft, and homes of 4,000 sft were common, one could build a very nice granny house - if the septic system could be designed for the granny house.
Our current house has a powder bathroom in the garage. I suppose it could be quite easy to turn it into guest quarters. We shall see…
Yes, but the people living in them would have environmental impacts living elsewhere.
For example, if aging relatives are living in the ADU, then the rest of the family need not commute to where the aging relatives live to provide any needed services that could be provided easily when they are just across the back yard.
Maybe the family does not need to commute every day to where the elderly live??
What about trees on the lot? In my neck of the woods (yes, unlike SFO, we still have trees!), one cannot mow down every significant tree to build. I actually love that.
Yes, that’s called an environmental mitigation. Projects will have additions, subtractions and no effect on or to the environment. If I remember my basic land use planning, then any project of 5 or more units requires an EIR or a Negative Declaration (project has no impact). That’s from my recollection. So, adding several or many ADU’s, using a subdivision with an HOA as an example, has a cumulative effect. Parking, traffic, noise, water and sewer usage will all increase.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea, but I can see some problems.
I’m not a lawyer, but it looks to me like “heritage trees have to be preserved when building” is the kind of restriction that could be imposed on building ADUs if it’s imposed on building other forms of housing in the jurisdiction.
My brother just built/sold a house in silicon valley with an ADU. It’s 500 sq feet with full kitchen, bedroom, laundry and separate meters for utilities. It was sold to an Asian family whose parents are moving in with them.
He has also added an extra room to his house with a separate entrance/lock that he rents out to mostly business people who come to silicon valley. He charges hotel rate and it is rented 80% of time.
