Accessory Apartments
With the passage of HB 6107, Connecticut became the 8th state to legalize accessory apartments - but we still need towns to support their creation.
What’s good about Accessory Apartments?
Naturally affordable.
Because of their size, accessory apartments are often “naturally affordable” housing, and an excellent option for young people and seniors.
Environmentally efficient.
Accessory apartments are built where housing already exists, so there’s no extra sprawl — and their small size means they use less electricity and water.
Perfect scale for every town.
Accessory apartments are neatly tucked into single-family housing, so if a homeowner creates one, it will not change the look and feel of the neighborhood.
Image: Radclifffe_Dacanay. Reproduced from Be My Neighbor: Untapped Housing Solutions, Regional Plan Association, 2020.
Show Your Support!
Make sure your local decision-makers support accessory apartments! Learn more about how to participate in planning and zoning processes. And be sure to download and distribute our Accessory Apartment Fact Sheet!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are “accessory apartments”? They are small, independent living units that cater to seniors, young adults, and multigenerational families. In size, a new state law suggests they be up to 30% of the floor area of a primary dwelling unit, or 1,000 SF, whichever is less.
What did towns do before the 2021 state law was passed? While most towns allowed accessory apartments, the requirements varied greatly from town to town. Some towns said only a blood relative can live in an accessory apartment. Others required costly applications and a full public hearing. HB 6107 ensures these requirements are more reasonable and carry across different towns, making it easier for everyone to understand how to create this housing.
What did the 2021 law change? The short version is that it legalized accessory apartments everywhere single-family housing is allowed. Check out the fuller explanation here!
What benefits do towns get from new accessory apartments? They increase the town’s property tax base. They also reduce per-unit infrastructure expenses because units are nestled within existing housing.
How do accessory apartments benefit homeowners? They can increase property values up to 50%! They can also provide rental income so homeowners can help make mortgage payments.
Who can live in an accessory apartment? Anyone! They’re great for students, people with disabilities, members of multi-generational families, and seniors.
Have other states legalized them? Yes! Vermont, California, and Oregon all have recently. California saw an 11-fold increase in accessory apartment permits within 4 years of legalization.
Are accessory apartments good for the environment? Yes! They are built where housing already exists, so there’s no extra sprawl - and their small size means they use less electricity and water.
Can towns impose design standards? Yes! The 2021 reforms explicitly allow towns to develop design standards that work for the town. Here’s the text of the bill so you can see for yourself!
Can accessory apartments become short-term rentals (e.g., Airbnbs)? Only if the town allows them to be used this way.
RESOURCES
Our one-page Accessory Apartment fact sheet! Please download & distribute widely!
An Enterprise Report on overcoming restrictive land use laws that make developing these units difficult.
Highlight: “Lower- and moderate-income homeowners, [with] support from policymakers and philanthropy, can utilize accessory apartment development to generate additional income and build wealth by boosting property value.”
A UC-Irvine Ph.D. research paper that analyzes how accessory apartments can raise values!
Highlight: "Results suggest that addition of accessory apartments increases the property value of a parcel by about 50%” - and “upwards of 58% in Los Angeles.”
An AARP Report that discusses how accessory apartments can benefit a broad spectrum of individuals throughout different communities.
Highlight: Accessory apartments are a highly useful option that increase housing options for a variety of individuals and families, across age and income spectrums.
An R Street Institute Report which calls attention to the flexibility and ease of implementing accessory apartment development.
Highlight: Accessory apartments are a free-market, low-cost solution for private actors and homeowners.
A Washington Post article about the impact of statewide accessory apartment legalization in other states.
Highlight: “In California, legislative changes helped pave the way for an 11-fold increase in accessory apartment permits between 2016 and 2019 — just 1,269 permits were issued in 2016, which increased to 14,702 in 2019. Los Angeles alone issued 15 ADU permits in 2013, 80 in 2016, then 2,342 in 2017 and 6,747 in 2019.”
An op-ed from noted attorney Dwight Merriam highlighting how Public Act 21-29 could unlock new accessory apartments across Connecticut.
The “Be My Neighbor” Report analyzes the promise and potential of accessory apartments in the New York City Region.
Highlight: “ We can create hundreds of thousands of new homes in the region just by allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and conversions of large single-family homes to two- or three-family homes in areas near transit.”
A personal story from urbanist Toni Gold: “Accessory Dwelling Units are a Good Thing.”
Highlight: “There’s a movement to legalize ADUs statewide. It’s a good idea whose time has come.“
A short report with case studies sponsored by HUD analyzes the advantages of accessory apartments and how to incorporate them more seamlessly into communities.
Highlight: “Accessory dwelling units have other advantages as well. They can be designed to blend in with the surrounding architecture, maintaining compatibility with established neighborhoods and preserving community character.”