What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit?
For a long time, I have been fascinated with the ideas of tiny houses or small backyard homes called by their official title, Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs. Where can I find one? Can I live in one? In whose backyard? In what locale? And, lastly, would building and zoning more ADUs be a solution for senior living and homelessness? I say they could be helpful.
Unfortunately for me personally, my daughter lives in a small apartment in New York City. She does have a guest space where I can comfortably visit three times a year, but there is no room for a formal ADU.
Creating an ADU is strictly a matter of state law and local zoning. For this reason, I have reviewed the zoning rules in three localities—Alexandria, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and California.
First, how is an ADU defined? According to the American Planning Association (APA), an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a stand-alone (i.e., detached) single-family home. Further, ADUs can be converted portions of existing homes (i.e., internal ADUs), additions to new or existing homes (i.e., attached ADUs), or new stand-alone accessory structures or converted portions of existing stand-alone accessory structures (i.e., detached ADUs).
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"What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit?" by Joan M. Bondareff was published in the April 2026 edition of the American Bar Association’s Senior Lawyers Division Voice of Experience newsletter.