aka Casita – Guest House – Detached Living Space – Alternative Dwelling Unit – ADU – Granny Flat – Multi-generational Living
Home prices in Arizona have skyrocketed. The median price for a detached single-family home in metro Phoenix sits at $430,000, a 53% rise just since 2020. https://www.abc15.com/news/state/arizona-house-passes-casita-bill-to-allow-adus-on-single-family-properties
Arizona Governor signs new Housing Bill in May 2024 to increase affordable housing supply with residential casita legislation making accessory dwelling units legal; removing considerable permitting and approval constraints with municipal building departments.
Gov. Hobbs signs bills encouraging more casitas; now called ‘middle housing’. The legislation stops Arizona’s cities from setting restrictive regulations on casitas and townhouses.
House Bill 2721 will prohibit cities from discouraging the development of “middle housing,” which consists of duplexes, triplexes and townhouses.
House Bill 2720 will make it easier to construct accessory dwelling units, also known as casitas, on the lots of single-family homes.
Read more: ADU Housing Design / Build – Alternative Dwelling Units – ArizonaHB 2720 specifically stops a municipality from the doing the following:
- Prohibiting the use of either a single-family dwelling or any ADU located on the same lot as separately leased long-term rental housing.
- Requiring a pre-existing relationship between the occupants of a single-family home and ADU located on the same lot.
- Setting restrictions on an ADU that are considered more restrictive than a single-family home within the same zoning area.
- Requiring improvements to public streets as a condition of allowance for an ADU.
- The legislation further states that ADUs are allowed on all lots zoned for residential use in a city; without any limits if the municipality fails to adopt development regulations by Jan. 1, 2025.
House Bill 2721 will prohibit cities from discouraging the development of “middle housing,” which consists of duplexes, triplexes and townhouses.
… “allow any lot with a single family home to build at least one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit, promoting the single family home or casita on the lot as separately leased long-term rentals.”
Arizona House Bill 2721 is aimed at encouraging creative construction and aesthetic diversity of different types of housing on existing residential zoned properties. https://azmirror.com/briefs/hobbs-signs-bill-allowing-casitas-in-cities-across-arizona/ Allowing the construction of townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes as a way to provide more affordable housing options, especially to first-time homeowners.
Phoenix approves backyard guest houses, bans them as short-term rentals, where owners can build backyard units with electricity and full kitchens and baths. However, it’s not required to have a formal kitchen …
Phoenix Arizona ADU housing summary: https://www.kjzz.org/2023-09-07/content-1856841-phoenix-approves-backyard-guest-houses-bans-them-short-term-rentals
- caps guest houses at 15 feet in height, although exceptions can be requested.
- cannot be more than 75% of the primary home size
- if the lot is under 10,000 square feet, then the guest house can be no larger than 1,000 square feet.
- if the lot is more than 10,000 square feet, it can be no larger than 3,000 square feet or 10% of the lot size, whichever is smaller
- additional parking space requirement dropped or reduced
This article offers a real construction and design perspective on the considerable factors to consider when adding an additional living structure (detached or attached) on an existing residential property. Multi-generational living design and construction is a considerable undertaking from an investment and building lifestyle – involving extensive design and scale factors.
Phoenix Arizona Guide to ADU’s – https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Pages/aduguide.aspx
One of the hottest topics in Residential Housing is the legislative acceptance for States to develop laws to alter the Zoning for Alternative Dwellings on the same property; commonly knows as Multi-generational Living Structures.
A great article from Accessory Dwellings dot Org.
A one-stop source about accessory dwelling units, multi-generational homes, laneway houses, ADUs, granny flats, in-law units…
A fresh 2024 Arizona report on the acceleration of Accessory Dwelling Unit build-outs … that extends Residential Property Zoning regulations/code into the lawful construction of living structures on a property with potentially multiple multi–generational living units – either attached or detached. This is a very exciting avenue to solve the lack of affordable housing for family members and other’s.
Exciting times in quasi multi-family living in the public sector! And I can say that with confidence because I have experience in the design and construction of ADU property types.
I assure you that designing and planning for the whole site to successfully consider _all_ the necessities for the additional structural accommodation’s to build out ‘small-ville’ in the backyard; which is a very different thought process and evolutionary planning space than single family architecture, building and design.
This living arrangement is very tightly integrated on the residential lot parcel and very easy to overlook people’s very different needs, expectations and lifestyle’s to endure cooperatively and peacefully at close proximity.
Arizona and Hawaii Adopt Statewide ADU Reforms | Accessory Dwellings — also neighboring California
Arizona statewide ADU reforms are the hottest trend this year in housing laws.
The Arizona bill would allow ADUs to be built on the properties of single-family homes within a mile of “central business districts” in Arizona cities with populations higher than 75,000.
And exciting ADU changes as well in neighboring California where a potential Sale can occur on the separate ADU.
Arizona Residential Zoning is some Cities now include the expansion capability to construct Multiple Multi-Story units ( or remodel an existing structure ) on a Residential property .. that includes a primary structure !
Hybrid multi-family building and living here we come. These are exciting times where-by the U.S. government and the States are promoting the private sector to literally build hybrid structures in their yards and connect them to infrastructure / services or upgrade them to accommodate more people on the same property.
Substantial discussion took place during the Legislative process to address residential rentals abuses and Airbnb-like situations in residential neighborhoods that alter the local character. The new laws requires owners of ADUs being used as short-term rentals to reside on the property which is a compromise with those who wanted stricter controls on short-term rentals; possibly while making it easier to finance an ADU buildout and insurance policy for multi-family and a much larger size/scale.
The Arizona Legislation also addresses the focus on Long Term Housing needs which read:
” A MUNICIPALITY MAY NOT DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
PROHIBIT THE USE OR ADVERTISEMENT OF EITHER THE SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING OR ANY ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT LOCATED ON THE SAME LOT OR PARCEL AS SEPARATELY LEASED LONG-TERM RENTAL HOUSING.
Speaking of multiple additional or stacked Casita’s … the law designates ” a permitted “restricted-affordable dwelling unit”, either through a deed restriction or a development agreement with the municipality, rented or sold to households making up to 80% of the area’s median income … the owner can (possibly) build an additional ADU.”
Arizona’s HB 2720 highlights:
AZ Legislature > hb2720h.pdf (azleg.gov) #accessory dwelling units; regulation; requirements
Arizona ‘Municipalities’ … SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS THAT ALLOW ON ANY LOT OR PARCEL – WHERE A SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING IS ALLOWED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: hb2720h.pdf (azleg.gov)
- 1) AT LEAST ONE ATTACHED, DETACHED OR INTERNAL ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT AS A PERMITTED USE.
- 2) A MINIMUM OF ONE ADDITIONAL ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT AS A PERMITTED USE FOR EACH ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ON THE LOT OR PARCEL THAT IS A RESTRICTED-AFFORDABLE DWELLING UNIT.
- 3) AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT THAT IS SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE GROSS FLOOR AREA OF THE SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING ON THE SAME LOT OR PARCEL OR ONE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, WHICHEVER IS LESS.
- …….. etc …. read the document link
Drops owner occupancy requirements for ADUs
Drops parking requirements
Reduces aesthetic match to primary residence
Building setback extended
Building envelope extended to 75% of the area of the main residence
Fun Fact: 26% of houses in Maricopa County were owned by outside investors who rent out the property, decreasing the amount of homes available for purchase by locals, contributing to the housing shortage. The Governors office says they will “crack down” on speculation by out-of-state real estate investors that drives up the cost and (availability/affordability) of housing for Arizonans.
Factory Built ADUs – there will be a substantial increase in “build and place” housing solutions where a crane drops the semi-finished unit.
Factory Built Accessory Dwelling Units | MHIA http://housingarizona.org