Although in-laws housing is allowed in most areas of Connecticut, many municipalities have strict zoning laws and building codes that vary from city to city. Working with a licensed contractor will help you ensure that your apartment is properly built according to your community`s rules. “Some [tenants] choose these types of units to enter certain school districts,” Trevizo notes. “Landlords tend to be more flexible than a management company in an apartment complex.” However, there are a few inquiries you should do to find out if the apartment is legal and can be legally rented to someone other than your in-laws. This is an important distinction if you want to earn (legal) income from the rental apartment in the house you are buying. Changing the certificate of occupancy is usually not an easy process, as it may require zoning variation, and as Cynthia Keskinkaya of the Keskinkaya Dartley team at Douglas Elliman points out, the existing apartment may not comply with city regulations. Building an in-laws suite as an addition to the home can bring a great return if you decide to sell the house. The valuation value of homes with mother-in-law apartments that can be legally rented can be 7.2% to 9.8% higher than their last sale price. Not only can the extra square footage result in a higher list price for your home, but buyers who have large families or want space to rent are likely to pay more for your home with an in-laws apartment. “An in-laws apartment has its own kitchen, bathroom and separate windows – all qualifying attributes of a normal apartment – but it is usually smaller. And it has its own entrance,” says Vittorio Faricelli, a broker at Citi Habitats, originally from Williamsburg where such configurations are common. Connecticut residential additions, like all residential conversions, must be professionally managed. For your own safety, all home extensions must be done in accordance with building codes, local laws and regulations.

Improper work can be extremely dangerous and is not covered by home insurance. Unauthorized work also makes selling much more difficult and can devalue the home. Depending on the community, a beautiful home can be an asset or a burden when it comes to the value of the home. If ancillary housing is permitted in the community, homeowners may generally qualify for home improvement loans to finance construction or renovation. Property owners should consult their neighbourhood`s zoning laws to ensure they are complying with the law. A certified contractor can provide answers to construction logistics, such as if new utilities are needed or if a separate mailing address is required. The unit can consist of an area above a garage or a separate apartment created in the attic or basement of the house. Instead of converting the existing space in the house into a separate housing unit, it can be an addition to a home. Finally, a guest suite can be a detached structure that is completely separate from the main house, such as a small cottage on the property. A “dwelling” is a small living space adjacent to a larger primary residence. These secondary dwellings may also be referred to as “mother-in-law” or “secondary dwellings”.

Are you sold to a mother-in-law suite? If so, you should calculate your budget and evaluate the options available to you. But before we continue, it`s important to check the fine print, the small details that could cause headaches later. Specifically, you will need to review your local orders to determine the legality of the addition. You will often find basement or garden apartments called “in-laws apartments”, but these apartments can be located on any floor of a building. Light fixtures and other materials can be hard to find, which means it takes you a lot longer to collect materials. At present, you can wait 5 months to start construction. Once the work begins, construction will take about 4 to 5 months. Here`s what you can expect: An in-laws unit can be a major selling point when buying a home. This is the perfect guesthouse for short-term visits (your adult children are coming for Christmas) or long term stays (grandma moves in with you).

But what can you do with your in-laws unit when it`s empty? Some landlords choose to rent it. Faricelli says he most often sees apartments in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Park Slope, as well as in Ridgewood and Middle Village in Queens. You can earn extra income by renting out your in-laws apartment. Just make sure your privacy is relatively uncompromised. In general, however, in-laws` units offer privacy to homeowners as they have a separate entrance, which is different from hacking into a single-family apartment. Are there rules that define what constitutes an apartment in the in-laws? Not really, according to the lawyers we spoke to. A typical 100-amp home may not have enough electricity to handle an on-site apartment. This is especially true if your in-laws` apartment has appliances such as a refrigerator, stove, and air conditioning.