A Complete Guide to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Accessory dwelling units (ADU) are also commonly known as in-law apartments, granny flats, or in-law suites. You’ll probably come across other names for ADUs such as basement apartments, companion units, guest houses, and pool houses, depending on where you live.

A recent study by NAHB revealed that accessory dwelling units gained a lot of popularity in 2019 compared to the previous year, owing to a growing number of home renovations involving ADU constructions. Moreover, the number of first-time property listings with granny flats has snowballed over the last decade all across the country.

Unfortunately, there is a lot that many homeowners, buyers, sellers, and renters do not know about ADUs. It’s about time you learned all there is to know about accessory dwelling units in Rhode Island — what it means to have one, what it takes to build, and all the legal requirements and processes involved in erecting an ADU structure.

This article takes an in-depth look at ADUs and what you should consider when constructing an additional housing structure on your property. Let’s dive in, starting with the very basics and building up from there.

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