With affordable housing at a premium in the Tampa area and more people working from home, interest in “accessory dwelling units,” or ADUs, is growing. Call them granny flats, she-sheds, college kid cottages or home offices — they are growing in popularity enough that the City of Tampa is addressing them.
ADUs in Tampa Area
Just recently, the city began conducting an online survey to gauge interest in ADUs and how people want to use them. The City wants to find out people’s concerns as well as what excites them about the concept. City Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak said this conversation will only expand as affordable housing remains a huge issue in this area and more people are working full-time remotely.
When she served on the board of the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, Hurtak often heard about homeowners adding ADUs, which are a right under a special overlay district there. They were allowed, people liked them, and no one questioned them, she said.
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“Now, I am on the city council and looking at the affordable housing crisis and ADUs are one of the quickest ways to add affordable housing in multiple ways,” she said. “You can rent it out or use it for a family member.”
Hurtak, whose husband works from their family ADU, said the City Council is scheduled to discuss the matter more during a workshop on June 23. Hurtak said the upcoming city workshop should shed some light on permitting and other issues involving ADUs.
For some, the trend of working from home has prompted the addition of ADUs. Seminole Heights resident Anne Shields recently installed a “she-shed” behind her 100-year-old house. She is now using it for her home office.
“Our house has a detached garage, and we were originally going to do an apartment up there, but the quotes were for $150,000 to $200,000.” For her, that prices was a non-starter.
“My husband works from home and so do I and he uses the office. I’ve been working in my bedroom for two years at a tiny desk,” Shields said. “A friend suggested putting a shed out back. If it is under 150 square feet, you can do it without a permit and can add electric and AC.”
So they did.
(The ADU of Ann Shields in Seminole Heights)
For about $25,000, she now has a custom-built home office with its own Wi-Fi. “I absolutely love it. It kind of feels like I have a treehouse. Plus, with my job, I am trying to be professional.” And the view of her bed in the background was just not working, she said.
Shields said a friend of hers had a mother-in-law suite built behind her house for her mother. They designed it with the same Mediterranean theme as the main house. “It looks fantastic” and solves a family issue.
ADUs and affordability
The average ADU is 600-1,200 square feet, depending on location and most have a kitchenette, living area, bathroom and separate entrance. While they can be rented out in Seminole Heights, the main house has to be owner-occupied to do so.
One recent Facebook post listed a 1,000 square-foot studio ADU for rent in Seminole Heights at $1,400 per month. While that is not considered affordable housing for many, it is what the market can bear, Hurtak said. She expects such prices will vary greatly, depending on location and the ongoing changes in the real estate market. “That sounds like the type of rental prices I hear for ADUs in South Tampa,” she added.
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This expansion of ADUs is happening in several urban areas. In one neighborhood in Los Angeles, according to Architectural Digest, homeowners and designers Bo Sundius and Hisako Ichiki converted an old 850 square-foot garage and office into a two-bedroom, 1.5-bath detached rental unit behind their 1,100 square-foot bungalow at a cost of $250,000.
(The former garage in the backyard of a residence in Los Angeles most recently functioned as an office before it was converted into an accessory dwelling unit)
Having a second, smaller dwelling on the same grounds as a regular single-family house is actually an old idea and their most common uses are for family members or to gain rental income.
While most people want to stay in their homes as they age, there comes a time when it’s not always possible. “If your mother has a 30-year-old house with maintenance issues, you could move her closer and sell the house, which would open up a house for someone else,” Hurtak said.
She also expects to see ADUs placed for transit-oriented development. If there is a bus stop close to a home with an ADU, it can be even more appealing for singles or young couples, she said.
Flexibility with ADUs makes them more appealing for many reasons, according to Accessory Dwellings, which bills itself as “a one-stop source about accessory dwelling units, multigenerational homes, laneway houses, ADUs, granny flats and in-law units.” Those reasons include lifestyle, finances and the environment.