ADU
An accessory dwelling unit is a really simple and old idea: having a second small dwelling right on the same grounds (or attached to) your regular single-family house, such as:
- an apartment over the garage
- a tiny house (on a foundation) in the backyard
a basement apartment
Though accessory dwellings are an old idea (think of the old alley apartments in Washington DC, or the carriage houses you see in fine old Seattle homes), they fell out of favor in the middle of the 20th century. Now, however, they’re coming back, and they have many names. Planners call them ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), but they’re also known as granny flats, in-law units, laneway houses, secondary dwelling units, and many other names. ADUs can be tiny houses, but tiny houses aren’t always ADUs.
People build them for a variety of reasons, but the most common goals, according to one study, are gaining income via rent and housing a family member (accessorydwellings.org).
For information on ADUs in New Hampshire, please see the following documents:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 December 2021 AARP ADU Webinar | 4.51 MB |