Communal living practices have existed for many years now, allowing residents to benefit from shared living spaces, save money on rent, and overcome the housing crisis. Among many others, ADUs are one of the most popular co-living options lately.
ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, are built next to the main house, providing more rooms for busy households and those who are looking for some extra rental income. Personal experience of various tenants and landlords has shown that ADUs can be successfully implemented for community living in cities and suburbs.
In this article, we will talk about all the common and creative practices that were used for co-living and worked just fine. We will explore different cases of such kinds of residence in ADUs, sharing some tips for community life.
Building a house in a dense urban area has become quite challenging in the modern world. Not only the prices for resources have grown drastically, but also there is not much land available for new housing construction. Moreover, the excessive building of house complexes is quite harmful to the environment, which is already affected by overpopulation. Luckily, humans have found a good substitution for standard apartments and houses, living in accessory dwelling units instead.
Nowadays, you do not have to spend thousands of dollars trying to rent or build your own living space. More people have started to add ADUs to their properties, allowing anyone to rely on their affordable housing offers. To encourage renters to form co-living practices, landlords create spaces that serve all their guests equally, making community life as comfortable as possible.
In cities, you often have to pay a huge amount of rent each month to live in a somewhat good neighborhood. Those who are in desperate need of their personal space used to have no other option than to pay expensive rent for a super small apartment. The desire to form a good community and give more freedom of choice to those in need has led to many homeowners using their property space as a new available housing solution.
With no extra rooms added to the primary residence, these in-law units help to provide privacy to both landlord's family members and guests staying in the rental ADU. If we speak about the ways of accommodating more people in ADUs in a modern way, there are several options available to homeowners. They can provide their living spaces for rent for short, medium, and long-term periods. Depending on the purpose of staying in the city, residents can now easily choose their preferred type of ADU.
Any property owner can turn their existing ADU into a co-living building in any city. When transforming your secondary unit for a group of people to live in, there are some important features to think of in advance. First of all, make sure that your residents will be able to rest at their new home in privacy. Creating separate zones for your ADU guests to reside in is important, even if the renters are family members. As much as co-living is about building a sense of community, no one can live their life constantly, sharing each part of their day with other guests.
Second of all, if you are new to providing coliving spaces, ask your neighbors about their experience with rental coliving and their opinion on it. While you might be open to having residents in your ADU, not each neighborhood might be suitable for coliving companies. Some areas might have different community rules, so it is simply not as easy as you would see in TV series.
Co-living does not always necessarily mean that you rent the place out. Sometimes, a great community is many family members living on your property. ADUs have mainly gained their popularity for the possibility for many humans to reside on one lot in comfort. Now, you can be neighbors with your elderly parents or other relatives who need your care without buying a whole house next door. ADU apartments offer a great solution for those who want to dedicate their energy toward providing a comfortable life to their aging loved ones.
Why are ADUs great for multigenerational co-living? Here are some of the reasons:
Co-living space can also serve to accommodate your grown-up children who need more rooms for peaceful living. ADU culture has made it possible for families to stay together longer while eliminating the need to live in limited spaces and avoiding the huge rent rates for other apartments, especially in big cities.
If you build your tiny house with a strong intention to use it as a co-living space, you need to think everything through from the very beginning. Think about the ways that the living space can benefit you in the future and create an ADU with functional rooms. From the designing process to the construction site, each step should be properly planned. To explore more ideas on ADU construction and take everything under control, an ADU construction company can be hired.
Professional ADU contractors will give you the freedom not to worry about making mistakes on the way. A good contractor business will design all the plans for you, making the permitting process easier. What is more, a group of specialists will provide you with all the needed workers, so you do not have to search for them yourself. Thus, you will get a modern ADU for your guests to co-reside without having to figure out all the difficulties of ADU building yourself.
Companies of students and postgraduate friends are often the ones who are looking for affordable co-living options. If you live in a city with many higher education institutions or in a college town, providing a rental ADU for students should be quite a common-spread practice.
Student community culture makes it easier for two residents to get along with each other well. Providing areas for cozy movie nights and other coliving entertainment always helps with establishing stronger bonds between your tenants. Moreover, ADUs with different coworking spaces are important for modern students, as many of them often study and work from home.
Just like entrepreneurs work with local colleges, you can contact them and offer your coliving ADU for accommodation. These practices will help you to build a sense of trust and security between you and your new tenants, as they will know in advance that you are coming from a trusted resource.
To create a healthy atmosphere in your co-living area, you, as a homeowner, should apply efforts toward managing your rental ADU properly. For example, stating some crucial rules about payments and the use of community property in the rental lease can secure you in difficult situations. However, pay attention that not any rule you come up with can be included in the contract, so a consultation with an ADU expert might be needed.
In a world where people interact constantly, it is quite evident that we need some rules established for good everyday encounters. Once the coliving renters move in, discuss with them the following:
You should create a comfortable atmosphere for your renters. This way, they would freely express their concerns that you can help to resolve as soon as possible. With many other available rental options in the city, you should show that your ADU stands out with its good service. Having a good word about your rental property going around the neighborhood can sometimes even attract new potential renters, so do not miss the chance to work on your reputation.
All around the world, people are slowly moving towards working remotely. The pandemic has shown that many kinds of workers can simply do their job on their laptops and computers without commuting to the office each morning. Some companies have started to offer coliving community spaces for some of their employees, and ADUs actually suit perfectly for it.
Just like living with your friends can be fun, coliving with your colleagues can be motivating and productive. Different business representatives and entrepreneurs need dedicated space to spend their working hours. As ADUs are available in many different cities, remote employees and freelancers freely travel from one or another and stay at these modern apartment substitutions.
Nowadays, some states do not require owner residence on the property, and some companies might rent the whole lot, providing their workers with communal areas inside the main unit and private living zones in ADUs. Such a lifestyle helps to build your personal network of acquaintances, meet many interesting people, and travel with affordability to any city.
If you want a community of potential renters to get interested in your coliving property, you should advertise and equip it in the right way. First of all, think about the needs of your future residents. You might want to provide services such as Wi-Fi, laundry, and regular cleaning to attract renters. The availability of other facilities on the property, like a pool, a patio, or a home gym, can also be beneficial for your rental ADU marketing.
Think about the target audience that your ADU listing will potentially reach. If you live in a college town, advertise your co-living ADU apartment in a way that would be interesting to college students who are looking for affordable housing. You can mention, for instance, the proximity to educational organizations, social activity centers, shopping malls, or any other entertaining areas. Although online advertisements are the most common nowadays, building a network of student residents can also help. Once your current renters graduate, ask them to offer your ADU rental to other students who might be interested. Thus, you will have a personal recommendation from a previous tenant and a new one secured.
ADUs that are located inside or close to business districts might be in demand among workers who come for business trips or remote work. Therefore, it is important to advertise your ADU in accordance with their needs. You can emphasize the availability of good working space, stable Internet connection, and proximity to important locations in the city.
In general, make sure that your ADU listing is precise, clear, and easy to understand. Create a description that would make potential tenants want to see your property. Do not forget to attach high-quality photos of your ADU, emphasizing co-living zones and the state of communal facilities. Keeping your ADU in good condition is your own responsibility. Do not neglect it, as it directly affects your future rental income.
ADUs are actually some of the most affordable housing options nowadays. Whether you are looking for a short-term rental with your friends or you want to rent a unit for a longer period with someone you don't even know, you are guaranteed to get one of the best options on the housing market in terms of price. Valuing the experiences of their tenants, many homeowners tend to improve their secondary units as time goes by without drastically increasing the rental price.
But why are ADUs so affordable to rent? The answer is quite simple. It is because these structures do to require a separate land parcel to be bought. Property owners spend money only on the construction of the unit itself, having no additional expenses for the lot.
What is more, newer ADUs often include many energy-efficiency appliances, such as solar panels or innovative heating systems. Lesser use of electricity, water, and heating and smaller size of the dwelling unit help to reduce utility bills, making an ADU once again a more affordable option compared to an apartment or a whole house.
Before the construction of your accessory dwelling unit begins, you have to receive building permits from local authorities. Only after the architectural plans for your ADU are approved can the construction start. There are many specificities to consider when it comes to designing a plan for your ADU. One should take into account the state law and all the local zoning rules. Moreover, there might be some community regulations in your area.
In case your plan doesn't adhere to the legal requirements, the permit will be hard to get, and you will have to make corrections to the plan. Another attempt to receive the permit from the local government will cause additional fee expenses, only increasing your budget for ADU construction.
To avoid such mistakes and the tedious process of reapplying for permits, hiring professional designers and architects who have experience in creating ADUs in your area can be of great help. With general contractor companies, you will get support and assistance on each step of the creation of your ADU. This way, you can avoid any possible mistakes in the plans and save yourself from studying all the peculiarities of local law regulations.
In this article, we have discussed the main points that each homeowner with a co-living ADU should know. Remember that each experience is different, and you should try to implement all the successful practices in order to get the most out of your rental ADU. Once you have mastered your skills as a landlord, you will have no problems renting and managing a co-living ADU in your city.
ADUs extend the living space available on your property, allowing you to turn it into a granny flat, guest house, or rental unit. You can receive additional income if you decide to rent out the ADU. Another benefit is that the value of your whole property increases once the additional construction's building is over.
ADUs are affordable co-living options that will suit anyone. Whether you are looking for inexpensive housing or you are a college student who needs accommodation for the period of studying, an ADU will work just fine. What is more, ADUs are commonly used by people with remote work.
To successfully rent out your ADU, you should create a detailed advertisement with a full description of your property, details about the area it is located in, and the rental price. You might also state some requirements for your tenants. Do not forget to attach good pictures to show your ADU fully.
