2000 AARP Accessory Dwelling Units Model Ordinance

This document provides information on the benefits of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and a model ordinance to enable the construction, zoning, and regulation of ADUs. ADUs are independent housing units, typically (but not always) created on single-family lots through remodeling or expanding the existing home or constructed as a detached dwelling. Detached ADUs may be freestanding or incorporated into another structure, most often a garage. ADUs, in the right policy context, can be a cost-effective means of increasing the supply of market-affordable rental housing in a community and accommodating new growth without dramatic changes to the character of a neighborhood.