What is a Mother/Daughter house?

[Daryl A.]

Hey All,

Quick question. What does it mean when a house is described as a mother/daughter? Is that a 2 fam with permits? Seen it twice today in 2 diff listings. Just curious. Thanks.

[Account Closed]

Great question! A mother/ daughter house is a single family house with two kitchens and two bathrooms, more or less arranged as separate living areas but connected as one overall dwelling unit. Most building codes specify that a single dwelling unit cannot be occupied by unrelated persons, and a mother/daughter is really a single family dwelling that happens to have a separate living area that is connected to the other unit. A mother/daughter will typically have one electric meter servicing the entire building. The number of electric meter servicing the house can be a basis or point of comparison between a two-family house and a mother/ daughter house.