I'm reading many stories of individuals having success with their house hack by living in an AUD and renting out the rest of the property. My question is how are folks doing it. Many cities/municipalities have issues with these spaces being turned into completely separate living areas. I know major cities like NYC prohibit them but most do it anyway and risk the fines. I really want to finish off an AUD and rent out the entire home but I'm skeptical and don't want to get into issues with my local authorities. Do these individuals who have success doing this get permission beforehand or something? Also, doesn't adding the additional space mean you're increasing the property's overall number of units? I feel like I'm missing a piece of the puzzle.
I'm reading many stories of individuals having success with their house hack by living in an AUD and renting out the rest of the property. My question is how are folks doing it. Many cities/municipalities have issues with these spaces being turned into completely separate living areas. I know major cities like NYC prohibit them but most do it anyway and risk the fines. I really want to finish off an AUD and rent out the entire home but I'm skeptical and don't want to get into issues with my local authorities. Do these individuals who have success doing this get permission beforehand or something? Also, doesn't adding the additional space mean you're increasing the property's overall number of units? I feel like I'm missing a piece of the puzzle.
You probably mean ADU, which is Accessory Dwelling Unit. Without knowing your location, nobody can really comment. Some cities allow it, some cities allow it with restrictions on who can live there, some don't allow it but look the other way and some strictly enforce rules against it. The best answer is call your city planning office and pull permits with actual use stated. Anyone who tells you to do something without permission has the luxury of telling you to take risks, but they suffer no consequences when it goes wrong.