Portland Maine ADU's

[Ray B.]

Has anyone built or started the process of building an ADU in Portland Maine under the new looser laws? What were your experiences? Is it truly easier to get done, legality wise. Do you believe it to be worth the trouble/cost/time?

I have a garage asking to be turned into a little house.

[Ken P.]

Can talk more about this in person at the meetup but for the benefit of others who stumble into this thread, I will summarize here as well. I've followed the ADU changes in Portland very closely and am a huge advocate of ADUs (Accessory dwelling units).

The new laws you're referring to are the new land-use (zoning) codes effective as of Dec 1, 2020. (https://www.recodeportland.me/) It is one of the best land use codes surrounding ADUs in the entire country with the sole exception of perhaps the "other Portland".

Up to two ADUs are now permitted in any zone where residential uses are allowed, by right. No zoning board special permission needed or any of that BS. Furthermore, there is only an owner-occupancy requirement at the time the permit is obtained, after which it can be rented out just like any other unit even if the owner sells, moves, etc. That owner-occupancy requirement has crippled ADU construction in most of the country, Portland was wise to dispose of it. 

These land-use code changes are significant but it's not a silver bullet. You still have to comply with all underlying ordinances that exist in your zone, namely the lot size per unit, setbacks, etc. All of this can be found in Portland's various zoning docs online. 

Also, very important for everyone to realize the new land-use laws have nothing to do with building codes which is where most people run into trouble. Certain structures are not well suited to being brought up to code, which is why there's a lot of companies right now building modular ADUs that just get dropped into your backyard ready to hook up to utilities.  

Anyone curious about ADUs in Maine or elsewhere feel free to reach out, they're one of my favorite things to discuss.