Accessory dwelling unit in Montgomery County

[Leonid Sapronov]

Hi all,

Read through all the MoCo zoning ordinance documents, but still have a few questions:

1. What's the difference between an attached accessory dwelling unit and any other space of a single-residence house? My understanding is that for a space to be considered an ADU, it must be self-sufficient and have a kitchen. I.e., if I take the kitchen out of an attached ADU, it becomes just another part of the house. Is that accurate?

2. What exactly does "attached" mean? How must it be attached? What are the minimum requirements for the unit to be considered attached? My understanding is that it must have a shared wall. Is that accurate?

3. In technical terms, what's the difference between a single house and two separate houses located on the same lot? Is it the presence of a shared wall? What if the two structures share a foundation and have some other structural elements connecting them that's not a wall (e.g. a beam or a canopy)?

Thanks for all your insights!