ADU in Baltimore

[Timmy Chen]

Hello BP Family!

Recently purchased a foreclosure home and I realized the backyard is easily accessible with an separated old garage that will either be rebuilt or torn down. I was thinking about possibly converting it to an ADU. Has anyone done this before?

any insight would be most appreciated such as ARV and fees.

-All the Best,

Timmy CHen

[Sam Kahl]

Hi Timmy, I recently interacted with the City's Planning staff about a listing that had an existing structure that seemed to at least have potential for an ADU. The City explained that the zoning code doesn't have separate provisions for an ADU, and that dwelling units are considered dwelling units regardless of size. There is a carriage house exception but that has to actually be an old carriage house for horses, and from what I understand this rarely applies. It sounded likely that a co-primary structure on the same lot would end up in front of the BMZA (Baltimore Municipal and Zoning Appeals) and many of the same standards for a primary residence in that zoning classification would still apply to the co-primary structure, unless BMZA waived it. Bottom line: Baltimore City is not nearly as friendly to an ADU as you would expect for a densely populated urban jurisdiction where many of its political leaders call for increased density, inventory, the end of single family zoning, etc. I was surprised there wasn't an entire chapter in the zoning code on how to convert a detached garage into a second dwelling almost anywhere in the city. With all of that being said, I would absolutely suggest you contact the Planning department and get more specifics for your particular property!