Triplex codes and certifications

[Ankan Basak]

Hi guys. Who has experience with buying and managing a triplex in Philly? What are the codes and certifications needed to comply? How are they different from duplex? 

[Jimmy O'Connor]

Hey @Ankan Basak! It's been a while! Just seeing this post but most of the information you need can be found here:Philadelphia Zoning Guide. This break-down all of the structure/land requirements you need for each individual zoning. The pages you want to pay attention to is 12,13, 40, and 42 when you are specifically referencing Duplexes and Triplexes with RM1. Another zoning outside of RM1 is RTA-1 which also allows duplex conversions. 

Its important to note that zoning is not the only important thing. For 1-4 units, you need at least 360sf of lot per unit (720 sf lot for duplex, 1080 for tri, 1440 for quad) after that you need 480sf for additional unit (1920 for 5 unit so forth and so on.) 

@Steve Babiak is right, this is a sticky thread because it has a lot of nuance to it. Be careful as you are navigating different neighborhoods, some of them have specific overlays when it comes to population density that alters the lot size requirments, often at the detriment of the investors. That is why you always check https://atlas.phila.gov/ which has all of the most up to date info. I ran into an issue with overlays for a Temple Property I assigned that altered certain pockets to be SF use even in an RM1 zone (click on me for the specific overlay). 

Hope all this helps!