ADU rules in American Fork

Sec 17.5.106 states that living and sleeping quarters shall not be permitted in any accessory building, and Sec 17.5.134 only authorizes accessory apartments inside a single-family home (interior access to the main living area must be maintained and the outside appearance must remain that of a single-family home). No detached ADU provision exists anywhere in the code.

One accessory apartment is allowed within a single-family home in all single-family residential zones, subject to the conditions of Sec 17.5.134. The unit must have its own eating, sleeping, and sanitation facilities, a dedicated entrance on a side or rear (front only if below grade), and interior access to the main living area. Not allowed in any multi-family dwelling unit.

Sec 17.5.134 sets no square footage limit for an accessory apartment, and the definition in Sec 17.12.201 (a subordinate dwelling with its own eating, sleeping and sanitation facilities within a one-family dwelling) adds none. The practical limit is that the unit must fit inside the existing single-family home without changing its outside appearance.

No accessory apartment may be created or occupied unless the property owner occupies either the main dwelling or the accessory apartment. Owner occupied means full time residency in the home by the bona fide property owner(s) as shown on the Utah County tax assessment rolls.

Spaces may not be located in a front or side yard except within an approved driveway; tandem parking within a driveway counts toward the requirement. A lot or parcel that cannot satisfy the parking requirement cannot have an accessory apartment at all.

Sec 17.5.134 states accessory apartments are permitted within the city subject to compliance with its conditions, and the residential zone chapters (checked RA-5 §17.4.101, R-1-9000 §17.4.204, R-2-7,500 §17.4.206) all list accessory apartments under Permitted uses, not Conditional uses. Construction must comply with building codes in effect at the time; the section prescribes no discretionary hearing or separate ADU license.

Sec 17.5.134 says the accessory apartment shall not be intended for sale or detached by deed and shall only be rented, and limits occupants to one person alone, persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption plus not more than two unrelated persons, or up to four unrelated individuals. Under Ch 5.24, compliant owner-occupied accessory apartments in R-1 zones occupied by relatives or no more than four unrelated people are exempt from the city landlord registration requirement.