ADU rules in Bountiful

A detached ADU is a conditional use reviewed and approved by the Bountiful City Administrative Committee, and only within the Single-Family Residential zone, Residential Multiple (RM) Family Zone, and Downtown (DN) Mixed Use Zone; not permitted in any other zone. The property must be owner occupied and contain a habitable single-family dwelling (ADUs are unlawful on duplex or multi-family properties).

An internal ADU (created within a primary dwelling and within its footprint at the time of creation) is a permitted use reviewed and approved by City Staff, within the Single-Family Residential, RM, and DN Mixed Use zones only. A basement ADU may share a common entrance if each unit has a separate interior door; otherwise the separate entrance must be on the side or rear.

A detached ADU shall be at least 350 square feet and shall not exceed 1,250 square feet, and may not be located on a lot with less than 8,000 square feet of buildable land. The internal ADU criteria in subsection (E) contain no size limit, but an internal ADU must fit within the footprint of the primary dwelling at the time it is created.

For both detached and internal ADUs, the property owner must occupy either the principal unit or the ADU as their permanent residence and may at no time receive rent for the owner-occupied unit. Applications must include proof of owner occupancy (voter registration, vehicle registration, driver's license, county assessor records, or similar). A deed restriction limiting the property to single-family use must be recorded with the Davis County Recorder before occupancy.

Adequate off-street parking is required for both the primary residence and the ADU; one off-street space must be provided for the ADU in addition to the parking required for the principal unit at the time of construction. Additional occupant vehicles must park off-street in code-compliant areas; on-street parking may be used only in compliance with the Bountiful Traffic Code. Same rule for detached and internal ADUs.

Internal ADUs are a permitted use reviewed and approved by City Staff (permit fee $125). Detached ADUs are a conditional use requiring approval by the Bountiful City Administrative Committee, and residing in one without a conditional use permit is unlawful.

An internal ADU is by definition created for offering a long-term rental of 30 consecutive days or longer, and effective April 1, 2022 short-term rentals of 30 days or less are prohibited (stated in the internal ADU criteria). The owner may at no time receive rent for the unit they occupy. ADUs are not bought or sold separately per the city's ADU information page.