ADU rules in Lindon

Detached accessory apartments are allowed, but only in conjunction with an owner-occupied single-family dwelling that was not approved as part of an R2 overlay project. They are prohibited on lots of 6,000 sq ft or less and in the areas shown on the Lindon City Accessory Apartment Map, which is printed in the code and excludes single-family homes in the AFPD (Anderson Farms Planned Development), R3 and Planned Residential Development overlay zones. Detached units carry extra height, setback, size, design, and utility requirements. Separately, Utah Code 10-21-304 takes effect October 1, 2026 and will require Lindon to permit a detached accessory dwelling unit on any lot of 11,000 sq ft or larger where a single-family dwelling is a permitted use; Lindon had not amended this chapter as of its August 25, 2026 Planning Commission meeting, so ask the city how it is applying the map exclusions to detached units.

Internal accessory apartments and apartments in garages or accessory buildings substantially attached to the main dwelling (by covered walkway, breezeway, or porch, within 18 feet) are allowed under the same conditions: owner-occupied single-family dwelling, lot larger than 6,000 sq ft, not in a map-prohibited area, and not part of an R2 overlay project. One accessory apartment maximum per dwelling.

Detached units must also be at least 300 sq ft and contain no more than 3 bedrooms; the detached cap counts livable floor area across both stories combined. The substantially attached cap applies to apartments in garages or accessory buildings connected by covered walkways, breezeways, or porches within 18 feet of the main dwelling.

Accessory apartments are allowed only in conjunction with an owner-occupied primary single-family dwelling. Owner occupant is defined as someone with 50% or more recorded ownership (or a qualifying family-trust trustor) occupying the dwelling as a primary residence; temporary absences up to 3 years (military, disability, job assignment, ecclesiastical service) do not break owner-occupied status. Utah Code 10-21-303 lets Utah cities impose this condition on internal units, and from October 1, 2026 Utah Code 10-21-304 will let cities require the owner of a detached unit to live in either the house or the detached unit.

Garage or carport stalls used by the primary dwelling do not count toward the ADU stalls (or vice versa) unless the garage holds more than 2 vehicles with an accessible route to the apartment. Internal ADU parking may not be in the front setback; for detached units at most 1 designated stall may sit in the front yard setback, and tandem side-yard parking can qualify. Surfaces must be dustless and hard (asphalt, concrete, compacted gravel, masonry, or pavers), with a walkway from the apartment entrance to its stalls. From October 1, 2026, Utah Code 10-21-304 caps assigned parking for a detached unit at 1 space if it is under 650 sq ft and 2 spaces if it is 650 sq ft or larger, so Lindon's flat 2-stall detached rule will be too high for a small detached unit until the city amends it.

Approval runs through an accessory apartment building permit: the applicant submits a scaled site plan and detailed floor plans to the chief building official and pays fees per the city fee schedule. The section describes no conditional use permit, hearing, or discretionary review for accessory apartments; the city may record a notice under Utah Code 10-9a-530 (renumbered as 10-21-303) when one is approved. From October 1, 2026, Utah Code 10-21-304 bars any Utah city in Lindon's class from requiring a conditional use permit for a detached accessory dwelling unit in a primarily residential zone.

The ADU section bars selling or subdividing the apartment separately from the principal dwelling, parcel, or lot. Chapter 17.80 allows an accessory dwelling unit to operate as a short-term rental only when the primary dwelling is owner occupied, requires a business license under Title 5, and adds STR parking on top of the dwelling's required parking. No minimum lease term for long-term rentals appears in the ADU section, and Title 5 has no residential rental licensing chapter, so no separate long-term rental license is recorded here.