Change Coming for Local Accessory Housing

We recently covered some changes that Corvallis would see to Shared Residential Dwelling and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) on residential property. 

For those who aren’t caught up, the city has made changes to address the increasingly large housing shortage in the Corvallis area. Corvallis is taking cues from Portland’s allowance of a secondary AUD or a small low-cost housing on residential property. 

This change comes from the revised definitions in the Land Development Code pertaining to Dwelling Units and Group Residential uses, stemming from House Bill 2583. 

In short, the changes you can expect are as follows: 

• A Dwelling Unit is limited to five rooms offered for rent, each with their own bathroom. They must have a maximum occupancy limit of 200 square feet of gross floor area per occupant; 
• Dwelling Units are limited to two occupants per bedroom, not counting children below 3 years of age; 
• Dwelling Units may only contain one kitchen. Kitchenettes or wet bars may be included within several bedrooms; 

• Individually keyed door locks limiting access and communication to other rooms in the dwelling must be present; 
• Multiple leases for one unit must be focused on leasing an individual bedroom and sharing a common area; and, 
• Owners of the property may not occupy the space; all spaces must be leased out to non-owners.
  

For further information on the minimum standards of Group Residential or Dwelling units, click here. 

The changes were penned on Dec. 6, and will take effect on January 1, 2022. For questions or to speak to the Development Services staff, you may call 541-766-6929. 

By Ethan Hauck