The Columbus Title 33 ADU Pilot Program adopted in 2025 does not require the property owner to live on-site. ADUs may be rented to non-relatives, and both the primary dwelling and the ADU may be rented simultaneously. No deed restriction or owner-occupancy affidavit is required at permit issuance. HOA covenants in deed-restricted subdivisions may still impose owner-occupancy independently.
Columbus City Council, in adopting the Housing For All ADU Pilot Program in 2025, declined to impose an owner-occupancy requirement on ADUs - a deliberate policy choice consistent with the program's goal of expanding housing supply and rental options. Title 33 amendments do not require the property owner to live in either the principal dwelling or the ADU; both may be rented out, occupied by the owner, or any combination. No deed restriction is recorded at permit issuance. Ohio has no statewide ADU statute (unlike California, Florida, or Washington), so local choice governs. Code Enforcement under Title 45 (Housing Code) requires both dwellings to meet Columbus Housing Code standards regardless of occupancy. Rental property registration applies citywide to rental dwellings - both the principal home and ADU, if rented to non-owners, must be registered with Code Enforcement under Title 47. HOA covenants in deed-restricted neighborhoods (less common in Columbus city limits than in suburban Franklin County) may still privately require owner-occupancy and operate independently of city zoning.
No city violation for non-owner-occupancy. Failure to register rental property with Code Enforcement under Title 47 carries civil penalties. HOA enforcement is a private civil matter.
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See how Columbus's adu owner occupancy rules stack up against other locations.
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