Greensboro, NC Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

Greensboro's Land Development Ordinance Sec. 30-8-11.2 currently includes an owner-occupancy mandate: the property owner must use either the principal dwelling or the ADU as their primary residence, meaning the entire lot cannot operate as two rented units. The owner may live in either structure and rent the other. The city has discussed relaxing the requirement as part of broader housing-supply amendments tracked on the Pending LDO Amendments page, but as of this writing the requirement remains in force. The owner-occupancy condition is verified at permit issuance and may be enforced through Code Enforcement complaint or zoning re-inspection. The ADU and primary dwelling must remain under common ownership and cannot be sold as separate parcels. North Carolina has no preemptive statewide ADU statute (unlike California, Florida, or Washington), so Greensboro's owner-occupancy rule is enforceable as a local zoning standard. Rental property registration: NC General Statute 160D-1207 restricts mandatory rental property registration programs; Greensboro does not maintain a general rental registry but may inspect properties with documented substantial code violations. HOA covenants in deed-restricted communities (Irving Park, Sedgefield, Hamilton Lakes, Lake Jeanette, etc.) commonly impose additional independent restrictions including outright ADU prohibitions or stricter owner-occupancy conditions, enforceable by private civil action.