Lower Merion, PA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

Lower Merion Township's restricted accessory dwelling unit provision, § 155-10.2.C, ties continued use of the second unit directly to who occupies and who runs the property. If the facility is not owner-occupied, subsection (10) requires that its use be sponsored by a nonprofit organization whose purpose is providing housing for the elderly and assuming responsibility for the residents' care and welfare, and that organization must keep a designated agent or offices in Pennsylvania so the Township has someone accountable. Ownership status also controls how long the arrangement can legally continue: subsection (7) states that the zoning permit granted for the restricted accessory dwelling unit expires six months after the building stops being occupied by elderly persons as authorized, at which point the dwelling automatically reverts to whatever use is otherwise permitted in its zoning district, not to two units.

On top of that expiration trigger, subsection (8) requires the owner to apply for and receive a fresh annual permit from the Township every year the arrangement continues, so the Township reviews occupancy and sponsorship compliance on a yearly cycle rather than granting one lasting approval. Together, these owner-occupancy and sponsorship conditions mean a landlord cannot simply lease out a converted unit to unrelated tenants without either living on the property or lining up a qualifying elderly-housing nonprofit as sponsor, and even a compliant sponsored unit needs the Township's sign-off refreshed annually.