Lynchburg, VA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

Lynchburg's single-household residential districts allow exactly one accessory dwelling unit in addition to the principal dwelling, but only on lots on which the owner resides, per Sec. 3(b) for the R-1 district (near-identical text governs R-2 under Sec. 3(b)). The unit can take one of two forms. If built inside the principal dwelling, the whole structure must keep one main entrance on the front of the building and show no outside characteristics beyond those common to an ordinary single-household home, meaning no separate exterior stairways, added doors or other giveaways that the house has been split into two units.

Alternatively, the accessory dwelling can sit in a separate accessory building, but only if it meets the detailed accessory-structure standards of Sec. 3, which govern where and how large accessory buildings may be sited on a residential lot. Both paths are also subject to the district's general occupancy cap: Sec. 2(e) limits the number of unrelated individuals who may occupy a dwelling unit, and Sec. 3(c) applies that limit to no more than three unrelated individuals per unit in the R-1 district absent a conditional use permit for a use like a boarding house or bed and breakfast.

Because the ADU right depends on owner residency, a homeowner who moves out and rents both the principal dwelling and the accessory unit to tenants no longer meets the standard, and the accessory unit reverts to a non-conforming use that the Zoning Administrator can act against.