Plymouth, MN Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

04, Subd. 2 lists the conditions an ADU must satisfy in Plymouth, and item (j) requires that the owner of the property reside on the site, in either the principal dwelling unit or the ADU. This sits alongside the rest of the subdivision's conditions: only one ADU is allowed per single-family detached lot, an administrative permit must be secured before or with the building permit, there can be no separate ownership of the ADU, and the ADU must connect to the same municipal utilities as the main house rather than carry its own separate service.

The owner-occupancy condition is what distinguishes an ADU from an ordinary duplex conversion: Plymouth's zoning code treats the ADU as 'a clearly incidental and subordinate use' to the single-family home under item (f), which only works if an owner remains present to keep that relationship intact. Because owner-occupancy is written into the same subdivision as the rental-licensing condition in item (k), a property owner can rent out either the principal home or the ADU, but only while continuing to live in whichever unit is not being rented.

If the owner moves away from the property entirely, neither unit can lawfully continue as a licensed rental ADU arrangement, since the Zoning Administrator's approval and the ADU's underlying legal status depend on the owner's continued residency.