Fort Collins, CO Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

10. Three conditions apply: both kitchens must be accessible to every occupant of the unit, the two kitchens must share non-separated, continuous, open access with no locked doors dividing them from the rest of the dwelling, and neither kitchen may be located inside an accessory building. That last condition closes off the most common workaround, finishing a detached garage or accessory structure with its own kitchen and treating it as an informal rental unit. Before the City will issue a building permit for the approved second kitchen, the property owner must sign and record a notarized affidavit with the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder stating that the second kitchen will not be used to create a second dwelling unit and that the property will continue to be used only as a single-family dwelling.

That recorded affidavit runs with the land, binding future owners as well as the applicant. 2(H), confirming that a second, code-compliant kitchen does not by itself convert a home into a two-unit property; it is the affidavit and the physical-access conditions, not just kitchen count, that keep the property classified as single-family. One caveat on currency: this additional-kitchen standard is published in the Transitional Land Use Regulations, the edition Municode designates for projects submitted before May 17, 2024. A homeowner applying now should confirm the current requirement with the Planning Department, because the standard applied to a new application may differ.