Lakeville, MN Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 11-54-11.G, added by Ord. 1126
- Interior connection
- Must stay unlockable from each side
- Utilities
- Single water, sewer, gas and electric meters
- HVAC
- One heating and air conditioning system
- Address
- One postal address for entire property
- Applies also to
- RS-1 to RS-4, RM-1 to RM-3, RH-1
Summary
In the City of Lakeville, Minnesota, Ordinance 1126 added an accessory living quarters standard to the RS-CBD district at City Code section 11-54-11.G that stops short of allowing a rentable second unit. The design must keep an unlockable interior connection between the main home and the accessory space, single utility meters, one heating system, and a single postal address, so the unit cannot function as an independent rental.
2. There shall be an interior connection between the main living area and accessory living quarters that is able to be unlocked from each side of the connection and that is not secured by a deadbolt or keyed lockset. 3. The principal building shall be served by single municipal water, sanitary sewer, gas and/or electric utility service lines each with a single meter for the respective utility where applicable. 4. The principal building shall have one heating and air conditioning system. 5. The property shall have one postal address.
Full Breakdown
Section 11-54-11.G, added to the RS-CBD district regulations by Ordinance 1126 on August 3, 2026, allows separate living quarters with kitchen facilities for housing multiple generations as an accessory use within a single-family dwelling, but only if the principal building is not designed or constructed as a two-family dwelling. The provision requires an interior connection between the main living area and the accessory living quarters that can be unlocked from each side and cannot be secured by a deadbolt or keyed lockset, which forecloses giving the accessory space its own private, lockable entrance the way a rental unit would need.
The principal building must be served by a single municipal water, sanitary sewer, gas and electric service line with one meter per utility, must have only one heating and air conditioning system for the whole structure, and the property must carry a single postal address rather than two. Together these requirements mean the accessory quarters cannot be metered, addressed, or secured separately from the host home, which is what distinguishes this multigenerational living arrangement from a true rental accessory dwelling unit. The same anti-rental structure, using identical interior-connection, single-meter and single-address language, already applies in Lakeville's RS-1 through RS-4, RM-1 through RM-3, and RH-1 districts.
Violations & Fines
Converting the accessory living quarters into an independently rentable unit, such as by installing a lockable separating door, a second utility meter, or a second address, violates section 11-54-11.G. Under City Code section 1-4-1, violating any Code provision is a misdemeanor punishable up to the state maximum fine for misdemeanor offenses, and section 1-4-1-1 authorizes the Zoning Administrator or Community and Economic Development Director to cite the property owner, with each day the unauthorized rental configuration continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a locking door to separate my ADU in Lakeville?
Can I put a separate electric meter on my accessory living quarters?
Can the accessory unit have its own mailing address?
Is this rule only for the RS-CBD district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakeville
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