Millcreek, PA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

The rental bar in Millcreek Township is a single sentence in § 145-58(H): the occupancy or rental of an In-Law Apartment by persons other than in-laws as defined in Chapter 145 is expressly prohibited. The definition in § 145-11 does the work. An In-Law Apartment is a separate living space within a Single-Family Dwelling, Detached, consisting of separate sleeping, cooking and bathroom facilities, and it is to be occupied by an in-law of, in-laws of or a member of the Family unit occupying the main portion of the Dwelling. A tenant with no such family tie does not meet the definition, so leasing the unit to one is a violation of the Zoning Ordinance.

The prohibition sits beside the owner-occupancy rule in § 145-58(B). The Dwelling must be owner-occupied, and subsection A requires the use to meet every element of the definition at all times. A unit that is rented to an unrelated household fails both tests at once. The apartment is also capped at 720 square feet or 40% of the principal Dwelling's total area, whichever is less, with no more than two bedrooms and only one In-Law Apartment per Single-Family Dwelling, Detached.

The Chapter 145 district lists treat the In-Law Apartment as an Accessory Use permitted by Conditional Use in the CR, R1 and R2 districts, approved by the Board of Supervisors. Short stays are a separate regulated use. Limited Lodging under § 145-61 requires a Use Certificate renewed annually with the Township and rentals of not less than two and not more than 30 consecutive nights, and nothing in § 145-58 turns an In-Law Apartment into one.