ADU rules in Anchorage, AK — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Anchorage passed major ADU reform 2021-2023 under AMC Title 21. ADUs are now allowed by right on most single-family lots, up to 900 square feet or 40 percent of the main home, with one off-street parking space.
The Anchorage Assembly adopted significant ADU-friendly amendments to AMC Title 21 between 2021 and 2023 to address the housing shortage. Key provisions: detached and attached ADUs allowed by right in R-1, R-1A, R-2A, R-2D, R-2M, R-3, R-4, and R-4A districts; maximum 900 square feet or 40 percent of the primary dwelling floor area (whichever is less); one off-street parking space required; owner-occupancy of the main or ADU unit no longer mandatory as of 2023; short-term rental use of ADUs subject to separate STR registration. Height limit generally 25 feet or matches the main home zone. Setbacks match accessory-structure standards in the underlying zone. Building permits are required through Development Services, and the unit must meet IRC with Alaska amendments — including a second means of egress, smoke and CO alarms, and frost-protected foundations suitable for boreal soils.
Unpermitted ADUs: stop-work order, permit-after-fact double fees (typically 500-2,000 dollars), and potential removal order if code-deficient.
Anchorage, AK
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See how Anchorage's adu rules rules stack up against other locations.
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