Bloomfield, NJ Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)
ADU rules in Bloomfield, NJ, also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances, cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Key Facts
- Eligible zone
- R-1A Zone only
- Approval
- Planning Board conditional use after a public hearing
- Minimum lot area
- 8,500 square feet
- Habitable floor area
- At least 500 and no more than 750 square feet
- Parking
- At least three surface or driveway spaces
- Occupants
- Parent, parents or adult dependent relatives, not more than two
- Annual steps
- Certificate of occupancy renewal each January with affidavits
Summary
Bloomfield Township allows an accessory dwelling unit only as an in-law suite inside an existing detached garage in the R-1A Zone, and only as a conditional use granted by the Planning Board after a public hearing. The occupants must be a parent, parents or adult dependent relatives of the owner or tenant, and the lot needs at least 8,500 square feet.
(10) Use of existing detached garage as in-law suite. ... (a) The Planning Board may grant a conditional use so as to permit within a one-family home the occupancy and use of existing detached garages in the R-1A Zone as in-law suites, with separate kitchen and bathroom facilities, for use by the parent, parents, or adult dependent relatives of one of the owner-occupants or tenant-occupants if, after a public hearing, the Board finds and requires that an application complies with the following: ... [2] The garage is preexisting and on the same property as the original principal dwelling and is located in the rear yard only. The Board shall not permit the new construction of a garage for the purpose of this conditional use. [3] The property has a minimum area of 8,500 square feet. [4] Residential use of the garage shall only be permitted on the ground floor. [5] The minimum habitable floor area for conversions shall be 500 square feet. [6] The gross floor area of the garage may be expanded, but any addition for habitable space may only be horizontal and the maximum habitable floor area shall not exceed 750 square feet.
Full Breakdown
Two sections of the Land Development and Zoning chapter carry the rule, both added November 13, 2023. Section 315-38A lists the conditional uses for the R-1A, R-1B, R-2A and R-2B zones and includes accessory dwelling units in existing detached garages in the R-1A Zone, only (Ord. No. 23-52). Section 315-39B(10) sets the conditions (Ord. No. 23-53).
The Planning Board decides. After a public hearing it must find that the exception serves not more than two family members who are a parent, the parents or adult dependent relatives of an owner-occupant or tenant-occupant of the principal dwelling and who are of such an age or condition of health as to require special consideration. The suite has its own kitchen and bathroom facilities. The garage must be preexisting, on the same property as the original principal dwelling and in the rear yard only; the Board cannot permit new construction of a garage for this purpose. The property needs a minimum area of 8,500 square feet. Residential use is limited to the ground floor. A conversion needs at least 500 square feet of habitable floor area. The garage can be expanded, but only horizontally for habitable space, and habitable floor area cannot exceed 750 square feet; second-floor additions are allowed for storage only. At least three surface or driveway parking spaces are required, they cannot block the garage, and both the suite and the main house can use them.
The paperwork continues after approval. The owners and the relative file affidavits that no landlord-tenant relationship will be created, and file them again each year with the certificate of occupancy renewal, which is due every January. The owners sign a recordable agreement with the Township, approved by the Township Attorney, that ends the use when the applicant no longer owns or occupies the property or the parent or parents no longer live there. The suite is inspected annually with the renewal. Owners within 200 feet get notice of every Planning Board hearing.
Violations & Fines
The Code deems a use abandoned when any listed requirement stops being met. Under § 315-53 the Township can sue to enjoin an unlawful use, and the Zoning Officer or Construction Official can issue stop-work orders and deny, revoke or withhold permits. Where no specific penalty is set, § 1-15 allows a fine up to $2,000, imprisonment up to 90 days or community service up to 90 days, and each day counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a new garage apartment in Bloomfield Township?
Can I rent the garage suite to a tenant?
How large can a converted garage suite be?
What happens when the relative moves out of the garage suite?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomfield
How Bloomfield compares: Easiest Cities to Build an ADU·Compare Bloomfield to another location·View the New Jersey accessory structures overview
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ADU Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Essex County handle adu rules.