ADU rules in Sumner County, TN — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Sumner County allows accessory dwelling units in any residential zone in connection with a single-family home, under Zoning Resolution Section 1101(R). By-right ADUs must be owner-occupied, at least 300 square feet, and limited in size; others need a Board of Zoning Appeals special exception.
Unlike much of Tennessee, Sumner County has clear ADU rules in Zoning Resolution Chapter 11, Section 1101, Subsection R. An ADU is a second living unit added to, inside, or detached from a single-family dwelling. It is allowed in any residential district, but the owner must live in either the principal home or the ADU, only one ADU is permitted per lot, and it cannot be rented or leased; occupancy is limited to family members or invited guests. Detached ADUs must be at least 300 square feet, cannot exceed the main house, and need 20,000 square feet of land on sewer or 40,000 on septic. A recorded covenant, plot plan, and TDEC septic verification are required before the building permit.
Establishing or occupying an ADU that fails the Section 1101(R) standards without a Board of Zoning Appeals special exception is a zoning violation. Renting an ADU breaches the required covenant and can revoke the approval.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Sumner County, TN
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See how Sumner County's adu rules rules stack up against other locations.
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