ADU rules in Elkhart County, IN — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Elkhart County allows an accessory dwelling unit only with a single-family home on one acre or more in the A-1 agricultural district. It must run 600 to 1,000 square feet, stay a single story, and the owner must live on site.
Under Zoning Section 5.5.3 an accessory dwelling unit is permitted by right, or by Special Use Permit, only in association with a single-family dwelling on property one acre or larger in the A-1 zoning district. The unit must have at least 600 square feet of above-ground floor area and no more than 1,000 square feet net, stand a single story, and the property owner must reside in either the main house or the ADU. A manufactured single-wide or mobile home may not serve as the ADU except for an infirmed or elderly relative or during construction, and then only by Special Use Permit. It needs an Improvement Location Permit and the same curb cut as the primary home.
Building an ADU outside the A-1 district, or without the Improvement Location Permit, is a zoning violation subject to correction. A single-wide used as an ADU without the Special Use Permit must be removed.
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