Vineland, NJ Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Vineland City Code Section 425-270 defines an accessory apartment as a separate and complete dwelling unit contained within a single-family dwelling, generally meant for extended family members. To qualify, the unit must meet all four listed conditions: it must be serviced by the single-family dwelling's own utilities, carry the same mailing address as the main house, and have free access between the accessory apartment and the rest of the dwelling. The Section 425-270 definition of SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING confirms that a single-family dwelling may include an accessory apartment (along with an in-home office, family day-care home or a single boarder) without converting the property into a two-family use, so a qualifying accessory apartment does not require rezoning or a use variance in a single-family district such as R-1.

Because the accessory apartment is folded into the Land Use Article's zoning definitions rather than treated as its own permitted use category, the Department of Licenses and Inspections' Zoning Officer applies the same four-part test on every review of a certificate of zoning compliance or building permit that references a second unit inside a house. Any unit that fails one of the four conditions, for example a detached structure with its own address or a metered separate utility hookup, is not a lawful accessory apartment under the code and is instead treated as an unauthorized second dwelling unit, which is a distinct zoning violation from an ordinary accessory apartment.