5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Rutherford County, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is allowed by-right in any residential district on a lot of at least one acre, with only one ADU per single-family lot. The owner must live in either the main house or the ADU.
Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1101 Q
ADUs are permitted in any residential zoning district in connection with any lawfully existing single family dwelling... The property owner must reside in either the principal structure or the ADU. Only one ADU is allowed per lot in conjunction with a single family house.
In unincorporated Rutherford County, a shed and other detached accessory structures must sit at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines, stay out of the front yard unless the house is set back over 60 feet, and may not exceed the district height limit (typically 35 feet).
Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1101 D
Accessory structures must be located inside or rear yards a minimum of 5 feet from the property lines... Accessory structures are only allowed in the front yard if the principal structure is setback more than 60 feet from the front property line.
Converting a detached garage or accessory building into living space in unincorporated Rutherford County is treated as creating an accessory dwelling unit. It is allowed only where the structure meets the current adopted residential building code, plus ADU covenant, lot-size, and permit rules under Section 1101 Q.
Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1101 Q.3.b
Detached ADUs may be established within an existing, legally established accessory structure which meets the current adopted building code for residential structures in Rutherford County.
A carport is a detached accessory structure in unincorporated Rutherford County, so it must follow Section 1101 D: a 5-foot side/rear setback, the acreage-based size cap, and the district height limit (typically 35 feet). It cannot be approved before the principal home is built without special-exception approval.
Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1101 D
The maximum allowed size of all accessory structures, excluding swimming pools, is based on the acreage of the parcel... No accessory structure may be approved before the principal structure is built without special exception approval by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
There is no separate tiny-home rule in unincorporated Rutherford County. A permanent tiny dwelling is regulated either as a single-family home or, on a lot with an existing house, as an accessory dwelling unit, and must meet the 300-square-foot minimum and adopted building code.
Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1101 Q.3.b
An ADU must however, provide the minimum area requirement of 300 square feet as required by the building codes currently in effect for Rutherford County for a dwelling unit.
1 cities in Rutherford County have their own accessory structures rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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