Auburn permits home occupations in residential districts as a secondary, incidental use. They must use no more than 25% of the dwelling (max 500 sq ft), keep the home's residential character, and create no nuisance such as excess traffic or noise.
Auburn regulates home-based businesses as "home occupations" under Zoning Ordinance Section 511.04. The purpose is to let residents earn income from their homes while preserving residential neighborhood character, so the rules keep activity limited in scope. Under Section 511.04(B)(1), a home occupation must be clearly secondary and incidental to the dwelling's residential use, and (except for homestays) no more than 25 percent of the dwelling's total floor area may be used, to a maximum of 500 square feet; "total floor area" includes heated and ventilated areas but excludes garages, carports, outside storage rooms, and porches. The exterior appearance may not be altered (Section 511.04(B)(2)), the business must operate in the existing dwelling without enlargement (B(3)), and no new or existing accessory structure may be used for it (B(4)). Section 511.04(B)(11) prohibits any nuisance such as excessive traffic, on-street parking, noise, vibration, glare, odors, fumes, smoke, dust, heat, fire hazards, or electrical interference beyond what is normal for the neighborhood. The on-site repair of vehicles is prohibited (B(13)), as is the sale of dangerous or deadly weapons (B(12)). Off-street parking must be provided per Section 513. Only one home occupation is allowed per residential dwelling unit (Section 511.04(C)).
Exceeding the 25%/500-square-foot limit, altering the home's exterior, using an accessory structure, repairing vehicles on site, or creating a nuisance violates Section 511.04 and can result in denial or revocation of the home occupation certificate.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Auburn requires premises to be kept free from weeds or plant growth over 12 inches, and noxious weeds are prohibited. Weeds are defined as grasses, annual pl...
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