Bring back coach houses in Chicago (a case for ADUs)

How much a month on the shed? All photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

My client Sarah and I got a kick out of the "tiny house" garden shed in a huge Portage Park yard last week.  We're looking for multi-units for and any extra unit or parking space income helps! It's common to find non-conforming in-law units in the bungalows of Portage Park for "related living". In all seriousness there is very good information and writing on making coach houses and other forms of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) legal. 

Check out Steven Vance's latest post at ChicagoCityScape.com and learn more about coach house and ADU advocacy. You can join others advocating for and lobbying local Alderman to consider bringing these types of housing to the forefront of policy. As a real estate broker (Realtor) I support the creation of legal ADUs.

A large coach house sits behind a four unit building at the end of my block. This one is an entire single family home with an inviting front porch!

I can SEE three separate coach house residences from my own Lincoln Square backyard and know of several others on my surrounding blocks. The units are simply affordable housing for great neighbors in what otherwise would be garages full of junk.

This unit is seen from my yard. It is another full single family unit that has been incorporated into a condo association with the front multi-unit building. 

Various ADUs would allow extra income for property owners looking to maximize their personal properties and better afford their neighborhood and property taxes.  Coach houses and garden units would fill many niche's including short-term housing for students and contract workers. I'm often asked to find temporary, reasonably affordable living spaces for people transferring to Chicago for jobs... it ain't easy! There are typically heavy restrictions on short-term rentals in large buildings and corporate housing is expensive. ADUs on private property would make things easier.

(Da) Coach house... yea or nay?

A large coach house (brown with front porch) a few doors down from my yard. There are several coach house units in close proximity to my house in Lincoln Square. They can be a tad difficult to price when prepping for sale.

Chicago Cityscape's Steven Vance muses on coach houses today.  It's also a nice dive into how crazy Chicago zoning ordinance is (the moon alignment with Mars is in there somewhere). To bolster my Chicago street cred my wife and once lived in a second floor coach house apartment in Lakeview. You ain't lived in Chicago until you lived in the alley.

We have listed/ viewed many coach house units around Chicago.  Some are "detached" fee simple homes while most units (if bought and sold) are part of a small condo association.  We once listed a coach house condo above at 3127 N Clifton #1 as part of a three unit condo association with the front house (shown above, rear of photo).