03/14/2025
Information taken from AARP Magazine ~ good definition of the New Massachusetts law for ADUs.
An accessory dwelling unit is a small residence that
shares a single-family lot with a larger primary dwelling.
• As an independent living space, an ADU is self-contained,
with its own kitchen or kitchenette, bathroom and
living/sleeping area. (Garage apartments and backyard
cottages are each a type of ADU.)
• ADUs can enable homeowners to provide needed
housing for their parents, adult children, grandchildren
or other loved ones.
• An ADU can provide older adults a way to downsize on
their own property while a tenant or family member
resides in the larger house.
• Since homeowners can legally rent out an ADU house or
apartment, ADUs are an often-essential income source.
• ADUs help to improve housing affordability and diversify
a community’s housing stock without changing the
physical character of a neighborhood.
• ADUs are a beneficial — and needed — housing option
for people of all ages
