What is a Accessory Apartments?

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What is a Accessory Apartments?

Accessory Apartments are allowed mostly in Suffolk County. This means that an owner of a home (who lives there) is allowed to rent his or her home out to a non family member, for extra income. It’s also known as owner occupied. In Brookhaven township they allow residence to file for a legal accessory apartment in there basement, as long as if they have the proper ceiling height and egress.

The Benefits of Accessory Apartments

The benefits of accessory apartments are many. Most people want to grow old in their own home: the concept of “aging in place” or “livable for a lifetime.” Staying in one’s home is often unrealistic when the home is no longer affordable or when one or more family members experience a debilitating chronic illness or a disability.

When affordability is an issue, homeowners and especially senior home owners living on a fixed income, benefit from the income derived from the accessory apartment. The occupant of the accessory apartment benefits from the ability to rent an apartment in a tight market or to live free or at a reduced rent in exchange for assistance to the residents of the single family home.

Additional benefits of sharing include providing a safety net, a feeling of well-being, and, indeed, people live longer in their own home. For people with a debilitating chronic illness or a disability, an accessory apartment can be occupied by a caregiver.

The Need for Accessory Apartments

People across the lifespan want to live independently. Seniors and people with disabilities are most in need of support to accomplish this. Over the next 17 years, our region will experience more cases like this.