Hello awesome BP community! 

Need some more help. 

Currently, the house we reside in has a carriage house out back, that is a free-standing unit. All of the mail, both for the carriage house as well as our home, is delivered to the main house. Since we are friends with the carriage house tenant, this isn't an issue, though she has remarked that it would be more convenient if she had her own mailbox. 

Additionally, we are looking to move away in the next year or two, so eventually, we are going to need to figure out the mailing situation, so that it is not an absolute nightmare for the next tenants.

Both the carriage house and our house have the same address. I would like to set up two mailboxes, one for the main home, and one for the carriage house. Here are some questions: 

1) Are we going to face some legal issues if I set up the carriage house mailing address to indicate that it is going to the carriage house mailbox? An example: 

Tenant Name

Street Address 

CARRIAGE HOUSE 

Savannah, GA 31405 

2) How much would it cost to get it denominated as a separate home, ie. Studio/Apartment/Suite? 

3) In general, what would be the easiest and most cost-efficient way of handling this? 

Thank you! 

Kendall,

I would have the carriage house set up a POBox, and maybe you could reimburse her for the cost of the box, or some sort of discount on the rent 

Check with your town. You might be opening up a can of worms (or not).

Couldn't you have her put something like Suite A in the address. Then put up a second mail box w/ the letter A on it next to the current mailbox.

@Matt K. This was my thinking, and I'm very much hoping it's this easy. I just don't know if this would be legal. 

@Julie N. Hopefully not a can of worms! But yes, I definitely want to get all the rules down before I do anything. 

@Kim Meredith Hampton I've thought about this option, too. It would be less convenient for sure, so I'd like to look into other options first. 

Thanks guys! 

@Kendall Vrana you already have a tenant, just use the same justification you used on that for the mailbox.

@Kendall Vrana I have a similar house.  It's really an issue to resolve with the Post Office.  Add a second mailbox and figure out what you want to call the carriage house address.  They'll let you separate it.  It will take some time since people are mailing the carriage house to the main house address, but you'll get there.

The only can of worms is if your house isn't zoned for a second unit.  Even then, you're grandfathered in since it's done and occupied.  You might look into this to confirm.

Thanks, @Rick Baggenstoss , this is very helpful! 

2 mailboxes side by side same address with name on outside so post office will separate.is probably best plan. 

I have a rural mailbox,, large enough where I put inside 4 dividers, labeled tenants and each has a slot.. 

But legally,, if asked for you have to provide a mailbox and a locked style mailbox might be also requested and you must provide.. 

Check with your local post office.. 

This is a post office issue, not a town/county issue. Fairly easy to do.

I lived in a place (rental) that had a "mother-in-law" unit behind the main residence. It was designated "123B" by the Post Office & had its own mail box. No idea of the legality with the city, etc, but that's how the P.O. wanted it set it up. I'd just ask at your local branch & see what they say.