Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 160 posts · 21 votes
Hello, I'm looking into buying a duplex in Los Angeles. My offer has been accepted but I'm still debating whether to take it. This duplex has two small units and a large spacious lot in the back along with a three car garage. I was thinking about converting that garage into an extra studio/lounge space for myself while using the extra empty space on the lot for a carport. Would this be illegal? I could rent the space to an artist or just use it for my own studio since the apartment is so small. What do you guys think?
Berkeley, CA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 2 votes
10y
If you are really concerned about the legality why not give your city planning and development department a call to find out from the source? I know in Berkeley, California this was legal (with the proper permits for a conversion) as long as you could prove that you had enough space left on your property for the parking space you were removing.
Real Estate Investor · Torrance, CA · Member since 2015 · 186 posts · 45 votes
10y
Mario!
Congrats on the offer being accepted! I would not count on the garage for any additional income. You are going to run into a lot of problems when it comes to zoning and permitting...
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 160 posts · 21 votes
10y
David Dye Thanks! Yes i figured that but the units are tiny. Inwas thinking about using the garage as an office or extra lounge space. Or maybe even rent it out to someone as a artist studio space. No shower just toilet and sink. Is that not possible?
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2015 · 23 posts · 12 votes
10y
Mario, while it can be difficult to find someone interested in the kind of arrangement you describe, you also may not be legally entitled to any rent for a residential unit that does not have its own certificate of occupancy. Depending on the zoning of your property, the configuration of your lot and the construction of the garage, you may not be able to get a CO from your city for the extra unit.
Your best bet may be to make use of the space yourself, provided that your tenants still have proper parking.
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 160 posts · 21 votes
10y
Alon L. Hi thanks for your reply. My agent said that as long as i dont install a shower I should be ok with renting it out as an artist studio or something like that. What do you think? Is there somewhere I can go to research whether this might be possible?
Thanks
Mario
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 8 posts · 3 votes
10y
Hi Mario! I don't have a good suggestion but am interested in this topic as well. I actually thought about the same thing when viewing properties. The question I don't have an answer for is does an art studio count as a residential unit? Well if not then I think we won't have zoning issues. Like when you rent out a room in your house on Airbnb you don't have to rezone your property, it should be considered business rental rather than residential rental. Good luck and thanks for asking this question ;)
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 160 posts · 21 votes
10y
Patricia Jackson hey Patricia, im not sure because it still might be illegal to do it. But perhaps if there is no shower in the unit, it wont violate the zoning.
If i invested in the conversion, i'd like to know if its possible to rent out as someones studio or office space. If not, i probably wont do anything to the garage.
Berkeley, CA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 2 votes
10y
If you are really concerned about the legality why not give your city planning and development department a call to find out from the source? I know in Berkeley, California this was legal (with the proper permits for a conversion) as long as you could prove that you had enough space left on your property for the parking space you were removing.
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 6 posts · 1 vote
10y
@Mario F. such creative solutions work well for almost everyone. Someone gets a space in LA where rentals are at a premium. You get a little extra to pay the bills. However LA City have some strict laws in place. You may have heard that this is the land of the Free but the "r" in there was a typo back in the day. It's actually the land of the "fee" :) Jokes aside you can often get away with things like that even if they're not permitted provided you don't put noses out of joint (with neighbors/tenants etc). However, if you do get an inspection or reported the consequences can be extremely harsh. From paying extra permit fees to tearing it down to more which I'll talk about below.
From the city's perspective they have reasons for their restrictions and permits. And truth is if we don't follow these agreed upon requirements (zoning etc) then our city will be more like a 3rd world city than the great place it is.
Further, I believe that ignorance is bliss and that if the city becomes aware of an illegal something they can then be sued if they don't do something about it. So they are compelled to take action.
There are people you can talk to in the various departments (planning, building and safety, fire and more). They can be found at 201 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. There are also satellite offices around the city.
They are quite friendly and helpful. However, I do recommend you ask each question to 3 different staff members as you will often get different and even competing answers depending on their level of experience. There is a "concierge" desk I believe it's called. This is a good place to start as they have the more experienced staff there and you don't have to have such a defined idea of what you want.
They will look up these tools amongst other things (these tools are awesome btw):
There you'll get a load of information from zoning to issues related to the property to details of the property to services in the area, whether it's a landslide zone, hydrants, sewer, RSO, Ellis Act and much more. A gold mine.
Also check out the county sites. You're in LA City in Cypress Park but the County still has some good info.
I met a guy who was house/rent hacking. He rented a warehouse and then set it up with a few artists + plus his family. He was a bit of a hero as the landlord was getting good rent paid every month, the artists had a good cheap space to live and work and he was paying zero rent. Until one day he fell and the ambulance/fire people came. They took him off to hospital to mend and a little while later an inspector turned up. There were many issues including some non permitted rooms that had been put in by the previous tenants (a business). They all had to leave and the landlord had to pay relocation costs ($50k) as they knew it was happening (and believed it was all ok and within the law).