How do I turn a single family residential into a Duplex?

Question

I am currently going back and forth with offers on a SFR in Rosendale, Ny which is in between Kingston and New Paltz in Ulster County. There is currently an unfinished bedroom, finished living room and Water Hookups (old sink) in the room in between. I am thinking it might be possible to turn this house into a Duplex but I'm not sure where to look, or who to ask about rules and regulations for this type of renovation.

Any tips or guidance would be appreciated!

Cree Quaker · Answer

Congratulations John!

Each town/city has its specific niche tenant based on the amenities, etc.

New Paltz is a college town and often rooms are rented rather than Apts, though there is demand for full Apts and houses for grad students and professors.

Rosendale is a rural town and Main St is just one little section.  High Falls and Stone Ridge are nearby and have a lot of offerings that support those living in Rosendale.  I don't know that students would go to Rosendale to rent, but vacancy is low all over and finding a tenant for a nice house should not be difficult.

Kingston has the lion's share of multi family properties as its a city rather than a town and has a more concentrated population. The location and the style of the property would dictate the rent.  More original charm and features allow for a higher rent.  There are also rents set by number of bedrooms, and lastly a growing AirBnB culture - geared more toward SFR.

Good luck, and Rosendale has some great restaurants and festivals to check out!

Cree Quaker · Answer

Most multi-family properties are in the City of Kingston, and the demand for them is high.  That said, parking is a big issue.  Call the building department, and get the details on the requirements.  I do know parking is a big issue here and you must have enough off-street parking for tenants.  Many properties in Kingston share driveways or don't have enough parking and that can make it more challenging.

If you need any referrals or assistance, I'm happy to help out.

Cree

Alan Brown · Answer

Hey John, sounds like you have a good project going!  I've sort of been commuting back and forth between Montana and the Hudson Valley, and have been looking at Kingston area to see if it's on it's way up...   I wonder if Rosendale's rules might be relaxed... it's a little off the beaten track, isn't it?  I would go online to the ulster county website and see what you can find under zoning, as Rob G says;  look at the zoning map and see what the property you're looking at is zoned, and then see what that particular zoning allows.  That being said, many places around the country, particularly more rural areas, are on a complaint-based system, which means that you can sort of do what you want as long as you don't bother the neighbors.

But, since you're considering buying the place, it would be good to have it meet the governing criteria before you buy it!  That might figure into your negotiations:  if it's only zoned as a single family home, it might be worth a little less based on the income approach of the property, unless it's a nice residential area, in which case a duplex might not fit well into the neighborhood.  Anyway, if you need another set of eyes on the deal, I'm often out and about and would be happy to look at it with you.

cheers!

Rob Geringer · Answer

I'd suggest the first place to start would be your local building and planning offices to check if zoning would allow it and if services for water and sewer can be split, as well as particular building code requirements to separate living spaces.

John Weber · Answer

Hey all, sorry for the late response.  It has been an emotional few weeks.  So I was able to call the town and get more information on the project I was originally thinking about.  The town inspector and permit guy were both out of the office however the secretary was able to answer all my questions and then some!  I learned so much about permits and restrictions from that 30 minute phone call. I went into the conversation some what informed but she was able to explain things in detail that I didn't know about or wouldn't have thought to ask.

Ultimately, the house is zoned properly to be a duplex. It has the right amount of area (acreage) and is the right distance from the street itself/ rear end of property line.   The only thing I would have to do is present my case at a town board meeting.  Since she handles the forms at the courthouse when these meetings take place so she was definitely the person to be talking to about the matter.  She confirmed all my concerns and I felt more confident about the property.

Unfortunately, I looked at the house the next day with an inspector, who is a friend of mine, and we looked at the house and looked for concerns.  We sure did find a lot.  Many more then I was previously expected.  I then tried to renegotiate with the seller because of the repairs that would be needed however they were not willing to entertain my offer. I may send another but ill wait for it to sit on the market for a little longer.  Oh well, on to the next one I suppose.

John Weber · Answer

So the Property is zoned as R-2, which according to the Town of Rosendale,  it would require some Special permits but could potentially be a Duplex.  I have not yet called to see what kind of permits, or how much it would cost to do this renovation.

@Rob G. I will ask those questions when I call tomorrow

@Alan Brown,  Rosendale is a bit out of a diamond in the rough.  It has some little shops and a main drag but it is quite a small town.  My tenants would have to have a car in order to get around to larger stores and attractions for.  It is a nice getaway from the NYC though and there are two colleges within a 15 minute drive.  I would idealy rent to college kids.

@Cree Quaker,  I did see some opportunities for multi-family's in Kingston However  none in my immediate price range.  I also noticed that the rent in Kingston was a bit lower than it is on than places for rent as you get closer to New Paltz?

As of Yesterday,  we settled on a price.  I am going to do a walk through with a contractor friend on Saturday and see if there are any major issues that I should be concerned with.  If it works out, I might have my first deal on its way!

John Weber · Answer

Alright this is a great start! Thanks @Cree Quaker, @Alan Brown, and @Rob G.   Ill start looking into it and let you know what I find!

How do I turn a single family residential into a Duplex?

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