What defines a 2 unit

Question

Stuart Udis · Answer

@Ethan Goletz Was there a rental license for two units? If not, look for prior use permits indicating the property was legally established as a two-family dwelling. This is where things become nuanced. If there was an active rental license within the past three years, L&I will often allow the use to continue. Without that license, however, L&I has discretion to either recognize the prior use or require a new use permit. Unfortunately, there is very little consistency in how these situations are handled.

From there, review the underlying zoning. In many cases, RM and certain RTA1 districts (depending on lot size and other dimensional requirements) permit two-family dwellings by right, meaning you may be able to apply for a new use permit if the zoning supports it.

You also need to evaluate what improvements may be triggered by a change of use. Depending on the circumstances, that could mean installing a sprinkler system, upgrading life safety systems, or making other expensive code-related improvements.

In short, there are a lot of moving parts in an imperfect system. It's important to get advice from someone who truly understands Philadelphia's zoning and L&I process rather than relying solely on marketing representations from real estate agents. I receive calls and emails all the time from investors who purchased properties believing they could use them a certain way, only to discover after closing that the legal use was not what they assumed.

Andrew Postell · Answer

@Ethan Goletz oh, cool!  I had a property like that before.  This was actually a little more common way back in the day.  In lower-middle class neighborhoods from the 1920s-1950s it was common for people to rent out the front room of a home.  Many were built with a 2nd door for that sole purpose.  House hacking before the term "house hacking" even existed!  My grandmother had a house like this in Birmingham too.  Mine was in Fort Worth, Texas - built in 1928.  But the post above was right on.  You have to contact the city/county and maybe even zoning to see what goes into this and if it's even allowed.  You may have to call around a little to find the right department too.  But that's where you need to go for that information.

Good luck with the new home!

Caleb Brown · Answer

You would need to contact the city and check what's allowed. Can be done but each city is different on what's needed and allowed. It won't be cheap so make sure you have $$ to get it done