City of Charlotte Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Regulations

In the City of Charlotte, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are permitted as accessory uses in nearly every residential, commercial, and mixed-use zoning district, provided they are developed in conjunction with a single-family dwelling or a duplex not located on a sublot. The City of Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) allows only one ADU per lot, which must remain under the same ownership as the principal dwelling and typically cannot exceed 1,000 square feet in heated floor area. While allowed in most areas, ADUs are strictly prohibited in the Manufacturing and Logistics (ML-1 and ML-2) Zoning Districts.

Permitted Zoning Districts

The City of Charlotte allows Accessory Dwelling Units in the following districts, subject to "Prescribed Conditions" (PC) as defined in the Global Use Matrix [Section 15.2]:

Category	Zoning Districts
Neighborhood Zoning Districts	N1-A, N1-B, N1-C, N1-D, N1-E, N1-F, N2-A, N2-B, N2-C
Employment Zoning Districts	CG, CR, IC-1, IC-2, OFC, OG, RC, IMU
Centers Zoning Districts	NC, CAC-1, CAC-2, RAC, UC, UE
Transit Oriented Development	TOD-UC, TOD-NC, TOD-CC, TOD-TR
Special Purpose Districts	MHP (Manufactured Home Park)

Accessory Dwelling Units are prohibited in the ML-1 and ML-2 Manufacturing and Logistics Zoning Districts [Table 15-1].

General ADU Development Standards

In the City of Charlotte, an ADU is defined as an additional, complete, and separate dwelling unit that is incidental and subordinate to a principal dwelling, including its own cooking and sanitary facilities [Section 15.3].

Ownership and Occupancy

Ownership: The Accessory Dwelling Unit and the associated principal dwelling must be under the same ownership [Section 15.6.F.4].
Quantity: Only one Accessory Dwelling Unit is permitted per lot in the City of Charlotte [Section 15.6.F.3].
Structure Type: ADUs are not permitted to be located within manufactured homes, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, or campers [Section 15.3].

Size Limitations

When an Accessory Dwelling Unit is located within an accessory structure (such as a carriage house or detached garage), it must adhere to the following heated floor area limits [Section 15.6.F.6.a]:

Standard	Limit
Base Size Limit	600 heated square feet
Alternative Size Limit	70% of the total floor area of the principal residential use
Absolute Maximum	1,000 heated square feet

The City of Charlotte applies the larger of the 600 square feet or the 70% calculation, provided the final result does not exceed 1,000 square feet [Section 15.6.F.6.a]. Additionally, the cumulative square footage of all accessory structures on a residential lot (excluding the ADU itself) cannot exceed the total square footage of the heated area of the principal structure's first floor [Section 17.1.F].

Access and Parking

Parking: Under the City of Charlotte UDO, there is no minimum or maximum off-street vehicle parking requirement for Accessory Dwelling Units across all Tiers [Table 19-1].
Driveways: An ADU must be served by the same driveway as the principal dwelling. Separate driveways for ADUs are only allowed if the lot is a corner lot, a through lot abutting two parallel local public streets, or a lot that abuts an alley [Section 15.6.F.5].

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