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Alternative Housing Choices
Backyard Cottages (Detached Accessory Dwelling Units)

A backyard cottage is a small living space allowed on the same lot as a single-family house, but physically separate from it.

In August, 2006, Mayor Greg Nickels signed Ordinance 122190 that allows backyard cottages in single-family zones in Southeast Seattle (south of I-90 and east of I-5). The ordinance became effective on Sept. 14, 2006.

Attached accessory dwelling units (also known as granny flats, or mother-in-Law units) are allowed on any single-family lot throughout Seattle – as long as they are attached to the main home.

The Mayor is interested in expanding affordable housing options and supports alternative housing choices as a means to provide it. A community-led task force in Southeast Seattle developed an Action Agenda recommending backyard cottages as a way to address housing affordability and to help existing homeowners stay in their homes.

The following Client Assistance Memos have been published for your information:

  • CAM 116A, Establishing an Attached Accessory Dwelling Unit 
  • CAM 116B, Establishing a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit
  • CAM 606, Illegal Dwelling Units 

For more information on how to apply for a permit to build a backyard cottage on your property, visit our permits page.

Background information on this legislation is available in Acrobat PDF format:

  • SEPA Environmental Checklist
  • SEPA Environmental Determination
  • Development Standards Chart
  • Housing Choices Forum
  • Director's Report
Last Updated: June 18, 2008
Quick Reference


A Guide to Building Backyard Cottages in Seattle
A technical guide to assist homeowners in developing backyard cottages in Southeast Seattle is under development. Please check back for a publication date.

Contact Scott Dvorak at
(206) 615-1447 or
scott.dvorak@seattle.gov
to find out the status of the project.

Cottage Housing
Stay tuned for a staff draft proposal, anticipated later this year.

 

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