Carmel has a surprisingly long list of restrictions for a town of only one square mile. Of course, it is that same list of restrictions that assures that Carmel remains a quaint village of small homes with more trees than full time residents.
Most lots in Carmel are 4,000 square feet. Not the house, the lot. These 40X100 lots are sometimes combined into 1 and half lots or double lots and in a couple of rare cases even triple size lots. City zoning does not allow for a guest house or “subordinate unit” on a 4,000 lot. If you are looking for a detached guest house you are going to be looking at larger lots….and with the larger lots comes more total square footage and a big step up in price.
In the 1980s it became clear to city hall that there were a great number of “duplex” homes that were in fact single family homes that had surreptitiously had second kitchens added. Some of these “subordinate units” had been added years before and some were being added as the topic was under discussion at city hall. The city was most concerned about the quality of these remodels as most were being done without permits.
The city elected to offer an amnesty. If residence would inform the city they had a subordinate unit and agree to bring it up to code, the city would allow them to keep the subordinate unit with a few restrictions.
In some cases, as with the house described below, a permitted addition was added to a home and a “utility area” would be transformed into a kitchen sometime months or years after the final inspection. These homes didn’t require any work to bring them up to code. At the other extreme were converted bedrooms with hotplates and overloaded circuits that needed quite a bit of work.
The primary restriction on these units is that only one unit can be rented at any time. As an owner you can live in one part of the home and rent the other. You can lend the “owner’s area” to friends, you can use it as a second home, but you cannot rent it if the remainder of the home is occupied by a tenant.
This property is located in the golden rectangle at 7th Avenue and Casanova. A couple of short blocks to restaurants and coffee shops and a few short blocks to the beach as well.
The east unit is two small bedrooms, a bath, a small office, and kitchen/livingroom. The newer portion of the home, to the west is a one bedroom, one bath, with its own kitchen. Both units have fireplaces and the west unit has a deck.
The property is listed for $1,295,000 and is easy to see. The owner lives in one unit and a tenant in the other. The tenant would love to stay. Give me a call if you would like more information or to arrange for a tour. Malone 831-601-4740
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Carmel-by-the-Sea Home for Sale with “legal subordinate unit,” and What That Means.
Carmel has a surprisingly long list of restrictions for a town of only one square mile. Of course, it is that same list of restrictions that assures that Carmel remains a quaint village of small homes with more trees than full time residents.
Most lots in Carmel are 4,000 square feet. Not the house, the lot. These 40X100 lots are sometimes combined into 1 and half lots or double lots and in a couple of rare cases even triple size lots. City zoning does not allow for a guest house or “subordinate unit” on a 4,000 lot. If you are looking for a detached guest house you are going to be looking at larger lots….and with the larger lots comes more total square footage and a big step up in price.
In the 1980s it became clear to city hall that there were a great number of “duplex” homes that were in fact single family homes that had surreptitiously had second kitchens added. Some of these “subordinate units” had been added years before and some were being added as the topic was under discussion at city hall. The city was most concerned about the quality of these remodels as most were being done without permits.
The city elected to offer an amnesty. If residence would inform the city they had a subordinate unit and agree to bring it up to code, the city would allow them to keep the subordinate unit with a few restrictions.
In some cases, as with the house described below, a permitted addition was added to a home and a “utility area” would be transformed into a kitchen sometime months or years after the final inspection. These homes didn’t require any work to bring them up to code. At the other extreme were converted bedrooms with hotplates and overloaded circuits that needed quite a bit of work.
The primary restriction on these units is that only one unit can be rented at any time. As an owner you can live in one part of the home and rent the other. You can lend the “owner’s area” to friends, you can use it as a second home, but you cannot rent it if the remainder of the home is occupied by a tenant.
This property is located in the golden rectangle at 7th Avenue and Casanova. A couple of short blocks to restaurants and coffee shops and a few short blocks to the beach as well.
The east unit is two small bedrooms, a bath, a small office, and kitchen/livingroom. The newer portion of the home, to the west is a one bedroom, one bath, with its own kitchen. Both units have fireplaces and the west unit has a deck.
The property is listed for $1,295,000 and is easy to see. The owner lives in one unit and a tenant in the other. The tenant would love to stay. Give me a call if you would like more information or to arrange for a tour. Malone 831-601-4740