[quote=EconProf]We are likely to see a lot more roomate situations due to a confluence of events:
1. Ongoing recession
2. Overproduction of McMansions during the boom
3. Rising rents even as apt. construction is way down
Builders are already scaling back new house sizes as they try to match the new austerity tastes of today’s homebuyers. Could the next response be houses with one first floor bedroom with its own entrance and large and private bathroom? This would enable the “roomate” and homeowner to have privacy and not even interact with each other, especially if the bedroom had a bar (wink, wink, kitchenette).[/quote]
EconProf, I agree that we will see more of these housing situations in the coming years, due to lack of jobs for all in SD and a higher percentage of resident senior citizens in the population.
There are already a few recent developments in South County which have a setup like this as having extended family (older adults) live with a family of children (for childcare and other reasons) is common here. These homes are typically 4-6 bdrms with 1-2 first-floor bdrm/bath combos, one with a separate entrance door leading out of the side or rear of house. Even though there may be only a bar sink (wink, wink) located in a bedroom (fmr MBR suite?), what’s to stop a family from installing minimal “Ikea-like” cabinets and a small countertop/bar sink? There is no law against putting a small frig, micro, toaster oven, coffeemaker and hotplate in a bdrm “unit” like this to make it self sufficient. I’ve even seen a garbage disposer installed under the bar sink! I recently purchased as a gift a 5/7/9 inch “induction” hotplate for a companion unit like this for just $42 (incl tax)! Why would you need a permit for a “kitchenette” since none of this is “built-in?” Many hotel rooms are set up like this. What does one young student (or a senior single or couple who cooks and eats dinner with the family in the “real” dining room) really need?? If there is no bar sink in the “companion bdrm,” one can likely be installed w/o a permit using the bathroom sink plumbing which already exists.
I see these “makeshift” illegal units in both newer and older construction. In 91910 and 91902 (91902 mostly detached), there is usually enough room on the lot to park all the vehicles. In 91911 and 92154, where these types of houses also prevail, there are often several extra residential vehicles parked on the streets. It’s legal to park on a public street as long as vehicles are not blocking driveway entrances or parked in red zones and are moved every 72 hrs. Some houses have as many as 8 regular vehicles always parked outside. As much as one might not want a neighbor’s vehicle constantly blocking their view across the street, there’s really nothing anyone can do about this as long as its regularly moved.
If your kid decided to stay home and go to college, wouldn’t you consider holing them up in your “granny flat” (legal or illegal) and giving them landscaping and other chores around your property for “rent?”
If your parent was 75+ years old and widowed or divorced or 85+ years old and they were both still alive, together and could take care of themselves, wouldn’t you feel better if you took them in if you were able to? They are allowed to drive until they can’t pass the DMV vision test anymore with corrected vision or have other medical issues which would preclude them from driving. They have to park somewhere.
These “companion rooms” and “units” serve a needed function for lot of SD County residents. I, for one, am glad the county has eased restrictions on them.
To the OP, I agree that 2000 sf can be excessive for 2 people if you don’t have a lot of personal possessions and don’t use the bdrms (i.e. study/guest room, etc). You are fortunate to have found a compatible (unrelated) roommate you can trust. From your post, it seems as if you don’t have a separate door to the outside in your roommates room and he/she has the use of your living areas and yard and thus has a key to your main home. I also agree with other posters that this setup could easily turn out to be an invasion of privacy and too aggravating to deal with for $600 mo. If you really need the $600 month and your roommate cleans up also, doesn’t make extra work for you, doesn’t bring in overnight or multiple guests and is not noisy, then I think you have probably found a good setup for now 🙂
