My brother is building a playhouse complete with insulation, doors and windows in my mom’s backyard. The floor dims are 9′ x 18′. Actually he plans to study in it and possibly sleep there because my mom’s house is very noisy as she is a licensed baby sitter.
As a baby sitter, my mom’s house is subjected to periodic inspections. During the last inspection, they noticed the nearly completed playhouse in the backyard and asked for the permit which my brother doesn’t have because he is new to this country and doesn’t know that he needs a permit.
The inspector told my mom that the playhouse could be used only for storage and not living and if they find somebody living there they could impose big fines.
The house is nearly done, it just needs the drywalls on the inside. It is not connected to the ground. What are my brother’s options? He really wants to study and sleep there.
1. Can he apply for a permit now? Will they ask him to tear it down? If it is OK to apply now, what is the process?
2. Forget about insulation, and just use it for storage.
3. Other option? Please advice.
I would first look up the definition of “living” before getting to worried about it.
I doubt many inspectors will be willing to work the night shift necessary to catch someone sleeping in there. And, without plumbing, they’ll be hard-pressed to prove anything.
I think they care about someone renting it out and cooking/sleeping, etc.
Still – I’d ask a lawyer what, exactly, you can’t do just so he can get his story straight if anyone ever asks.
I think the limit for un-permitted detached structures in San Diego is 100 sqft and for the unincorporated parts of the county 120 square feet? Maybe this is a different county?
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