Fairfax County invites you to weigh in on its potential updates to zoning regulations for accessory living units.
The accessory living unit (ALU), also known as the accessory dwelling unit (ADU), is a secondary dwelling area of a single-family detached residence. In-law suites, basement apartments, and guest houses are all types of ALUs.
Fairfax County’s Zoning Ordinance includes limitations to size, occupancy, entrances, and parking. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® (NVAR) recognizes the potential of ALUs as part of the solution to improving the future of housing supply in the region and encourages changes to and even the removal of these requirements.
NVAR expects significant community opposition to some of these changes, and with that community opposition, comes difficult political decisions for both the Fairfax County Planning and Zoning staff who are writing the ordinance and the elected leaders who will ultimately approve the amendment. However, the time is now for the County to take these important steps toward improving housing accessibility and expanding the region’s overall housing supply.
Increasing the supply of attainable housing for all income levels across the Northern Virginia region is NVAR’s top policy priority. While ALUs are not a fix-all solution that will solve all housing supply issues, they are a tool for creating more housing supply in the region.
Fairfax County’s community survey allows County residents to submit feedback. Make your voice heard by completing the survey and urging Fairfax County to:
- Allow by-right administrative approval of all types of ALUs.
- Allow ALUs on more property types, including townhomes and duplex properties.
- Remove burdensome size restrictions and allow larger units as long as they stay subordinate to the primary dwelling.
- Eliminate owner occupancy requirements.
- Eliminate permit renewal requirements (i.e., tie the permit to the property, not the owner) to allow builders and developers to build homes with ALUs and make it easier to sell and transfer these properties.
- Eliminate the two-acre minimum lot size restriction for detached ALUs and allow administrative (by-right) ALUs on all lots that can meet already established setback standards.
- Eliminate the overly restrictive two-person occupancy limitation and allow for small, family-sized units with up to at least a four-person occupancy.
The survey closes on February 28, 2026, so don’t wait! Take the survey today and advocate for these changes.
To learn more about NVAR’s advocacy efforts, visit nvar.com/advocacy.