Richmond, Virginia experience with reforms to dual occupancies, minimum parking and short term rental

In mid-2023 the Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review updated their planning ordinance to make it easier for dual occupancies in any residential zoning.

This mirrored other cities across the USA that have been moving to making 'accessory dwelling units, which includes smaller residential dwellings on the same lot, easier in their low density residential zoning.

It also comes off the back of earlier reforms in Richmond that removed mandatory minimum parking requirements.

However, it seemed that the biggest challenge was not making more housing permissible in more residential zoning, or the removal of minimum parking standards, but the revisions to short term rental standards.

Richmond teaches that reform is not a single issue topic, but requires some bundling of relevant issues. Sometimes, it isn't always clear which topic will be the most controversial.

https://ggwash.org/view/90279/richmond-wants-to-make-it-easier-to-add-accessory-dwelling-units