by
Carl Hampton
10/09/2006
Since when has it been a crime to convert
a garage into a bedroom? Actually there are
planning and zoning codes that were created
in California that reach as far back as the
1930's. Many of those were amended in the
early 2000's, these codes talk about the
limits that apply when adding rooms to a
house.
Those zoning codes state that it is a crime
to alter your house without a permit. You
can (and many do) receive a fine, they can
be very extensive it is also possible to get
jail time, but jail time is unlikely. The
fines can range from $100 a day to $25,000 a
day if changes aren't made. The city is also
allowed to cut off the gas and electricity
at the property to prevent a safety hazard
if changes they want aren't made in a timely
fashion. Lastly it is much more difficult to
sell your house if there are adjustments
made without a permit. Perspective buyers
have the right to ask for the work to be
undone before they purchase the house and
this delay any closing date you may have
had.
Many homeowners like to believe that the
city is trying to control the way their
house is built or the size of the house. The
truth is it is quite the opposite, for the
most part zones and codes are made to
protect you. The real reasoning behind the
need for a permit is to ensure you have an
inspection of the work done this makes sure
the codes are met which guarantees safety.
Inspections check if the foundation is deep
enough and if the plumbing and electricity
are done correctly. A lot of the time
homeowners think that skipping the permit
process will save them money but in the long
run it actually lands up costing more.
The most popular conversions are turning a
garage into a bedroom. Since Los Angeles has
many housing issues, the conversion seems
promising to homeowners and it works out
well for renters. More often than not these
garage bedrooms are little more than death
traps. Most of them do not have proper
access in and out many do not have proper
heating. It has been estimated that
throughout the city of Los Angeles 90
percent of garage conversions are illegal.
The wise thing to do is obtain a permit to
build another garage to satisfy the parking
space requirements.
For those of you that are looking to
purchase a house and it happens to have a
garage apartment or bedroom it can be a
negotiating point. You could have the
advantage of an extra room but you can also
have the disadvantage if there is not
permit. So check to make sure if there is a
permit thats great, if not get the price
down to cover the cost of going through the
permit process to make the necessary changes
and once again have the advantage of the
extra room.
There is also recognition that a lot of
additions made in houses in Los Angeles were
made in the 1970's and 1980's. If you bought
your house with additions around that time,
maybe it's time to get a permit before you
want to sell.
