The planning commission of the City of St. Louis is considering allowing homeowners to convert garages, basements, and carriage houses into separate Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
Also, known as mother-in-law studios and granny flats, construction for creating ADUs in residential areas requires a permit. However, Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard introduced a bill last week that will simplify the permitting process if the board votes in favor of it.
The planning commission will review the bill first.
“Anything we can do to add density to our city is a good thing,” said former Alderman Mike Gras. “Doing something that removes regulation can spur the creation of new housing.”
St. Louis is experiencing a housing shortage because it is a seller’s market in which a home can be sold in just 31 days, according to Rockethome data.
KMOV4 reported last year, the median price of a home in St. Louis was $211,000 compared to $225,000 in 2023, which is a 6% spike.
“Housing experts who are honest with themselves all agree that we really need more housing at all levels in the city,” Gras told the St. Louis Record. “There's a focus on low-income housing but really we need housing at all levels and creating more housing in general will help stabilize prices.”
Hubbard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“What we might see with these mother-in-law suites are folks actually using the original intended purpose of Airbnb and renting extra space out that they have on their own property,” Gras said in an interview.
In St. Charles last month, the city council voted 8-2 to impose a one-year moratorium on allowing permitting for short-term rentals listed on sites like Airbnb and VRBO starting on June 17.
As previously reported in the St. Louis Record, neighbors became concerned about safety issues and bad renters after a glut of St. Charles homeowners turned their homes into Airbnb rentals.
"A bill has already been filed this session to regulate Airbnbs with required registration and to limit the number of units that operators own throughout the city but I think generally people are okay with folks doing what they want in their own house and on their own property," Gras added.
The St. Charles City Council previously approved a rule nearly a year ago that requires each application for short-term rental permitting of 30 days or less to be approved by the city and announced at a public hearing.