Haven Accessory Dwelling Units

08/05/2026

A backyard ADU pays you back in two ways at once.

The first is rental income. A 400 to 500 square foot detached ADU in NYC's outer boroughs could rent long-term in the $1,500 to $3,000 range, depending on neighborhood and finish. Average potential rent in Brooklyn lands around $2,700 a month. In Queens, around $2,400. Those numbers are based on current studio asking rents (StreetEasy, RentHop, RentCafe, March 2026). A detached ADU usually rents at or above a comparable studio because it offers things most studios do not: a private entrance, outdoor space, no shared walls.

The second is home value. A 2025 study by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracked a decade of California home appraisals and found that homes with an ADU grew in value 22 percent faster than comparable homes without one. By 2023, the median appraised-value premium had reached $349,000. National studies put the lift in the 15 to 35 percent range.

Financing matters too. NYC's Plus One ADU Program offers up to $395,000 in combined support: an HPD loan up to $220,000 at 0 to 5 percent, plus an HCR grant up to $175,000 that does not get repaid. Application closes June 12, 2026.

If you are a NYC homeowner thinking about an ADU as an investment rather than a project, the first step is the eligibility tool. We check your lot against the City of Yes rules and tell you which ADU types actually fit.

This is informational, not financial advice. Talk to a tax advisor or financial planner about your specific situation.

02/05/2026

If you are a NYC homeowner thinking about a backyard ADU, the Plus One ADU Program application window closes on June 12, 2026.

The program offers up to $395,000 in combined support for owner-occupied 1 or 2 family homes: an HPD loan up to $220,000 at 0 to 5 percent interest with terms up to 30 years, and an HCR grant up to $175,000 that does not need to be repaid.

Eligibility is tied to household income (up to 165 percent of Area Median Income). Review is rolling, so earlier applications have more runway.

Program details: homeownerhelpny.org
Check if your property is ADU-feasible: havenadus.com/eligibility?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q2-2026-nyc-launch&utm_content=plus-one-sat

01/05/2026

A Haven project in Westport, Connecticut.

Claire came to us with a household that was growing in every direction. Her mother was moving in from out of state. Her partner's two children were becoming a permanent part of the family. The existing ranch had served her well, but it could not hold the shape of three generations.

The lot itself was the typical Westport setup: the house in the middle of the property, the yard configured as something to look at rather than to use. Claire's biggest frustration was the lack of any real outdoor space for gathering. That frustration ended up shaping the entire project.

We designed three structures around a central courtyard. The existing home stays where it is. A new ADU for Claire's mother sits at one end, clad in red-stained vertical wood paneling that draws on the agricultural barns and outbuildings of the Connecticut coast. The mother's home is small in floor area, since Westport's ADU regulations cap the footprint, but a sculptural double-height living room, white plaster walls with curved ceiling transitions, and clerestory windows calibrated to catch light at different times of day give it a sense of grandeur the square footage alone could not. A kid's wing in white standing-seam metal sits at another end, with two arched upper windows and a balcony lined with terracotta tile that reads across the courtyard to the grandmother's home.

The courtyard is the project. Pool, hot tub, grill, firepit, outdoor dining. Three generations live across three thresholds and meet in a shared outdoor room.

Full case study: havenadus.com/case-studies/westport-multi-gen?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q2-2026-adu-education&utm_content=westport-multi-gen

29/04/2026

If you are a NYC homeowner thinking about a backyard ADU and the pre-approved model sounds like a fit, here is how the first part of the process actually works.

Step one is the eligibility tool. You enter your address and Haven runs your lot against all four ADU types we build: garage conversion, garage demo and rebuild, attached, and detached. The pre-approved model is one option, not the default. The tool tells you which paths actually fit your property and which ones do not.

Step two is a free consultation. We walk through your eligibility report with you, talk about what you want from the space, and confirm whether the pre-approved model is the right answer. If a different ADU type fits better, we say that.

Step three is the part that is yours: cabinetry, flooring, tile, fixtures, lighting, paint, cladding color, window and door materials. You choose, we coordinate. A single point of contact through the whole process.

havenadus.com/eligibility?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q2-2026-nyc-launch&utm_content=path-wed

28/04/2026

Two things happen in parallel with a pre-approved ADU: permit review moves faster, and the homeowner makes the choices that define how the space looks and feels to live in.

Haven's pre-approved NYC model is 14 by 25 feet, 350 square feet. What is set: the footprint, wall placements, window and door locations, ceiling heights. That is the shell the DOB has already reviewed, and it covers the parts of a home that homeowners typically did not want to design from scratch anyway.

What is yours: cabinetry, flooring, tile, fixtures, lighting, paint, exterior cladding color, window and door materials. The interior choices and the surface palette are the homeowner's call.

You get a single point of contact at Haven from consultation through final walkthrough.

havenadus.com/resources/pre-approved-adus-for-nyc?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q2-2026-nyc-launch&utm_content=customization-mon

25/04/2026

If you are a NYC homeowner thinking about a backyard ADU, the Plus One ADU Program application window closes on June 12, 2026.

The program offers up to $395,000 in combined support for owner-occupied 1 or 2 family homes: an HPD loan up to $220,000 at 0 to 5 percent interest with terms up to 30 years, and an HCR grant up to $175,000 that does not need to be repaid.

Eligibility is tied to household income (up to 165 percent of Area Median Income). Review is rolling, so earlier applications have more runway.

Check if your property is ADU-feasible: havenadus.com/eligibility
Program details: homeownerhelpny.org

Accessory Dwelling Units are now allowed in New York City! Unlock the potential of your property!

24/04/2026

A Haven case study from the Five Mile River in Norwalk.

Ken and George wanted their aging parents to live nearby without giving up their independence. The apartments within reach were either too expensive or too far for the daily support their parents needed. A backyard ADU was the right answer.

Their lot was the harder question. It sloped from the street down to the river, with wetland setbacks, a seasonal flood risk, and mature trees they wanted to preserve. The buildable area was a narrow wedge.

The design followed the wedge. 650 square feet. Single-story, no interior steps. Bedroom, study, and bathroom on the compact street-side end. Living area and kitchen opening toward the river with high ceilings. The ADU sits on concrete piers that lift it above the floodplain and minimize ground disturbance around the preserved trees.

Horizontal wood siding and a standing-seam metal roof, in the tradition of the boat houses and outbuildings along Connecticut's rivers. It reads as if it has always been there.

Full case study: havenadus.com/case-studies/five-mile-river-adu?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q2-2026-adu-education&utm_content=five-mile-river

22/04/2026

A closer look at Haven's pre-approved NYC ADU.

14 feet by 25 feet. 350 square feet. Single-story, open plan. Cathedral ceiling, full kitchen, and generous glazing to the garden side.

The plan is pre-approved and pending DOB publication. All finishes are customizable: flooring, cabinetry, fixtures, cladding color, window package. The structural design and layout are fixed, which is what makes the pre-approved path work. The inside is yours to specify.

havenadus.com/pre-approved?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q2-2026-nyc-launch&utm_content=preapproved-design

20/04/2026

Haven designed an ADU specifically for NYC.

NYC backyards are smaller than most of the country's. The lots are narrower, the rear-yard requirements are tighter, and the DOB has its own review logic and documentation standards. A catalog ADU designed for a West Coast lot will not clear all of those constraints.

Our pre-approved NYC model was designed around them. It is a 14 foot by 25 foot single-story ADU, 350 square feet, with a layout built to fit a typical NYC rear yard. All finishes are customizable.

It is a pre-approved design for homeowners who want a proven plan, a faster path through permit review, and the option to personalize the interior. The design is pending DOB publication.

havenadus.com/pre-approved?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q2-2026-nyc-launch&utm_content=pre-approved-mon

18/04/2026

A backyard ADU raises your NYC property tax. Here is what the math actually looks like.

Building an ADU adds value to your property, and that value is assessed. For a 450 square foot ADU, the estimated property tax increase is about $120 a month. Real money, worth looking at in context.

Two things reshape the math.

First, the City of Yes tax exemption. Pending legislation shelters up to $200,000 of added value. Full exemption in years 1 through 5, declining through year 10.

Second, rental income. A conservative NYC estimate for a studio ADU is $2,200 a month. That is roughly 18 times the additional tax.

Full breakdown of the numbers:

Every NYC homeowner considering an ADU asks the same question: what happens to my property taxes? Here's the real math, minus the worst-case assumptions.