December 28, 2025 | Mark Luis Foster

As more and more people are faced with aging in place, while often times adding more members under the roof of the household to care for elders, deal with kids moving back, etc., there is a growing dilemma: How do you make room for everyone?

It is estimated that around 18% of the U.S. population live in multigenerational households, a significant increase from past decades, with millions of adults residing with multiple generations under one roof. If you live in an HOA and are faced with the need for more space, you likely have only one real option, and that’s expansion into your garage.

More and more people are considering the utilization of garage space for dens, bedrooms, living rooms, even kitchens. But HOA rules and city zoning can put a damper on the plans. According to Realtor.com:

Depending on where you’re located, zoning laws can either restrict or forbid living space in a converted garage, require a certain amount of off-street parking, and even dictate the design.

But even if you get past the zoning and rules and regs, there’s still much to consider before laying down the wood floors. A construction permit is first on the list, plus:

You’ll also need specialty permits for electricity, plumbing, and air conditioning. To apply for them, reach out to your local building department.

Garages in typical HOA construction are not really prepped for living space expansion, so careful design considerations are necessary.

You’ll need to add wall insulation to meet your local energy code as well as ceiling and roof insulation, ventilation, and air sealing around rim joists or any old utility openings. Garages weren’t built for comfort, so insulation is of utmost importance.

A quick check of our HOA rules doesn’t specifically limit such a conversion of garage expansion to living space, as I’m certain no one thought to include it in the original agreements for the development. However, as new HOAs are popping up everywhere (some 84% of new construction in the USA is in an HOA), there are likely some restrictions and outright banning of this type of project. After all, with a conversion of a garage to a bedroom or living room, everything that was once in the garage, like vehicles, get displaced to driveways and street parking. Some HOAs prohibit the number of cars that can park on the street or in guest parking, etc., so solving one problem can lead to another.

Before considering this kind of project, homeowners are encouraged to contact local city planning department to determine whether or not your home is even eligible for the type of garage conversion under consideration. And contacting your HOA board and consulting HOA governing docs is a good first step.

There’s a brief article about garage conversions HERE.