How many adults are allowed to reside in a single-family home? I sometimes see up to nine people living in one and wonder if this is allowed.

So not all of us believe in the motto, “The more, the merrier.” Perhaps at gatherings, but not so much in our neighborhoods.

First, let’s define what a “single-family home” is. The term does not refer to the number of families residing within a home. Rather, a single-family dwelling is a discrete, single house located on a lot, as defined by city of Napa Code Enforcement Officer Jane Thomson.

Steve Cogswell, director of Fair Housing Napa Valley, confirms this definition by saying a single-family home is one that stands alone. Thomson says that when a second kitchen is added to a residential structure, the unit is then considered a second dwelling.

Shared housing can fall under different categories. Group residential is one in which people share a home without separate cooking and bathroom facilities.

In single-room occupancy situations, no more than two people should share a room. Single rooms can have a bathroom or limited cooking facilities.

With room and board, a person can rent a room and must be fed. In these situations, units tend to be owner-occupied.

Sometimes, there is no distinction between the categories and all fall under the umbrella term of “shared living,” further blurring the lines on the rules of occupancy.

Whether a home’s occupants rent or own a home doesn’t matter much when it comes to determining how many people are allowed to live there. “There’s no way we can tell someone how many people constitute a family,” says Thomson.

What if the home is a rental and the apartment manager, landlord or owner doesn’t want more than a certain number of people to live in the home?

Cogswell says there is a guideline called the “two plus one rule.” This rule states that a landlord must a allow a minimum of two people per bedroom per home, plus one (person) more, to live in the home. For example, if you have a two-bedroom home, at least five people should be allowed to live in the home. Again, this is the minimum number of people allowed to live here. This rule is in effect so as to not discriminate against larger families.

In a situation where a home is obviously too small or dangerous for a certain number of residents to live in, the city can deem it “inhabitable” and prevent a certain number of people from living there.

According to Thomson and Cogswell, there is no real way to regulate whether too many people are living in one home. Thomson said she fields complaints on this, but said many of her callers are less worried about inhabitants than about “too many cars parked on the street.”

She said that though this may be a nuisance to neighbors, as long as the cars are operable and the drivers are licensed, nothing can really be done to stop them from parking where they choose (assuming no parking laws are being violated, that is). Thomson said there is nothing on the books describing a maximum number of occupants allowed in a home.

Cogswell said that if tenants add adults without the landlord’s permission, then the residents can get into trouble. He adds, “If people complain (about too many people living in a house), the problem has to be specific, like it being a ‘party house.’”

I guess I’m safe! I never have parties. Sigh.

What is Glad You Asked?

Glad You Asked attempts to answer readers’ questions. Have them crowding your mind? Send them to me at dmontanez@napanews.com or call me at 256-2224.