How Many Unrelated People Can Live In A House In Harrisonburg?
Scott P. Rogers
It is a common misunderstanding that the zoning classifications can be interpreted as follows...
- R1 zoning = no more than 1 unrelated person
- R2 zoning = no more than 2 unrelated people
- R3 zoning = no more than 3 unrelated people
- R4 zoning = no more than 4 unrelated people
- R5 zoning = no more than 5 unrelated people
In fact, it doesn't work that way at all.
So, how can we understand the limits of how many unrelated people can live in a property based on the zoning of that property?
The city has all of this information neatly organized on their website here. I have included a (somewhat blurry) screen capture below.
This table outlines how many unrelated people can live in a home (detached home, duplex, townhouse, condo, etc.) in Harrisonburg based on the zoning of that property.Of note, there can be exceptions to these generalities -- based on a special use permit for a property, or if a property use is "grandfathered in" based on that use existing since before zoning regulations limited the use.
But this is a very helpful starting point for understanding how many unrelated people can live in a property in the City based on the zoning of that property.
