Do You Have Hidden Square Footage?

LOS ANGELES—You may have hidden square footage on your lot that will allow you to build extra space and add additional units. According to Robert Lopata, president and co-founder of LBPM property management, building owners can include half of a back alleyway in their lot size, and the net square footage could allow for additional units to be built.

“The biggest issue property owners face when adding units to a building is the lot size and the parking,” Lotata tells GlobeSt.com. “If your property is adjacent to an alleyway, the zoning allows you to take half of that alleyway and count it as square footage for your lot. A lot of property owners either didn't know that or didn't do that. That adds a lot to the property size.”

It is a common error made when measuring lot sizes, especially for vintage properties. Some property owners may think they don't have potential to add units, but Lopata says that you may be surprised. “A lot of people look this and say, 'I can't build more; my lot size says X.' That may be, but maybe it wasn't measured properly or maybe they didn't include half the alleyway,” he explains. “If you think you are close, you may have a shot at this. It is really worth a try.”

Lopata was recently able to expand the lot size at a property that he manages by factoring in the square footage from the alleyway. “We had one property where the alleyway ran the length of the building,” he says. “We were able to include it in the lot size, and it was a considerable amount of square footage. We were able to get an additional unit entitled for the property.”

In some cases, this may also be a way to legalize bootleg units. Usually, to get illegal units approved, property owners need to justify the unit in the lot size. “Some landlords think that renting bootleg units is a manageable risk, and so they really look the other way,” he says. “I don't think it is a manageable risk. If someone gets hurt in a bootleg unit, it could be a real liability if somehow there was something that wasn't built properly. I think it is in everyone's best interest to make sure they conform to the local building codes.”

LOS ANGELES—You may have hidden square footage on your lot that will allow you to build extra space and add additional units. According to Robert Lopata, president and co-founder of LBPM property management, building owners can include half of a back alleyway in their lot size, and the net square footage could allow for additional units to be built.

“The biggest issue property owners face when adding units to a building is the lot size and the parking,” Lotata tells GlobeSt.com. “If your property is adjacent to an alleyway, the zoning allows you to take half of that alleyway and count it as square footage for your lot. A lot of property owners either didn't know that or didn't do that. That adds a lot to the property size.”

It is a common error made when measuring lot sizes, especially for vintage properties. Some property owners may think they don't have potential to add units, but Lopata says that you may be surprised. “A lot of people look this and say, 'I can't build more; my lot size says X.' That may be, but maybe it wasn't measured properly or maybe they didn't include half the alleyway,” he explains. “If you think you are close, you may have a shot at this. It is really worth a try.”

Lopata was recently able to expand the lot size at a property that he manages by factoring in the square footage from the alleyway. “We had one property where the alleyway ran the length of the building,” he says. “We were able to include it in the lot size, and it was a considerable amount of square footage. We were able to get an additional unit entitled for the property.”

In some cases, this may also be a way to legalize bootleg units. Usually, to get illegal units approved, property owners need to justify the unit in the lot size. “Some landlords think that renting bootleg units is a manageable risk, and so they really look the other way,” he says. “I don't think it is a manageable risk. If someone gets hurt in a bootleg unit, it could be a real liability if somehow there was something that wasn't built properly. I think it is in everyone's best interest to make sure they conform to the local building codes.”