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A Massachusetts couple who missed the rental income from their former two-family homes converted part of their single-family house into an accessory dwelling unit. They report spending about $55,000 and collecting $1,725 a month in rent after the apartment received local approval and a tenant moved in on Jan. 1, 2025.
A Massachusetts couple who missed the rental income from the two-family homes they once owned converted part of their single-family house into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), reporting that the apartment now brings in $1,725 a month. Their account, published by Family Handyman, describes a project they say cost about $55,000 and was completed after the state enacted a law to encourage ADUs in August 2024.
The couple said they had lived in and rented out units in two-family properties for more than a decade before buying a single-family fixer-upper. The rental income had helped make homeownership financially manageable, they wrote, but after moving, they missed having rent supplement their household budget. They did not want to leave their new home, and said rising home prices made buying another property unrealistic.
After other ideas to earn income from the property—including renting out the pool, a second garage and the backyard—did not work out, they considered building an apartment. They chose to convert part of the existing house into a one-bedroom unit rather than expand the home’s footprint. They researched town and state rules, submitted plans, applied for a building permit and had the completed unit inspected, according to the account.
The work began in August 2024 and was finished in December, when the couple received a certificate of occupancy from their town. The first tenant moved in on Jan. 1, 2025. The homeowners report that the project cost about $55,000 and produces $1,725 monthly, or $20,700 annually. They estimate that rent at that level would recover the project cost in roughly two and a half years, before accounting for other expenses or changes in rental income.
Rental Income From an Existing Home
The account offers a concrete example of how an ADU can let homeowners add rental housing without buying a second property or moving from a home they want to keep. For this couple, the stated rent provides a recurring source of income and restores a financial feature they valued in their former two-family homes.
The figures are specific to their project, not a guarantee of what another homeowner can earn. Costs and potential rent can vary with a home’s layout, local market, construction needs and approval process. The couple also says the conversion required an electrical panel upgrade, illustrating how work beyond the apartment itself can affect a project’s budget.
ADUs can also add a small housing unit to an existing property. Massachusetts enacted its law in August 2024 to encourage these units as part of an effort to ease the state’s housing shortage. The couple’s experience shows one homeowner’s path under that broader policy, but does not by itself establish the law’s overall effect on housing supply.
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From Two-Family Homes to an ADU
The couple said they first bought a two-family home after about 10 years of renting because rent from the second unit made homeownership feel more financially manageable. Seven years later, they moved to another two-family property that better suited their growing family and kept the first home. After saving for another five years, they bought a single-family house, which they had viewed as a long-held goal.
They later found that owning a home without rental income felt different from what they expected. The ADU approach allowed them to remain in the house while adding a separate living space. In their report, they describe a self-contained apartment with a kitchen and bathroom, intended for a paying tenant. The project involved researching local ordinances and building codes and obtaining a permit and certificate of occupancy.
“Collecting that first rent check was an amazing feeling, and it cut our mortgage payment in half.”
— The homeowner, writing in Family Handyman
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Costs Beyond the Reported Rent
The account does not provide a detailed breakdown of the $55,000 project cost, including the amount spent on the electrical upgrade, permitting, labor or materials. It also does not say whether the couple’s estimate of a two-and-a-half-year payback includes maintenance, insurance, taxes, vacancies, utilities or other landlord expenses. The stated calculation compares project cost with annual rent, so it should not be read as a confirmed net-profit timeline.
The report does not identify the town or provide the apartment’s size, the lease terms or the tenant’s utility arrangements. Those details could affect both the project’s approval requirements and its operating costs. The couple says they have had positive experiences with tenants, but that personal experience does not establish how another landlord’s tenancy will go.
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Local Rules Shape Future Projects
The homeowners’ account describes the ADU as complete and occupied, with no further construction milestone identified. For other homeowners considering a similar conversion, the next steps described in the report are to check local and state rules, assess likely construction costs and rental income, and consult an electrician early about electrical capacity. Applicants would also need to follow the applicable permit, inspection and occupancy requirements in their jurisdiction.
The couple advises planning for privacy and considering how a tenant’s presence may change the use of shared spaces. Their experience suggests that the financial calculation is only one part of the decision: potential landlords must also weigh construction needs, local requirements and the responsibilities of renting a unit. The article does not offer a statewide forecast of ADU approvals or rents, so the impact of the Massachusetts law remains beyond what this individual example can establish.
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Key Questions
How much did the couple say the ADU cost?
They reported that the conversion cost about $55,000. The account does not give a full itemized budget.
How much rent does the apartment bring in?
The homeowners report collecting $1,725 per month, or $20,700 per year. That is gross rent as described in the account, not a stated net profit.
When did the tenant move in?
The couple says the work was completed and inspected in December 2024, and the first tenant moved in on Jan. 1, 2025.
Does this example mean another homeowner can build an ADU?
No. The couple says they researched local and state rules, applied for a permit and received a certificate of occupancy. Requirements depend on the property and local jurisdiction, so this account does not establish that every home is eligible.
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