What’s the Use? Single-Family Dwelling - Part III
By Carolyn Ristau
For the final installment of this series on the single-family dwelling, we dive into the zoning code’s approach to working from home.
The zoning code definition of a single-family dwelling seems to mirror the vision of a home as propagated by the American Dream - one kitchen feeding one family (with preference for a related family). In the American Dream, all commercial or money-making activity happens far away from the home. The Pittsburgh zoning code reflects this desire in its home occupation regulations. Home occupations, or working from home, are allowable if specific conditions are met as listed in Section 912.05. The theme running throughout these conditions is that it is permissible to have a home occupation if there is no appearance of such activity when looking at the house.
A home occupation is one of the accessory uses that is required to be documented on a Certificate of Occupancy. This is in part because the building codes Pittsburgh uses also have conditions that home occupation need to meet, and in part because the sensitive nature of home occupations means that an inspector needs to verify that all conditions are met in fact, not just on paper.
All other Certificates of Occupancy are valid as long as the use remains regardless of how many times the property changes hands. The Certificates of Occupancy issued for home occupations are unique in that they are valid only for the person they are issued. Even if the next homeowner has the exact same home occupation in the exact same space in the house, they will have to apply for a new Certificate of Occupancy.
During the pandemic, when many people have been required or encouraged to work from home, the enforcement of the Certificate of Occupancy for home occupations seems to be waived. There is discussion that working from home will be less stigmatized in the post-pandemic world - some companies have already proclaimed that they will continue to let their employees work from home after conditions improve. It will be interesting to see when (if ever) and how home occupation regulations in zoning and building codes will change to reflect this wider social acceptance.
