This Company Will Build a Home in Your Backyard

Would you put an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in your backyard, if someone else did the legwork? Many homeowners would welcome the extra income they could generate with an ADU but lack the funds or the know-how. "Rent the Backyard works with a partner to build the apartment, finances the construction, lists the property, selects the tenant, collects the rent and serves as the landlord," Anthony Ha writes in TechCrunch. The company intends to use prefabricated units, to keep costs down and move quickly.

The California start up, which has yet to build its first homes, is looking to start building this year. "The company’s website includes a calculator of how much rental income you might earn, and it says that most owners will be able to make more than $10,000 of additional income each year," Ha writes. Rent the Backyard, would partner with the homeowner over a thirty year period at which time the owner would own the property outright, they could also buy Rent the Backyard out at any time.