DENVER – Aurora Sisneros and her husband always wanted an investment property to bring in extra income, but they didn’t want to look outside the city. So, they decided to build up to get extra cash from the space on top of their garage.
"We're going to be renting out the property or we are looking to do AirBnB. We aren't quite sure,” said Sisneros.
Construction companies say Denver’s tight housing market and the explosion of short-term rental services have sparked a trend. Homeowners are expanding their houses in order to bring in extra money.
Permits to build accessary dwellings have increased over the past couple of years. In 2013, only 21 permits were taken out. In 2016, 44 additional permits to build small apartments were issued.
Overall, more than 100 permits were issued since the city allowed these structures to be built in certain Denver neighborhoods. That ordinance changed in 2010.
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