Does Your Long Beach Rental Embrace the New Work from Home Concept?

Dustin Edwards • March 8, 2022

A Home Office Is A Great Way To Make Your Property More Desirable

The world is finally opening up and many people are realizing that working from home is a better option than going to the office. New tenants may be looking for options to work from home and embracing this concept for your Long Beach rental can increase your chances of gaining long term tenants. Offering a rental with a dedicated office can add an additional $350 -$750 a month depending on the location.


Before you start repurposing or building a dedicated home office, contact your property management company. It will help to get advice from experts that know your property.


Repurposing a Room

The easiest way to achieve a work from home concept is by repurposing an existing room and converting it into a dedicated office. This can be a smaller bedroom with a good source of natural light whether it be windows or skylights on the ceiling. 


Lighting should be a top priority. Having ample light can reduce the tenant’s eye strain and headaches. Painting the wall a neutral color such as white or a light blue is recommended as well. Finally, making sure to add additional outlets to the room for computers and other devices is helpful to minimize the use of extension cords as there are risks to overloading a single outlet.


If your rental is furnished, consider having a good office chair and desk with adjustable heights. Some tenants may prefer to work standing. Plenty of shelves and office storage Repurposing a room for a dedicated office can reduce immediate storage space but there are ways to increase small storage upgrades to your Long Beach rental and keep your tenants happy.


Building an ADU

If budget allows it, building an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) to be a dedicated office in your rental can add square footage to the property. It can also give you the liberty of designing a room to be more suitable as an office without any compromises. 


However, the trade off is an average build time of 3-4 months due to planning, permits and designing. Additionally the costs can be large depending on the size of the ADU. Costs range from approximately $150 to $300 per square foot. ADUs are a great option if your budget allows because they can add value to your Long Beach rental property.



Prebuilt Office

A popular solution to adding office space to your Long Beach rental property is the use of Office Pods or Studio Sheds. These are quick solutions to adding office space in a short amount of time.


Work Pods ship everything necessary to build a stand alone home office for $23,000, these can be installed on common surfaces such as brick, concrete, gravel or simply grass as each pod comes with a hassle free foundation that is adjustable to accommodate most terrain while being designed to distribute up to 4 tons of weight evenly. Each work pod has a simple port to connect power, all you need is to connect the provided 66 ft cable. One side to the pod and the other to an outlet. Preferably this outlet should be a dedicated 20amp 110 VAC 50hz/60hz circuit. With dimensions designed to be under 100sqft, Work Pods are DIY friendly and usually don't require permits. It's best to check with the city to be sure of this.


Studio Sheds have a similar concept, though more models to choose from with square footage ranging from 64sqft to 256sqft and pricing ranging from as little as $13,910 to $19,265. Much like the Work Pods, a Studio shed may also require a building permit depending on the model you choose from. They also offer an option to have the Studio Shed professionally built and installed. For the electrical, it is your responsibility to make the connection and may require you to obtain an electrical only permit, which is usually simpler than a full building permit.


Adding a home office to your Long Beach rental can be an asset, if you have any questions about building an ADU or buying a prebuilt office call us at (562) 888-0247 or fill out our free rental analysis to see what your rental could yield today.

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ADUs and Junior ADUs, which one is the right one for your property?

By Dustin Edwards • June 6, 2025
With the real estate market as competitive as it is, many landlords are looking into building an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) or Jr. ADU to improve their bottom line with additional monthly income. While this is a great way to earn more, you need to be sure you’re investing in the right upgrade to your property. Below are some of the key differences between ADUs and Jr. ADUs; this way, you can make the right decision for your property. Differences between Junior ADUs and ADUs On the surface, the primary difference between an ADU and a Jr. ADU is the square footage. However, there are many considerations for each type of ADU , significant differences include costs and build limitations. ADUs are generally seen as a larger and more versatile build when compared to a Jr. ADU. They can be built detached from the main home, converting an existing structure, most commonly the garage. In Long Beach, an ADU can be up to 800 square feet or 50% of the gross floor area of the primary dwelling, whichever is smaller. For reference, an 800 sqft living space can be arranged as a 2-bedroom 1-bath home, though with creative use of the space, many investors have been able to fit 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms comfortably. If listing the ADU for rent is the goal, this can produce a higher yield, though at the cost of a higher initial investment. Jr. ADU, on the other hand, can only be a maximum of 500 sqft and must be built attached to the existing single-family home. While you can build an entire new addition to accommodate the Jr. ADU, it's not uncommon for homeowners whose homes are bigger than they need to convert a bedroom into a Jr. ADU in order to have additional income . A Jr. ADU does still require an efficient kitchen. Bathrooms can be shared with the main house, though this can deter some prospective tenants. Additionally, the utilities are oftentimes shared with the main house, which can simplify installation, though it can complicate utility costs with your tenant. When an ADU is Right Being able to build a full ADU provides an entirely separate and private living space, which is more desirable to prospecting tenants. This is the preferred choice for most investors, especially those who have unused space in their property. By being built apart from the main house, an ADU may cause less disturbance to those living in the main house, whether that be yourself or another tenant. In Long Beach, CA. ADUs can’t be listed as short-term rentals on apps like Airbnb; that being said, an ADU can command more in rent because of the aforementioned features. If you’re looking for a long-term investment, ADUs increase your property’s value while generating a consistent cash flow. Finally, if you ever plan on selling your rental property, the additional ADU can improve the appeal of your property to future buyers. When a Jr. ADU is Right While a Jr. ADU doesn’t have the same potential as a full-sized ADU, Jr. ADUs are far more budget-friendly. These are a great option for investors who have limited funds. Since Jr. ADUs generally require less work to be done in less time, allowing you to begin making a return sooner. Finally, if your property doesn’t qualify for a full-sized ADU permit due to the size of the property lot, a Jr. ADU can be built primarily through interior work, which may only require reconfiguring existing interior space. Whether you choose a full-sized ADU or a Jr. ADU, the decision depends on more than just the size of the structure, you’ll have to manage filling the vacancy and managing the new tenant. If you need help choosing which ADU is right for you or you need help managing your Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
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