In this new COVID-19 world we’ve been living in, working from home has become more of a necessity than ever before. While “Home-based Businesses” have been around for many years, home based work and businesses have experienced a significant increase over the past nine months due to the pandemic, and they are anticipated to continue to grow (in both popularity and convenience) well into the post-COVID era.

Home-based businesses can be categorized as “no-impact” or “major-impact,” depending on their function, but regardless, must remain secondary to the building’s primary use as a residential dwelling. Municipalities can address home-based businesses in their planning policies and zoning ordinances, which include community benefits such as increased economic base, support for an aging population, expanded use of existing infrastructure, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced neighborhood conflicts.