bds
|
ba
|
sqft
ac lot
|
car garage
|
|
Homes with Casitas & Guest Houses in Kearns, Utah
Kearns is a working-class community on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, built largely as housing for Kearns Army Air Base in the 1940s and expanded through the postwar decades. The result is a neighborhood of solid, affordable ramblers and split-entries on generous lots — the kind of properties where homeowners have had room and reason to add a casita, finish a basement apartment, or convert an oversized detached garage into a guest suite. With the median Kearns home priced well below the Salt Lake County average, buyers here often stretch their budget by looking for a second living space that can house extended family or generate rental income to offset the mortgage.
Demand for accessory units in Kearns is driven by practical factors: proximity to the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center and Olympic Oval, a 15-minute commute to downtown Salt Lake City via Bangerter Highway or 5400 South, and easy access to Kennecott, the airport, and the tech corridor in the southwest valley. Multigenerational households are common here, and a permitted mother-in-law suite or detached casita lets families stay close without sharing one kitchen. Because Kearns is unincorporated Salt Lake County, ADU rules follow county zoning rather than a city ordinance, so it's worth confirming permit status on any unit before you write an offer. Browse the active listings below to see which Kearns homes currently include a casita, guest house, or accessory dwelling.
May 2026 · Kearns market
Live from the Utah MLS — what's actually happening in Kearns right now.
Median sale
$437,000
12 closed in May 2026
Median DOM
7 days
listing → contract
Sale-to-list
100.0%
of final list price
Unsold inventory
24
active + pending
1 matching · page 1 of 1
Active listings
Prefer the map?
See all 1 homes with casitas & guest houses on a map
Pan around Kearns and refine by drawing your own boundary.
Common questions
About homes with casitas & guest houses in Kearns.
How common are casitas and guest houses in Kearns? ▾
They're not the norm in Kearns. Most of the housing stock is mid-century ramblers and split-entries built between the 1950s and 1980s on quarter-acre lots, so true detached guest houses are rare. What you'll more often see are converted basement apartments, mother-in-law suites with separate entries, or detached garages that owners have finished into living space.
Are accessory dwelling units legal in Kearns? ▾
Kearns is unincorporated Salt Lake County, so ADU rules fall under county zoning rather than a city ordinance. Salt Lake County allows internal and detached ADUs in many residential zones with permits, but setbacks, owner-occupancy, and parking requirements apply. Always confirm the specific parcel's zoning with the county before counting on rental income.
Can I rent out a casita or basement apartment as a long-term unit? ▾
Long-term rentals of a permitted ADU are generally allowed under Salt Lake County code, and Kearns has steady rental demand from workers at the nearby Oquirrh Park complex, Kennecott, and the SLC International Airport corridor. Short-term rentals like Airbnb face tighter restrictions and usually aren't permitted in residential zones.
What price range should I plan for? ▾
Kearns sits below the Salt Lake County median, with most single-family homes trading in the $400Ks to low $500Ks. A property with a legal, finished accessory unit typically commands a $30,000 to $70,000 premium over a comparable single-family home, depending on whether the unit is permitted, has a separate meter, and includes its own entrance.
Is the unit usually permitted and legal? ▾
Many Kearns basement apartments and converted spaces were built without permits over the decades. Ask the listing agent for permit history, and have your inspector flag egress windows, ceiling height, separate HVAC, and electrical service. An unpermitted unit isn't a dealbreaker, but it affects appraisal, financing, and what you can legally rent.
What financing works for a home with a guest house? ▾
Conventional and FHA loans both allow income from a legal accessory unit to help you qualify, and FHA in particular is popular in Kearns given the price point. The unit generally needs to be permitted and reflected on the appraisal for that rental income to count. VA loans work too, though the buyer still has to occupy the primary residence.