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Homes with Casitas & Guest Houses in Magna, Utah
Magna sits on the western edge of the Salt Lake Valley, tucked between the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake, and it has quietly become one of the more affordable corners of the metro area for buyers who want extra square footage on a real lot. Homes with casitas or detached guest houses are a smaller slice of the local market — Magna's housing stock is dominated by post-war ramblers near Magna Main Street and newer subdivisions out by Lake Park — but when these properties do come up they tend to sit on the larger, older lots where there's room for a real outbuilding rather than a token in-law suite.
Buyers searching Magna for a casita are usually solving a specific problem: aging parents moving in from out of state, an adult child saving for a down payment, a remote-work setup that needs separation from the main house, or a rental income stream to offset a Wasatch Front mortgage. Because Magna falls under Salt Lake County's unincorporated zoning (now a metro township), ADU rules are workable but require permits, setbacks, and sometimes owner-occupancy. The payoff is a price point that still runs well below Holladay or Sugar House for comparable square footage, plus quick access to I-80, the Bingham Canyon employers, and the airport about 15 minutes away. Browse the active listings below to see which homes currently have a casita, mother-in-law unit, or detached guest house on the property.
May 2026 · Magna market
Live from the Utah MLS — what's actually happening in Magna right now.
Median sale
$452,500
32 closed in May 2026
Median DOM
8 days
listing → contract
Sale-to-list
100.6%
of final list price
Unsold inventory
128
active + pending
3 matching · page 1 of 1
Active listings
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Common questions
About homes with casitas & guest houses in Magna.
Are casitas and guest houses legal as rentals in Magna? ▾
Salt Lake County permits both internal and detached accessory dwelling units in most Magna residential zones, and they can legally be rented as long as the unit is permitted and meets building code. Short-term rentals (under 30 days) face tighter restrictions, so most owners rent month-to-month or long-term. Always verify the unit on the listing has a permit on file with Salt Lake County before assuming rental income.
How can I tell if a guest house on an MLS listing is permitted? ▾
The listing remarks should mention 'permitted ADU' or 'legal accessory dwelling,' but many Magna casitas were built decades ago as workshop conversions or detached garages without permits. Ask your agent to pull the county parcel record and building permit history — if the secondary structure isn't on the tax record as living space, you may be buying an unpermitted unit, which affects financing and appraisal.
Do lenders count guest house rental income toward my mortgage qualification? ▾
Conventional and FHA lenders will count a portion of documented rental income from a legal ADU, typically 75% of market rent, as long as the unit is permitted and the appraiser identifies it as a separate dwelling. Unpermitted casitas don't count toward income, though they may still add appraised value as bonus square footage.
What's the typical price range for Magna homes with a casita or guest house? ▾
Most Magna homes with a secondary dwelling list in the $500,000 to $700,000 range, depending on lot size, age of the main house, and whether the casita is fully finished with its own kitchen and bath. Larger horse-property parcels on the south end of town with detached guest quarters can push past $800,000.
Are lots in Magna big enough to add a casita if a home doesn't already have one? ▾
Many older Magna lots run 0.25 to 0.5 acres, which gives more room than typical Salt Lake County subdivisions for a detached ADU. Setback requirements are usually 10 feet from side and rear property lines, so a 600–900 square foot casita is realistic on most parcels. Check zoning with Salt Lake County Planning before making an offer based on future build potential.
How many Magna listings with casitas are usually active at one time? ▾
Magna is a smaller market than Sandy or West Jordan, and homes with a true detached guest house are uncommon — typically only a handful are active across the city at any given time. The live results below reflect current inventory, and setting up a saved search through our office is the best way to catch new ones the day they hit the MLS.