Why don’t we have a limit to the number of unrelated people that may live in a single-family house?
A. Our building code states that, for reasons of fire safety, no more than one person per 200 square feet may live in any residence. That means that 10 people could live in a 2,000-square-foot home under the fire/building code. Lewisville does not, however, have an ordinance that specifically establishes a limit on the number of unrelated persons who may occupy a single residential unit. Many years ago it was common for municipal ordinances to permit only a limited number of unrelated persons living in the same dwelling (especially in college towns where multiple students might rent space in a single house), but through the years those ordinances have failed to meet legal burdens of proof. For example, it is extremely difficult to prove someone is living in a house and is not merely a long-term guest. It is even more difficult to prove relationships, and attempts to define “related” or “family” have repeatedly been struck down in court. However, in situations where a large number of pe
