FAQs

How do I qualify?

For now, you must own a home in Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito or Alameda, California. 

You must live in your home and it must be your primary residence.

Your back yard can fit an OBY house on it.

What’s inside an OBY House?

Comes with a full kitchen and a bathroom and custom built-in furniture.

Is compact, efficient, and sustainable - it uses less than 50% energy than a typical house.

It has a small carbon footprint - it is made of healthy and sustainable, natural materials.

The exterior will be designed to match your main house. See more here.

How much can I expect to make off my property?

This really depends on the size of your OBY unit, larger units will make the most rent, so you can earn the most. Most people will be able to make ~$6,000 in income each year from renting their backyard.

How long does this take to build?

We use off site, modular prefabrication techniques to build as much of each OBY unit as we can in order to minimize construction time in your back yard. We will visit your backyard prior to the installation, survey and measure your backyard, so that we can get a building permit from your city’s jurisdiction. This process, along with doing things like electrical and plumbing, can take longer than the construction of the unit and depends largely on jurisdiction.

How does this help combat the housing crisis?

We strive to help combat displacement by building new, secure housing units that will be reserved for households making below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) and prioritized for those filling essential service jobs (teachers, food workers, etc.) with long-established connections to the Bay Area.

Who will select the OBY tenant?

We handle it all! From tenant selection to property vacancies. We will work with each home owner to find the best tenant match. We will handle the screening practices, arrange interviews, and make sure that our outreach conforms to all anti-discrinimation housing laws. Leave all that work to us.

What happens when I sell my home?

The ground lease will be recorded with the Title of your home. The ground lease will remain intact in the event of a sale of the home. So in other words the next owners of the house will have the same arrangement with OBY.

Will I have to build new parking?

New parking almost never needs to be built. If you live within a half mile of any sort of public transit, you won't need to do anything.

Who is a part of the OBY Team?