Hampton City Council unanimously approved a series of ordinances Wednesday to allow property owners to create accessory dwelling units citywide as a way to potentially increase the city’s housing stock.

Accessory dwelling units are smaller secondary housing units containing their own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom that sit on existing plots, including attached additions to existing homes or detached spaces like garages or basements that are converted into rental apartments. Previously, the city only permitted units in the Buckroe Bayfront Districts. The city does not have an estimate on the current number of ADUs in Hampton.

The new regulations, which will take effect Dec. 31, will establish rules for the size of the units and also prevent them from being used as short-term rentals. There

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