Best ADU For · 2026
Best ADU for Rental Income: Which Model Wins
If you are building an ADU specifically to rent out, the Six Sixty 2BR is the model to build. It packs two real bedrooms and a full bath into a 660 sq ft footprint for $309,000, permitting budget included, which means you are renting out two rooms instead of one without stepping up to a bigger, more expensive floor plan. For most landlords, that is the entire game: maximum rentable bedrooms per dollar spent.
The short version: The Six Sixty 2BR wins for rental income because it delivers two bedrooms in the same 660 sq ft footprint as our most popular one-bedroom model, for just $22,000 more. If you want more separation between tenants or a premium unit that commands top rent, the Seven Forty-Nine and Eight Eighty-Five 2/2 are strong step-up options. This guide compares all three plus two more, with real specs and prices, so you can pick with confidence.
Why a rental ADU needs a different kind of floor plan
An ADU you will live in and an ADU you plan to rent out are not the same project, even though they can come from the same catalog. When you are the one living in the unit, layout is about your own comfort and how the space feels day to day. When a tenant is going to live in it, layout is about income math.
The biggest lever in that math is bedroom count. A two-bedroom unit rents for meaningfully more than a one-bedroom in the same market, and often more than the square footage difference alone would suggest, because tenants pay a premium for a second bedroom whether they use it for a roommate, a home office, or a kid. That is why the smartest rental ADUs are not necessarily the biggest ones. They are the ones that fit the most usable bedrooms into the smallest, most affordable footprint.
The second lever is bathroom count, but it matters less than most first-time landlords assume. A second bathroom is nice for premium rentals and for buyers who will eventually want to occupy the unit themselves, but it adds real cost. For straightforward rental income, one well-placed bathroom serving two bedrooms is often the better return on investment than paying for a second one.
The models that fit
Here are the five Framework First floor plans that make the most sense when the goal is rental income, ranked from the most bedroom-efficient up to the roomiest.
| Model | Size | Beds/Baths | All-inclusive price* | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Sixty 2BR | 660 sq ft | 2 bed / 1 bath | $309,000 | Two bedrooms in the smallest, most affordable footprint we build. Our official pick for maximum rental income. |
| Six Sixty 1BR | 660 sq ft | 1 bed / 1 bath | $287,000 | Same footprint, one bedroom. A budget entry point if a single tenant or long-term renter is the plan. |
| Seven Forty-Nine | 749 sq ft | 2 bed / 1 bath | $347,000 | L-shaped layout gives the two bedrooms more separation, good for roommate-style rentals or premium tenants. |
| Eight Eighty-Five 2/2 | 885 sq ft | 2 bed / 2 bath | $402,000 | A private bath for each bedroom, ideal for two unrelated adults sharing or a high-end rental listing. |
| Nine Forty-Five 3/2 | 945 sq ft | 3 bed / 2 bath | $434,000 | Three bedrooms for a full-household rental, the closest thing to a standalone rental house. |
*Includes a permitting budget, not final permit costs. Permits and property-specific site work (septic, retaining walls, etc.) vary by property and are confirmed in your feasibility study.
Every one of these ships as a complete, done-for-you build: a permitting budget, plans, foundation, the factory build, delivery, utility hookups, appliances, and final inspection are all inside the price shown. Your exact permit costs are set by your city and county and confirmed during your feasibility study, so there’s nothing left to guess by the time you sign.
The winner: Six Sixty 2BR
The Six Sixty 2BR earns the top spot because it solves the actual math landlords care about. It is 660 sq ft, the same compact footprint as our most popular one-bedroom model, but it carries a second bedroom instead of a larger living area. That second bedroom is the difference between renting to a single tenant and renting to a couple, two roommates, or a small family, all of whom will typically pay more in total rent than a solo tenant in a one-bedroom unit.
At $309,000, permitting budget included, it also sits right in the middle of our lineup on price, which keeps your total investment lower relative to the rent you can charge. Delivery runs about 5 months, so you are not waiting through a long build season to start collecting rent. If you already know you want the smallest, most efficient rental unit possible without giving up a second bedroom, this is the model. You can see the full spec sheet and photos on the Six Sixty 2BR model page.
Runner-up: Seven Forty-Nine
If you want more than a compact rectangle, the Seven Forty-Nine is the natural step up. It is still a two-bedroom, one-bath layout, but at 749 sq ft it uses an L-shaped floor plan that puts real distance between the two bedrooms. That separation matters more than people expect once tenants actually move in: two unrelated adults sharing a unit, or parents who want their own wing away from the rest of the household, will notice the difference immediately.
At $347,000, it costs $38,000 more than the Six Sixty 2BR, but it can also support a higher rent, especially in markets where tenants are willing to pay for privacy and a more house-like layout. If your rental strategy leans toward fewer, longer-term, higher-paying tenants rather than maximizing units per dollar, this is worth a serious look. Details are on the Seven Forty-Nine model page.
For buyers who want the absolute lowest entry cost and are fine with a single tenant, the Six Sixty 1BR at $287,000 is also worth comparing side by side with the 2BR before you decide. And if your rental plan is really a full household, whether that’s a family renting the whole unit or a live-in arrangement, the Eight Eighty-Five 2/2 and Nine Forty-Five 3/2 scale the same logic up to two full baths and three bedrooms.
Pricing, financing, and next steps
Every price above already includes a permitting budget, plus plans, foundation, the factory build, delivery, hookups, appliances, and final inspection. There is no per-square-foot math to do, and the only numbers that shift are the ones tied to your specific property, like exact permit costs and any site work such as septic or retaining walls, both of which get confirmed during your feasibility study.
Before you commit to a model, run your numbers two ways:
- Use our ADU cost and rent calculator to compare build cost against realistic local rent for each layout.
- Order a feasibility study to confirm what will actually fit and pencil out on your specific lot before you pick a final model.
- Browse current pricing across all 14 models if you want to see how the rental-focused options stack up against our studios, three-bedrooms, and largest layouts.
You can also browse the full model catalog to compare every floor plan side by side, including options outside this rental-focused shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best ADU model for rental income?
The Six Sixty 2BR is the best overall pick. It is a 660 sq ft, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home for $309,000 with a permitting budget included, which gives you two rentable bedrooms in the smallest, most affordable footprint we build. For most landlords, that combination of low cost and two-bedroom rent potential produces the strongest return.
Is a 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom ADU better for renting out?
A 2-bedroom ADU almost always makes more sense for rental income than a 1-bedroom in the same size class. The Six Sixty 2BR and Six Sixty 1BR share the identical 660 sq ft footprint, but the 2BR costs only $22,000 more ($309,000 versus $287,000) while opening the door to renting to couples, roommates, or small families who will typically pay more total rent than a single tenant in a one-bedroom.
Do I need two bathrooms in a rental ADU?
Not necessarily. A single well-placed bathroom, like the one in the Six Sixty 2BR or Seven Forty-Nine, works fine for most two-bedroom rentals. A second bathroom, like the one in the Eight Eighty-Five 2/2, is worth the extra cost mainly when you expect two unrelated adults sharing the unit or you are building a premium, higher-rent listing where private baths are a real selling point.
How long does it take to build a rental ADU with Framework First?
Delivery timelines depend on the model size. The Six Sixty 2BR and Six Sixty 1BR both run about 5 months, the Seven Forty-Nine runs 5 to 6 months, the Eight Eighty-Five 2/2 runs about 6 months, and the Nine Forty-Five 3/2 also runs about 6 months. All of that time covers permitting, the factory build, and delivery, since the home is built about 97% off-site before it ever reaches your property.
Which model is best if I want three bedrooms for a rental?
The Nine Forty-Five 3/2 is our answer for a three-bedroom rental. At 945 sq ft with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms for $434,000, it functions like a full standalone rental house rather than a supplemental unit, which makes sense if you are renting to a family or a group that needs more than two bedrooms.
Ready to see which of these models actually fits your lot? Start with a feasibility study and get a real answer before you commit to a floor plan.