Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

ADUADU General Information

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is an attached or detached residential dwelling unit with complete living facilities (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, etc.) in zoning districts that allow single-family and multi-family uses.

A Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) is a dwelling unit that is no more than 500 square feet in size and contained entirely within an existing or proposed single-family dwelling. The JADU may include separate living facilities, or it may share the facilities with the existing structure. 

ADUs go by many different names, including granny flats, in-law units, backyard cottages, secondary units, and more. The key distinction between an ADU and other types of detached structures, such as pool cabanas, is the inclusion of a kitchen in the ADU.

Current State law regarding Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units can be found on the State of California's Legislative Information website. 

Council Adoption

On February 24, 2020, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2020-003 (PDF)  in response to changes in State law to promote the development of ADUs and JADUs, which took effect on January 1, 2020.

The Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance (PDF) was updated by City Council after the ordinance's first reading on July 25, 2022 and its second reading on August 1, 2022. The new ordinance goes into effect on August 31, 2022. 

The primary change to the ordinance is related to ADUs in high and very high fire hazard severity zones. 

Questions?

To learn more, visit our frequently asked questions (FAQs) below. 

Contact

For assistance, please send us an email or call us at 805-654-7869.


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