What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?

What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary living space on a low zoned for 1 living space. This Accessory Dwelling Unit is often a detached garage in the back of the property converted into a little one-bedroom or two-bedroom home. Many people know them as a "mother-in-law unit" on the back of the property but other people use them as a rentla unit to help pay the mortgage.

Historically, cities didn't like having their lots zoned as "R-1" to have potentially multiple units. As of the beginning of 2020, with the housing crisis here in California, the state of California has decided to overrule city laws and allow Accessory Dwelling Units to be built on R-1 lots regardless of city laws. In general, if you build one unit or a one-bedroom unit you are allowed to build at least 800 square feet on the back of the property. Now garages are 400 to 450 square feet. So if you convert a garage, you're under your threshold of what you're allowed to build. If it's a two-bedroom unit you can build at least a thousand square feet.

It is important to recognize that the new ADU laws do not turn an R-1 property into an R-2 property. There are size limitations on Accessory Dwelling Units where there would be no size limitation on a second unit on an R-2 lot.