SB 9 (2025)
Removing ADU Owner Occupancy Requirements (Arreguín)
In 2020, the state banned local regulations that mandate owner-occupancy of properties with ADUs, or where owners seek permits to build ADUs. Such ordinances had been hampering ADU development, making them harder to finance and less desirable since many rental homes are not occupied by their owners. ADU production more than doubled in the two years following the legislation, adding thousands of homes to communities across the state.
However, some cities continue to impose owner-occupancy requirements on ADUs built before the state reforms were passed. California’s Department of Housing and Community Development has issued technical assistance on the topic; Senate Bill 9 makes it clear that previous legislation exempting ADUs from owner-occupancy requirements applies to all ADUs, not just new ones.
Updates
SB 9 was introduced on December 2, 2024.
Authors
Jesse Arreguín (SD 7)
Sponsors
California YIMBY