Frequently Asked Questions

On most single-family lots in Los Angeles you can have one primary home, one ADU and one junior ADU (JADU). Multifamily lots can often add more under state law.

An ADU is a complete home that can be attached, detached or built in a converted garage. A JADU is a smaller unit of up to 500 square feet created inside the existing home. See our ADU vs JADU guide for a full comparison.

Yes. Every ADU needs a building permit. We recommend talking with an ADU team before preparing construction documents so your plans match what the city will approve.

Yes. ADUs can be rented long term. Rentals of fewer than 30 days are generally not allowed.

In most cases, no. An ADU is usually sold together with the main home. State law now lets cities allow separate sale in some situations, so check with the city before planning on it.

Yes. The City of Los Angeles allows Movable Tiny Houses (MTHs) as ADUs when they meet the city's size and safety standards.

A detached ADU can be up to 1,200 square feet. An attached ADU can be up to 50% of the existing living area of the main home, with state law protecting at least 800 square feet on most lots.

Yes. A JADU is limited to 500 square feet, not to a percentage of the main home.

Square footage follows the Floor Area definition in the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC). It does not include unconditioned spaces such as porches, patios or breezeways. Other rules, like floor area ratio or lot coverage, can still limit the size of your ADU.

State ADU law defines living area as the interior habitable area of a home, including basements and attics, but not a garage or other accessory structure.

Height is measured the same way as for any other building under the LAMC. Most detached ADUs can be up to 16 feet tall, with more height allowed in some situations, such as near major transit.

An efficiency unit must be at least 220 square feet plus a code-compliant closet and bathroom. The ADU ordinance does not set a separate minimum size for ADUs or JADUs, except for Movable Tiny Houses.

No. Replacement parking is not required when a garage is converted into a JADU or an ADU.

Yes.

Not always. In Los Angeles, Public Works (Bureau of Engineering) decides whether a JADU needs a new address.

Yes. The home is listed as a One-Family Dwelling and JADU on permits and city records. A JADU is not treated as a separate dwelling for fire and life safety rules, but it can be counted as a housing unit in state reports.

Parking is not required for an ADU created inside an existing or proposed home or an existing accessory structure. It may be required when an ADU is larger than the existing space or is a new detached unit, unless an exemption applies, such as being within half a mile of public transit.

When the garage demolition and the ADU are permitted together, or one permit is still open while the other is filed, replacement parking is not required.

Car share is a short-term vehicle rental program, such as BlueLA, Zipcar or Getaround. Having a car share pick-up location near your property can be one reason parking is not required.

It is the shortest walking route on public streets and sidewalks from the transit stop to the closest point of your lot, using common mapping tools such as Google Maps.

A mixed-use zone is any zone that allows both residential and non-residential uses on the same lot.

Yes. State law does not allow a minimum lot size to be used as a reason to deny an ADU.

For a single-family home, the city can use the County Assessor's records for the home's square footage. On a multifamily lot, the fee is based on the average size of all units on the lot.

Not for the ADU rules themselves, since those rules are already exceptions to the code. An ADU can request other entitlements for standards found elsewhere in the code.

Yes. The lot may contain other residential and accessory uses as allowed by its zone.

The conversion must meet the zoning and fire sprinkler rules in place at the time of the change. Earlier non-conforming rights may be considered by LADBS.

A single-family dwelling is a one-family home. A multifamily dwelling is any building with more than one dwelling unit used for long-term living. Stays of fewer than 30 days do not count as a dwelling use.