The short answer: Under Los Angeles ADU rules, you can build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) of up to 1,200 sq ft detached, a Junior ADU (JADU) of up to 500 sq ft inside your home, or a state-mandated 800 sq ft detached unit with 4-ft side and rear setbacks. You do not need to live on the property for an ADU, there is no minimum lot size, and the city must decide on a complete application within 60 days.
Last verified: October 5, 2026 · Written by the ADU Scope editorial team
This guide covers the City of Los Angeles only. Other cities in Los Angeles County, such as Pasadena or Long Beach, have their own ordinances. The city’s ADU ordinance text we reviewed carries no publication date, so confirm current numbers with the Department of City Planning before you design. A draft amendment (CPC-2026-4383-CA, part of Missing Middle LA) was circulated in 2026, with a public hearing on October 1, 2026 and City Planning Commission consideration scheduled for November 12, 2026; the current rules remain in effect until the City Council adopts it.
Los Angeles ADU rules: unit types and size limits
| Type | Maximum size |
|---|---|
| Detached ADU under the city ordinance | 1,200 sq ft |
| Attached ADU under the city ordinance | 50% of the existing main home, up to 1,200 sq ft |
| State-mandated detached ADU | 800 sq ft of interior livable space |
| Junior ADU (JADU) | 500 sq ft, inside the single-family home |
| Movable tiny house | Up to 430 sq ft under the city ordinance |
No minimum lot size applies, and the city cannot block an efficiency unit for being too small.
Los Angeles ADU rules: setbacks and height
For ADUs, the city requires no more than 4 feet from the side and rear lot lines. Height follows the zoning limit for residential buildings in your zone. State-mandated ADUs can use the statewide height allowances in Government Code § 66321(b)(4). If your lot is in a hillside, coastal or historic overlay, additional review may apply. Check your parcel before you design.
Los Angeles ADU rules on parking
The city ordinance lists these parking exemptions:
- the lot is within half a mile walking distance of public transit
- the property is in a historic district
- the ADU is part of the proposed or existing main residence
- the ADU is within one block of a car-share pickup location
- the unit is under 500 sq ft
Because state law has changed since that ordinance was written, ask the city whether the rule still applies to your project.
Fees
- No impact fees for ADUs under 750 sq ft. Larger units pay fees proportional to the size of the main home.
- ADUs created within existing space and JADUs do not pay separate water or sewer connection fees unless they are built with a new single-family home. Other ADUs may be charged a connection fee proportionate to their size (Gov. Code section 66311.5).
- For unpermitted ADUs built before January 1, 2020, the city generally cannot deny a permit for lack of an earlier permit unless correction is needed for health and safety (Gov. Code section 66311.7).
School district fees are collected separately and have their own thresholds. See ADU Impact Fees: When You Pay Them.
Permit timeline
- The city has 15 business days to tell you whether your application is complete.
- After a complete application, it has 60 days to approve or deny. If it does neither, the ADU is deemed approved.
- If you apply together with a new main home, the clock may be paused until the main home is decided.
Review is ministerial: staff check the plan against the code and have no discretion to reject a compliant design. For real-world timelines, see How Long Does It Take to Get an ADU Permit?.
Owner occupancy and rentals
The ordinance does not require the owner to live on the property for an ADU. A JADU follows the state rule: the owner must live on the property only if the JADU shares a bathroom with the main home.
Before you start
- Look up your parcel’s zoning and overlays in the city’s ZIMAS planning database.
- Ask the Department of Building and Safety about pre-approved ADU plans.
- Get a written confirmation of the setbacks that apply to your lot.
Los Angeles ADU rules: how the permit process works
The city’s ADU framework is Ordinance 186,481 (adopted December 11, 2019 and effective December 19, 2019), codified in Los Angeles Municipal Code section 12.22 A.33. It covers ADUs, JADUs and movable tiny houses. The Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) now publishes at dbs.lacity.gov; the older ladbs.org address redirects there.
State law sets the decision clock, and the city has had to fall in line with it. In a November 19, 2024 letter, the state housing agency (HCD) told Los Angeles that its ordinance said an application must be “acted upon” within 60 days, while Government Code section 66317 requires the city to approve or deny. HCD also said the city cannot add a separate zoning-clearance review. Zoning Administrator Memo 143 (Revision 1, August 1, 2025) restates the 60-day, deemed-approved rule and requires the city to explain any deficiencies in writing if it denies an application.
LADBS also runs an ADU Standard Plan Program. The department pre-approves designs prepared by licensed architects and engineers against the building, residential and green codes, so reviewers check mainly the zoning and the foundation for your specific site. At its 2021 launch the city said plan check could drop from weeks to a few days, but we could not confirm how many standard ADU plans are currently available, so treat that as a possible shortcut rather than a promise.
Los Angeles ADU rules in fire hazard, hillside, historic and coastal areas
This is where most Los Angeles lots get complicated. Four situations deserve a check before you design:
- Fire hazard plus hillside. The city ordinance restricts ADUs where a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and a Hillside Area overlap. Memo 143 says that restriction cannot be applied to state-mandated ADUs under Government Code section 66323, and HCD told the city in 2024 that it had not shown a public-safety basis for it. Ask the city which category your unit falls into.
- Sprinklers. A new ADU can be required to have fire sprinklers only if the main house is required to have them (Gov. Code sections 66314(d)(12) and 66323(d)). The memo leaves some exceptions for ordinance-based ADUs in the combined fire-and-hillside areas, so confirm with the city.
- Historic districts. No parking can be required in a historic district. If you demolish a detached garage in one, the memo requires a public notice to be posted.
- Coastal zone. The Coastal Act still applies. A coastal development permit can be needed for demolition, conversion or new construction, and the memo says the city may require extra parking case by case to protect public access to the coast.
Los Angeles ADU rules for garages, multifamily lots and JADUs
If you convert or demolish a garage or carport to build an ADU, the city cannot require replacement parking. The demolition permit for a detached garage is processed together with the ADU permit.
On a lot that already has a multifamily building, state law (Gov. Code section 66323) lets you convert non-livable space such as storage rooms, attics, basements or garages into ADUs, up to 25 percent of the existing units and at least one. You can also add detached ADUs, up to eight or the number of existing units, whichever is fewer. Where a multifamily building is only proposed, two detached ADUs are allowed.
A JADU is limited to 500 sq ft, must sit inside the existing or proposed single-family home, needs only an efficiency kitchen, and is limited to one per lot, with a deed restriction recorded. The state handbook ties the owner-occupancy requirement to a shared bathroom, as noted above. HCD’s handbook is the better guide than the city memo where the two differ.
Los Angeles ADU rules on fees, rent-stabilized buildings and short-term rental
Memo 143 says Los Angeles ADUs are exempt from the city’s Park Fee and Affordable Housing Linkage Fee, and notes that the Los Angeles Unified School District charges a school fee on ADUs larger than 500 sq ft. Connection fees must be proportional to the load the unit adds.
Rent control depends on how the unit was created. According to the Housing Department (LAHD), a detached ADU is generally outside the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, an attached ADU is covered only if the original structure was built before 1978, and a conversion of livable space brings both units in. Conversions of non-livable space fall under the Just Cause Ordinance only. Registration carries an annual per-unit fee, so check the current amount with LAHD.
Short-term rental is tightly limited. Under the Home-Sharing Ordinance, an ADU built since January 1, 2017 can be home-shared only if it is the host’s primary residence, with a 120-night annual cap unless the host gets an extended registration. Units under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance are excluded. In practice, an ADU you rent to a tenant is a long-term rental, which matches the state rule that rentals must exceed 30 days.
What we could not confirm about Los Angeles ADU rules
- Dollar totals. We found no official LADBS, Bureau of Engineering or LADWP fee table with ADU amounts, so we do not quote plan-check or utility totals. Use the city’s fee calculator.
- The new ordinance. The draft amendment mentioned above is not adopted. We found no primary source showing the City Council has acted on it.
- Current LADBS bulletins. LADBS has published Information Bulletins P/BC 2026-150 (ADU and JADU standards) and P/BC 2026-161 (expedited permits for unpermitted units under AB 2533). We confirmed they exist but did not review their full contents, so read them before you submit.
FAQ
Can I build an ADU in a hillside area?
Yes, but hillside lots can bring extra requirements such as grading and fire access. Ask planning before you buy plans.
Do I need a hearing?
No. Review is ministerial and does not involve a hearing.
Can I rent it out?
Yes, under the state rule that rentals must be longer than 30 days. Check city rules on short-term rentals.
Next steps
- California ADU Laws 2026: What Changed and What You Can Build
- ADU Cost in Los Angeles: Prices, Fees and Standard Plans
- Garage Conversion to ADU in California: Permits, Parking and Conversion vs. New Detached ADU
- ADU Setback Requirements Explained: California, Washington, Colorado and Portland
- ADU Impact Fees: When You Pay Them and How to Avoid Them
- How Long Does It Take to Get an ADU Permit in California?
General information, not legal advice. Local rules vary and change; confirm with your planning department.
Sources: Los Angeles City Planning, ADU Ordinance (undated PDF) · HCD ADU Handbook · Los Angeles City Planning, ZA Memo 143 Rev. 1 · HCD letter to Los Angeles (Nov. 19, 2024) · LADBS ADU page · LAHD, ADU and rent control