Bellevue does not require owner-occupancy for ADU properties. The 2023 ADU Reform (Ordinance 6746) explicitly removed the previous owner-occupancy mandate, and Washington HB 1337 (RCW 36.70A.683) prohibits cities from imposing owner-occupancy requirements on ADUs. Owners may rent both the primary dwelling and the ADU to separate tenants.
Before 2023, Bellevue's LUC required the property owner to reside on-site in either the primary residence or the ADU. Ordinance 6746 eliminated this requirement, aligning with the legislative direction that became Washington HB 1337. RCW 36.70A.683 now prohibits any city or county subject to the Growth Management Act from requiring the owner of a lot with an ADU to reside in either the primary unit or the ADU. This means a Bellevue homeowner may build an ADU and lease both the primary house and the ADU to unrelated tenants, or move out entirely while renting both units. The change is intended to unlock financing and rental supply by removing a barrier that title insurers and lenders historically flagged. Homeowner association covenants and condominium declarations may still impose private owner-occupancy rules; those are enforced privately, not by the city. Short-term rental rules (see adu-rental-restrictions) operate independently and do apply.
There is no owner-occupancy violation under Bellevue code as of 2023. Private HOA enforcement is a civil matter handled in King County Superior Court, not by the city. If a city official claims an owner-occupancy violation, point to LUC 20.20.120 as amended by Ordinance 6746 and to RCW 36.70A.683 preempting any such requirement.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how other cities in King County handle adu owner occupancy.
See how Bellevue's adu owner occupancy rules stack up against other locations.
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