Compton, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Property has a JADU
- Requirement
- Owner occupies JADU or primary dwelling
- Recorded via
- Declaration of restrictions before occupancy
- Companion rules
- No separate sale, no rentals under 30 days
- JADU size
- 150 to 500 square feet
Summary
Compton requires owner-occupancy only when a junior accessory dwelling unit is on the property: Section 30-11.2.d.3 requires the recorded covenant to state that 'either the JADU or Primary Dwelling shall be occupied by the owner of record.' Full-size detached or attached ADUs built without a JADU carry no such owner-occupancy covenant under this section.
d. Covenant Required. Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for an ADU or JADU, the property owner shall record a declaration of restrictions, in a form approved by the City Attorney, placing the following restrictions on the property, the property owner, and all successors in interest: ... 3. If there is a JADU on the property, either the JADU or Primary Dwelling shall be occupied by the owner of record.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
The owner-occupancy rule lives inside the same recorded covenant required for every ADU and JADU project. 2's 30-day minimum rental term, the covenant package means a JADU owner must live in either the small unit or the main house, cannot rent the JADU out short-term, and cannot sell it off separately. c that must sit within the walls of the existing or proposed single-family dwelling; the code text does not extend the same owner-occupancy language to a detached, full-size ADU built without a JADU on the same lot.
Violations & Fines
Occupying neither the JADU nor the primary dwelling as the recorded owner, after signing the Section 30-11.2.d covenant, breaches the declaration of restrictions filed against the property. That exposes the owner to code enforcement action and the Municipal Code's default penalty under Section 1-6.2, up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, along with any civil remedy available to enforce the recorded covenant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to live in my house if I build a JADU?
Does the owner-occupancy rule apply to a regular detached ADU too?
When do I sign the occupancy covenant?
What if I move out and rent both units to tenants?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
California rules heatmap·Compare Compton to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Owner Occupancy in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle adu owner occupancy.