Hemet, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- JADUs only
- Standalone ADUs
- no occupancy rule (state law)
- Exemption
- JADU with separate sanitation
- Citation
- § 90-321(d)(5)
Summary
Hemet requires the homeowner to live in either the house or the JADU itself; standalone ADUs carry no such occupancy rule under state law.
The owner of the single-family residential home in which the JADU is located must reside in either the remaining portion of the home or in the newly created JADU unit, unless the JADU includes separate sanitation facilities, in which case owner-occupancy is not required.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Hemet Municipal Code § 90-321(d)(5) requires the owner of a single-family home containing a junior accessory dwelling unit to reside in either the remaining portion of the home or the JADU, unless the JADU has its own separate sanitation facilities, in which case owner-occupancy is not required. The exemption also applies where the owner is a government agency, land trust, or housing organization. This duty attaches only to JADUs: standalone ADUs carry no local owner-occupancy requirement because state ADU law bars cities from imposing one.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain required owner-occupancy on a JADU puts the unit out of compliance with its conditions of approval; the city can treat it as an unpermitted use subject to code enforcement until occupancy is restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to live on-site with a Hemet JADU?
Does a regular ADU require the owner to live there?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hemet
California rules heatmap·Compare Hemet to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Owner Occupancy in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle adu owner occupancy.