La Mesa, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

La Mesa's zoning code permits one junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) alongside an existing or proposed single-family residence, but Section 24.05.020(D)(9)(e) ties that permission to owner occupancy: the owner of record must live in either the primary house or the JADU as a principal residence. The only carve-out applies where the primary dwelling and JADU are held by a land trust or housing organization working to keep the units affordable. A JADU is capped at five hundred square feet, must sit entirely inside the existing or proposed single-family structure (a garage counts as part of that structure), needs its own exterior entry and an efficiency kitchen with a cooking facility and counter space, and cannot add parking beyond what the primary residence already required.

Before the Community Development Department issues a building permit, Section 24.05.020(D)(9)(k) requires the owner to record a covenant restating the occupancy duty, the ban on selling the JADU separately, and the thirty-day minimum rental term. Applications meeting the standards are processed ministerially, without a hearing, and the city must approve or deny within sixty calendar days of a complete application. The JADU shares the parcel's existing water and sewer connection at no added fee, and it is not required to add fire sprinklers beyond what the primary residence already needs.