Mobile, AL Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

Alabama is a Dillon Rule state and has not enacted ADU legislation overriding local zoning. The Mobile Unified Development Code (Chapter 64), adopted June 7, 2022, permits accessory dwelling units in residential districts only as a use subordinate to the principal single-family dwelling and prohibits ADU sale separate from the main parcel. While Mobile does not necessarily impose a stand-alone deed-restriction filing comparable to some California JADU rules, the bar on separate sale, the requirement that the ADU be subordinate, and the city's historical prohibition on ADU use as a short-term rental together produce an owner-occupancy expectation in practice. Converting both the main dwelling and the ADU to independent rentals occupied by unrelated tenants generally triggers a two-family-dwelling classification that requires a higher-density residential district (or a use variance) under the UDC. Property owners seeking to deviate from the standard accessory-use limitations apply to the Mobile Board of Zoning Adjustment for a use variance, or pursue a rezoning through the Mobile Planning Commission. Verify current owner-occupancy and rental specifics directly with Build Mobile at 251-208-5895 before listing.