Moreno Valley, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- JADUs sharing sanitation only
- Standard ADU owner-occupancy
- not required
- JADU max size
- 500 sq ft
- JADUs per lot
- 1 with existing single-family home
- Exempt owners
- gov't agency, land trust, housing org
Summary
Moreno Valley does not require an owner to live on-site for a standalone ADU, but Municipal Code Section 9.09.130(G)(5) requires an owner-occupancy covenant for a junior ADU that shares a bathroom or other sanitation facilities with the main house, unless the owner is a government agency, land trust or housing organization.
5. The owner shall execute a covenant and agreement in a form acceptable to the city to document that either the primary dwelling unit or the accessory dwelling unit will be owner-occupied if the JADU shares sanitation facilities with the existing structure. If the property owner is a governmental agency, land trust, or housing organization, or the JADU has its own sanitation facilities, then owner occupancy cannot be required.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4887234; v10 updated 2026-04-07).
Full Breakdown
130 does not impose one: an investor-owned property can build and rent a detached or attached ADU without living there. Junior accessory dwelling units are different. 5 requires the owner to execute a covenant and agreement, in a form the city accepts, stating that either the primary dwelling or the JADU will be owner-occupied whenever the JADU shares sanitation facilities with the main structure. That covenant requirement drops away in situations the subsection itself lists: the property owner is a governmental agency, land trust, or housing organization rather than an individual, or the JADU has its own sanitation facilities rather than sharing them with the house.
JADUs are also capped at 500 square feet, must be built entirely within the exterior walls of the primary structure, are limited to one per residential lot, and require a recorded deed restriction barring the JADU from being sold separately from the single-family home. 8 further requires an interior doorway connecting the JADU to the home's main living area, in addition to each unit's own exterior entrance.
Violations & Fines
Renting or occupying a bathroom-sharing JADU without the required owner-occupancy covenant in place, or selling a JADU separately from the primary residence without the deed restriction required by subsection G.4, is a violation the community development department can enforce through code compliance action, and can require correction before further permits issue on the property. Failing to actually occupy either unit as the recorded covenant requires is a breach the city can pursue separately from any zoning citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to live in my house if I build an ADU?
What about a junior ADU?
Is there any way around the JADU owner-occupancy covenant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Moreno Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Moreno Valley 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.