Pismo Beach, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

The Pismo Beach Municipal Code prints the owner residency rule in both of its Title 17 zoning codes. In the 1983 Zoning Ordinance it is § 17.117.080(A)(1)(c). In the 1998 Zoning Code it is § 17.38.155(H)(1)(a)(iii).

The requirements apply to all JADUs. They also apply to all ADUs except those permitted between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2025. An ADU permitted before or after that window carries the residency requirement.

The owner has to permanently reside on the parcel, in either the primary unit, the ADU, or the JADU. The code names the proof: a homeowner's property tax exemption. Four kinds of owner are excused: a government agency, a land trust, or a public or nonprofit housing organization.

A deed restriction must be recorded against the title of the property that contains the ADU or JADU, prior to issuance of a building permit. The restriction has to stipulate the owner residency requirement and that the ADU or JADU cannot be sold separately. That second point ties to the neighboring sale rule: ADUs and JADUs shall not be sold separately from the primary unit, except that an ADU built or developed by a qualified nonprofit corporation can be sold or conveyed to a qualified buyer when all provisions of California Government Code Section 65852.26 are met.

Applications go through § 17.117.050. Outside the Coastal Zone a zoning clearance and building permit is required, and applications are approved or denied ministerially with no public notice or hearing. In the Coastal Appeal Zone a coastal development permit and building permit is required.

Pismo Beach uses two adopted zoning codes. The city's Zoning and Land Use page states that properties inside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1983 Zoning Code, and properties outside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1998 Zoning Code.