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

1506(a)(10) states that any declaration of restrictions regarding owner occupancy previously recorded with an ADU stays valid and binding on successors in ownership unless the ADU itself is removed. It then adds a forward-looking rule: for an ADU permitted after January 1, 2025 in a single-family residential zone, either the primary unit or the ADU must be occupied by the property's owner. 1506(b)(2)(g)(2) is more specific about how the city enforces this for JADUs built under the streamlined path: before a building permit issues for the JADU, the owner must record a covenant specifying that no more than one of the two units may be rented, and the owner may live in either the remaining portion of the main structure or the new JADU.

That JADU owner-occupancy requirement does not apply if the owner is a government agency, land trust, or housing organization. Because the standard 2025-forward rule in subsection (a)(10) applies specifically to single-family residential zones, an ADU added to a multi-family property is not subject to the same post-2025 owner-occupancy mandate under this section. The rule works alongside the ADU's ministerial approval track: the city cannot deny a permit-eligible ADU application over occupancy plans, but the recorded restriction becomes enforceable against the property once construction proceeds.