Redwood City, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)
Key Facts
- Owner-occupancy
- Required for JADUs only, not full ADUs
- Owner may live in
- Either main house or the JADU
- Deed restriction
- Recorded, bars separate sale of JADU
- JADU size cap
- 500 sq ft
- JADUs per lot
- 1 maximum
Summary
Redwood City requires the owner to live in either the main house or the junior accessory dwelling unit whenever a JADU is created; standard, larger accessory dwelling units carry no such owner-occupancy condition. A recorded deed restriction backs up the JADU rule and bars selling the JADU apart from the primary home.
I.Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. If a junior accessory dwelling unit is proposed, it shall comply with the requirements of California Government Code Section 66333, as may be amended from time to time, including, but not limited to the following:1.Shall not exceed five hundred (500) square feet in size....4.Shall provide a separate exterior entrance from the single-family home.5.Shall contain a kitchen or an efficiency kitchen...6.May share a bathroom with the single-family home.7.Shall be owner-occupied. The owner shall reside in either the single-family residence or the newly created junior accessory dwelling unit.8.A deed restriction shall be recorded providing for a prohibition on the sale of the Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit separate from the single-family residence, including a statement that the deed restriction may be enforced against future purchasers, and a restriction on the size and attributes that conforms with the requirements of Government Code Section 66333.9.Only one (1) junior accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed per lot.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
3(I) sets nine conditions for any junior accessory dwelling unit, tracking Government Code § 66333. " That flexibility means the owner does not have to live in the JADU itself: living in the main house while renting out the JADU satisfies the rule just as well as the reverse. 3(I)(8): the City requires a recorded deed restriction that prohibits selling the JADU separately from the single-family residence, states the restriction is enforceable "against future purchasers," and restricts the JADU's size and attributes to match Government Code § 66333. 3(I)(9). 5 separately bars short-term rental of any ADU or JADU regardless of who lives on site.
Violations & Fines
An unrecorded deed restriction or a JADU operated without owner-occupancy, for example rented out while the owner lives elsewhere entirely, is a Zoning Ordinance violation the Zoning Administrator can pursue as a public nuisance and infraction under Article 50, with fines up to $100 for a first offense, up to $200 for a repeat within a year, and up to $500 after that, and each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to live in my Redwood City junior ADU?
Does a full-size ADU in Redwood City require owner-occupancy?
Can a Redwood City JADU be sold separately from the house?
How many junior ADUs can one lot have?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redwood City
California rules heatmap·Compare Redwood City to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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