Sacramento, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

105(B)(3) sets junior accessory dwelling unit rules separately from full ADUs. Subsection (a) caps a junior ADU's floor area at 500 square feet. ' That means an investor who does not live on the property cannot add a junior ADU under this local pathway, though the exemption for government agencies, land trusts, and qualifying housing organizations removes the requirement for those owners specifically. Subsection (c) backs the rule with a recorded instrument: before final building permit inspection, a deed restriction must be recorded consistent with Government Code section 66333, stating that the junior ADU cannot be sold separately from the single-unit dwelling, that the restriction binds future purchasers, and that the unit's size and attributes cannot deviate from the approved building permit.

Subsections (d) through (g) round out the junior ADU standards: the unit must be built within the walls of the single-unit dwelling (including an attached garage), have an entrance separate from the home's main entrance, include either a separate bathroom or both that separate entrance and an interior door to the main living area, and contain an efficiency kitchen with cooking appliances plus a food-preparation counter and storage cabinets sized reasonably for the unit.