Simi Valley, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

160(D)(2) requires the owner to record a Deed Restriction, on a form the City supplies, specifying that the owner of the property shall occupy either the JADU or the primary single-family dwelling. That obligation runs with the land: if a new owner takes title to the property, failure to maintain the owner occupancy required by said deed restriction will require that the JADU be removed from the property and any separate rental must be vacated within 90 days. In practice, this means a JADU cannot be created and then rented out entirely separately from the main house while the owner lives elsewhere; someone connected to the title must reside in either the JADU or the primary dwelling for the JADU to remain lawful.

Subsection D(1) adds a construction-standards requirement for JADUs built as part of an addition: the addition must meet the setback requirements that apply to a single-family dwelling under the underlying zoning district or any approved Planned Development Permit conditions, rather than the more flexible accessory-structure setbacks that can apply to a detached ADU. 160 general provisions carry no comparable occupancy mandate, so a homeowner choosing between a JADU and a full ADU is trading the JADU's smaller size and simpler conversion process for this ongoing residency obligation and its 90-day removal consequence if it lapses.