West Valley City, UT Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)
Key Facts
- Detached ADU
- Owner must live on lot
- Internal ADU
- Owner must occupy primary home
- Governs
- § 7-7-107.5(3), § 7-7-115.5(8)
- Applies
- Citywide, West Valley City
Summary
West Valley City requires the property owner to live in either the main house or a detached ADU, and bars renting an internal ADU unless the owner occupies the primary home.
"The owner of a Lot where a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit is located shall reside in the Single Unit Dwelling on the same Lot or in the Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit." (§7-7-107.5(3)) "An Internal Accessory Dwelling Unit shall be prohibited in any Single Unit Dwelling that is not occupied as the primary residence of the owner of record." (§7-7-115.5(8))
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-30, passed June 23, 2026).
Full Breakdown
West Valley City's use-specific zoning standards tie every Accessory Dwelling Unit to owner residency. For a Detached ADU, Municipal Code § 7-7-107.5(3) lets the lot owner live in either the primary Single Unit Dwelling or the Detached ADU: one of the two must be the owner's home. For an Internal ADU, § 7-7-115.5(8) goes further and flatly prohibits the unit in any Single Unit Dwelling that isn't the primary residence of the owner of record, so an absentee landlord cannot add an internal unit and rent out the whole property. Utah Code Title 10, Chapter 21 sets the state floor for Internal ADUs generally; these are the City's own added standards.
Violations & Fines
Losing owner-occupancy status makes the ADU a zoning violation enforceable by the City; renting without a business license is also a violation under the same use-specific chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out my West Valley City house and live in the ADU instead?
Does the owner-occupancy rule apply to internal ADUs too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Valley City
Compare West Valley City to another location·View the Utah accessory structures overview
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ADU Owner Occupancy in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle adu owner occupancy.