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

Woodland Municipal Code § 17.84.030.F.5 draws a sharp line between ADUs and JADUs on owner-occupancy. Subsection F.5.a states plainly that ADUs are not subject to owner occupancy requirements, meaning a landlord can build a detached or attached ADU and rent out either the ADU or the primary home without living on site. JADUs are treated differently under subsection F.5.b: as required by state law, JADUs are generally subject to an owner-occupancy requirement, under which a natural person holding legal or equitable title to the property must reside on the property, in either the primary dwelling or the JADU itself, as that person's legal domicile and permanent residence.

Two exceptions release a JADU from this requirement: first, if the JADU has its own separate sanitation facilities rather than sharing a bathroom with the primary dwelling, and second, if the property is entirely owned by another governmental agency, land trust, or housing organization, categories meant to accommodate affordable-housing providers that hold title but do not have an individual owner living on site. Because the owner-occupancy rule attaches to the property owner rather than to a specific unit, compliance is monitored through the deed restriction required for JADUs under subsection H.8, which is recorded with the Yolo County Recorder and can only be released by the Director once the Community Development Department confirms the JADU has been physically eliminated.