Downey, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum rental term
- 30 days for any ADU
- Applies to
- Every ADU, regardless of construction date
- Sale restriction
- ADUs cannot be sold separately from lot
- JADU extra rule
- Recorded deed restriction bars separate sale
- Enforcement
- Community Development Department code enforcement
Summary
Downey bans short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units outright: § 9414.14(c) states no ADU may be rented for a term shorter than 30 days, a rule that applies to every ADU in the city regardless of when it was built or permitted.
(c) Rental Term. No ADU may be rented for a term that is shorter than 30 days. This prohibition applies regardless of when the ADU was constructed. (d) No Separate Conveyance. Except as required by Government Code Section 66341, ADUs may not be sold or separately conveyed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4807734; v5 updated 2026-01-27).
Full Breakdown
14(c) of the Downey Municipal Code reads in full: Rental Term. No ADU may be rented for a term that is shorter than 30 days. This prohibition applies regardless of when the ADU was constructed. 14(d), except where Government Code § 66341 requires otherwise. Because the 30-day floor applies retroactively to every ADU citywide, an owner cannot list an older, pre-2025-ordinance ADU on a short-term platform just because it predates the current chapter; the restriction attaches to the unit itself, not to the permit that created it.
14(f), filed with the Los Angeles County Recorder and the Community Development Department, that locks in owner-occupancy and bars separate sale of the JADU from the primary home. While that deed restriction applies specifically to JADUs, the 30-day minimum rental term in subsection (c) is written to cover ADUs generally, meaning both full ADUs and JADUs across every zone where they are permitted, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3-O, and M-U, are locked out of nightly or weekly rental use. 14(f)(6).
Violations & Fines
Renting an ADU or JADU for fewer than 30 days violates § 9414.14(c) and exposes the property owner to code enforcement action by the Community Development Department, including citation and the same abatement remedies available for other zoning violations. For a JADU with a recorded deed restriction, the Community Development Director can additionally seek an injunction or abatement order under § 9414.14(f)(6) to stop the illegal short-term use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my Downey ADU on Airbnb for a weekend?
Does the 30-day rental minimum apply to Junior ADUs too?
Can I sell my ADU separately from my house in Downey?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Downey
California rules heatmap·Compare Downey to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Rental Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle adu rental restrictions.