Escondido, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Section 33-1473(e) of the Escondido Zoning Code permits an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit to be rented out separately from the primary residence, but conditions that right on two things: there must be a written rental agreement, and its term must exceed 30 days. That 30-day floor effectively bars nightly or weekly short-term rental use of an ADU or JADU built under Article 70, even though the underlying property's primary residence may otherwise be eligible for short-term rental permitting elsewhere in the code.

The rental restriction sits alongside related limits in the same article. Subsection (d) bars selling an ADU or JADU except together with the primary residence and property; a backyard unit cannot be subdivided off and sold on its own. Subsection (f)(2) allows an ADU or JADU to be used for a home occupation permit under Article 44, sharing the same home-occupation limitations as the main house, and subsection (f)(2)(B) caps the number of animals kept on a property with an ADU or JADU at the quantities listed in Table 33-95(a) of Article 6 or § 33-1116 of Article 57, shared with the principal use.