Glendale, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum rental term
- More than 30 days
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Sec. 30.34.080(D)(11)
- Applies to
- ADUs and junior ADUs citywide
- Related ban
- Home-sharing barred on ADU properties (Ch. 5.56)
- Enforcement
- Community Development Dept. code enforcement
Summary
Glendale bars short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units built under its ADU ordinance: any lease must run longer than thirty days. Municipal Code Sec. 30.34.080(D)(11) locks ADUs and junior ADUs into long-term housing stock, closing off the vacation-rental route that home-sharing rules already forbid on ADU properties.
Any rental of an accessory dwelling unit created pursuant to this section shall be for a term longer than thirty days.
12. Except as provided in Government Code Section 66341 or otherwise allowed by state or local law, an accessory dwelling unit cannot be sold separately from the residential dwelling(s). A junior accessory dwelling unit cannot be sold separately from the sale of the single-family residence under any circumstance.
13. Fire sprinklers shall be required for the accessory dwelling unit and/or junior accessory dwelling unit if fire sprinklers are or were required for the residential dwelling. The construction of an accessory dwelling unit shall not trigger a requirement for fire sprinklers to be installed in the existing single- or multi-family dwelling.
14. No passageway shall be required between an entrance of the accessory dwelling unit and the street right-of-way as defined in state law.
15. The property owner shall pay all sewer, water, school district, and other applicable fees.
16. Notwithstanding Chapter 4.10 and any development impact fee resolutions adopted thereunder:
a. Any accessory dwelling unit under seven hundred fifty square feet shall be exempt from any development impact fee, including, but not limited to, the parks and libraries development impact fee; and
b.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4983441; v20 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
Under Glendale Municipal Code Sec. " The rule reaches every ADU and junior ADU permitted through the city's ADU ordinance, whether attached, detached, or converted from existing space, and it applies regardless of the underlying zone since the section covers all zones that allow single-family or multi-family residential use. 56, the home-sharing and vacation-rental chapter, which separately states that home-sharing is not allowed on any property with an accessory dwelling unit, in either the primary residence or the ADU itself. Together the two chapters foreclose nightly or weekly rental income from an ADU: an owner can rent the unit to a tenant on a standard month-to-month or longer lease, but cannot list it on a short-term platform.
The Community Development Department reviews ADU permit applications for compliance with Sec. 080 as a whole, and the thirty-day floor is treated as a condition of the ministerial permit rather than a discretionary add-on, meaning staff cannot waive it case by case. 56's vacation-rental prohibition.
Violations & Fines
Renting an ADU or junior ADU for stays of thirty days or less violates Sec. 30.34.080(D)(11) and overlaps with Chapter 5.56's citywide ban on vacation rentals at ADU properties. The Community Development Department can pursue code enforcement citations, and repeat short-term listings risk referral for further administrative penalties tied to the home-sharing chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my Glendale ADU on Airbnb for a weekend?
Does the thirty-day rule apply to junior ADUs too?
Who enforces the ADU rental term limit in Glendale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
California rules heatmap·Compare Glendale to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
ADU Rental Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle adu rental restrictions.