Lake Elsinore, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Lake Elsinore closes the short-term rental loophole for accessory units through two coordinated chapters. Chapter 5.86, the citywide short-term rental ordinance, requires a business license and transient occupancy tax registration for any short-term rental, but § 5.86.040(E) carves ADUs out entirely: 'In accordance with LEMC § 17.415.110, no person may operate a short-term rental in any accessory dwelling unit.' The ADU chapter itself reinforces the ban from the other direction. Under § 17.415.110(C)(5)(c), a junior accessory dwelling unit cannot be sold independently of the primary unit on the lot, and while either the JADU or the primary unit may be rented, rentals of less than 30 days are prohibited.

A recorded deed restriction running with the land must document both the no-separate-sale rule and the 30-day minimum rental term, filed with the City before the building permit is finalized. Subsection (H) applies the same 30-day floor to full ADUs: the accessory dwelling unit cannot be sold separately from the principal residence, and the rental period for either unit must exceed 30 days and cannot be used as a short-term rental. Together these sections mean an owner cannot list a Lake Elsinore ADU or JADU on a nightly or weekly booking platform under any circumstance, regardless of the unit's size or location in the city.