San Rafael, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Under San Rafael Municipal Code § 14.16.285.C.4.b, an accessory dwelling unit may be rented but may not be sold or otherwise conveyed separately from the primary dwelling, except as California Government Code § 65852.26 may later allow. For ADUs approved through the state-mandated streamlined pathway in subsection E, units built within an existing structure's footprint, on a lot with an existing single-family home, in unused multifamily space, or detached on a multifamily lot, § 14.16.285.E.5 additionally bars renting the unit for less than thirty (30) days, closing off short-term rental use of those units specifically.