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Santa Maria, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum rental term
30 days, no exceptions
Applies to
Both ADUs and JADUs alike
Separate sale
Barred except under Govt Code 66340 et seq.
Enforcement
Treated as unpermitted-use code violation

Summary

Santa Maria sets no owner-occupancy or short-term-rental ban on ADUs and JADUs, but SMMC Section 12-56.05(1)(f) bars rentals shorter than 30 days: "Rental of the ADU or JADU is allowed for not less than 30 days." That single sentence rules out nightly or weekly vacation rentals of any accessory unit citywide.

Rental of Unit. Rental of the ADU or JADU is allowed for not less than 30 days.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4818069; v9 updated 2026-04-07).

Full Breakdown

04(1) and (2), regardless of whether the unit is attached, detached, converted from existing space, or built on a single-family or multi-family lot. 05(1)(f) states plainly that rental of the unit is allowed for not less than 30 days, which functions as a citywide floor against short-term and vacation rental use of accessory units. , and bars conveying a JADU separately from the single-family residence at all. Together these provisions keep ADUs and JADUs functioning as long-term rental or owner-occupied housing stock rather than as separately marketable short-term lodging units.

05(2). No exception in Chapter 12-56 shortens the 30-day floor for any category of ADU or JADU, whether newly constructed, converted from a garage, or added within existing living space of a multi-family building.

Violations & Fines

Renting an ADU or JADU for stays shorter than 30 days violates the standard the unit was permitted under in Section 12-56.05(1)(f), exposing the owner to code enforcement the same as any other zoning violation, since ADUs are approved ministerially on the condition that they meet every standard in this section. Because compliance with Chapter 12-56 is what lets the unit exist as a legal residential structure, an owner running an accessory unit as a nightly rental risks the unit being treated as an unpermitted use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rent my Santa Maria ADU on Airbnb for a weekend?
No. Section 12-56.05(1)(f) requires that rental of an ADU or JADU be for not less than 30 days, which rules out nightly or weekend short-term rentals of any accessory dwelling unit approved under Chapter 12-56, regardless of the unit's size or when it was built.
Does the 30-day minimum apply to both ADUs and JADUs?
Yes. Section 12-56.05(1)(f) applies the same 30-day minimum stay to accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units alike, as part of the development standards every unit must meet under Sections 12-56.04(1) and (2).
Can I sell my ADU separately from my house?
No, with narrow exceptions. Section 12-56.05(1)(e) bars conveying an ADU apart from the lot and primary dwelling except as allowed under Government Code Section 66340 et seq., and bars a JADU from ever being sold separately from the single-family residence.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Santa Maria

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All Santa Maria rules

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