Sonoma, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum rental term
- 30 days
- Short-term/vacation rentals
- Not permitted for ADUs/JADUs
- Separate sale of ADU
- Prohibited from the lot
- Governing section
- SMC 19.45.030(B)-(C)
- Adopted
- Ord. 04-2023
Summary
An accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit in the City of Sonoma cannot be rented for a term shorter than 30 days, which bars vacation-rental use of ADUs outright. An ADU may be rented long-term, but it can never be sold or conveyed apart from the primary lot and dwelling.
B. Rental Term. No ADU or JADU may be rented for a term that is shorter than 30 days. C. No Separate Conveyance. An ADU or JADU may be rented, but no ADU or JADU may be sold or otherwise conveyed separately from the lot and the primary dwelling (in the case of a single-family lot) or from the lot and all of the dwellings (in the case of a duplex or multifamily lot).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
" This closes off short-term or vacation-rental use of accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units city-wide, regardless of zoning district, because the requirement sits in the chapter's general requirements rather than in a district-specific rule. 030(C), works alongside the rental-term rule: an ADU or JADU may be rented, but it may never be sold or otherwise conveyed separately from the lot and the primary dwelling on a single-family lot, or from the lot and all of the dwellings on a duplex or multifamily lot.
Together the two rules mean an ADU functions only as a long-term rental or owner-occupied unit tied permanently to the parcel, never as a separately marketable short-term rental or a separately titled property. 060(B). The rule was adopted in the chapter's 2023 rewrite (Ord. 22.
Violations & Fines
A rental term shorter than 30 days is a violation of Chapter 19.45 under SMC 19.45.090(A), which makes it unlawful to violate any provision of the chapter and treats noncompliance with the chapter's standards as grounds for a finding of violation regardless of whether the ADU itself was properly permitted. Violations are subject to the enforcement penalties and procedures of Chapter 1.28 SMC, and under SMC 19.45.090(B) the city may also pursue revocation of the ADU or JADU permit and recover attorneys' fees and costs in a civil enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I list my City of Sonoma ADU on a short-term rental platform?
Can I sell my ADU separately from my house in the City of Sonoma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Rental Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle adu rental restrictions.