Burbank, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Ordinance No. 2. Applications deemed complete for ADUs and Junior ADUs on lots with existing single-family or multifamily dwellings must be approved or denied ministerially within the 60-day review period required by state law. ADUs and Junior ADUs are a permitted use in the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, MDR-3, MDR-4, and R-1-H zones, and where required by state preemption (Gov. 2(e)) on any lot with an existing or proposed single-family or multifamily dwelling. New attached and detached ADUs may not exceed 850 square feet, except an ADU with more than one bedroom may reach 1,000 square feet; a Junior ADU is limited to 500 square feet and must be created within the existing walls of the single-family residence or attached garage.

New attached ADUs follow the height limits of BMC 10-1-603(A); detached ADUs not built atop a garage are capped at 17 feet (18 feet, plus up to 2 feet for a matching roof pitch, near a high-quality transit corridor or major transit stop), and an ADU built atop a detached garage or accessory structure may reach a 20-foot top-of-plate height (23 feet to architectural features). New ADUs require a minimum 4-foot setback from the rear and side property lines. Required parking may not exceed one space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less, and is fully waived when the ADU is within one-half mile walking distance of public transit, is part of an existing structure, is in a historic district, or where on-street parking permits are not offered to the ADU occupant.

2(a)(8), Burbank does not impose owner-occupancy on ADUs. ADUs may be rented (terms longer than 30 days, and not as short-term rentals of fewer than 90 days) but may not be sold or conveyed separately from the primary residence.