How Inglewood Handles Accessory Structures: A Practical Guide

Inglewood maintains 151 local ordinances across all categories, and 6 of those deal specifically with accessory structures. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Inglewood falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

ADU Owner Occupancy

Inglewood requires the single-family lot hosting a junior accessory dwelling unit to be owner-occupied, with the owner living in either the main house or the JADU itself, per Municipal Code Sec. 12-150(g).

Key details: Owner-occupancy: Required for JADU lots, Sec. 12-150(g). Where owner may live: Main house or the JADU. Exemption: Govt agency, land trust, housing org. JADU size range: 150 to 500 sq ft. Covenant required: Recorded with LA County Recorder.

Renting, selling, or occupying a JADU in violation of the recorded owner-occupancy covenant breaches the title covenant required under Sec. 12-148(d) and can trigger code enforcement action by the Planning Division, since the covenant is a recorded, binding condition of the building permit rather than a mere guideline. Because the covenant runs with the land, a subsequent owner who fails to occupy either the main house or the JADU is also bound by and can be held to the same requirement.

ADU Rental Restrictions

Inglewood bars renting an accessory dwelling unit or junior ADU for less than thirty days and prohibits advertising or using either as a short-term rental, plus a recorded covenant barring the unit from being sold apart from the main property.

Key details: Governing law: IMC § 12-148, Ord. 24-02 (12-12-23). Minimum rental term: 30 days. Short-term rental use: Prohibited, ADU and JADU. Separate sale: Prohibited, ties to primary dwelling. Title restriction: Recorded covenant, runs with land.

Renting an ADU short-term, advertising it as a short-term rental, or attempting to sell or convey it separately from the primary dwelling violates the recorded covenant required under Section 12-148(d) and Article 35's general requirements, and is enforced through the City's standard code enforcement and building permit compliance process rather than a penalty schedule unique to this Section; a covenant violation runs with the land against all current and future owners.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Inglewood actively enforces its adu rental restrictions requirements.

Garage Conversions

Inglewood bans converting a garage or required parking space into a bedroom, office, storage room, or any other habitable use. IMC § 12-40.1 requires every garage and required parking space to stay available for vehicles at all times and bars renting the space out for anything else. The only exception is converting a garage into a permitted accessory dwelling unit.

Key details: Governing section: IMC § 12-40.1, Article 19. Violation class: Infraction under § 1-18.1(a). First-offense fine: Up to $100 (§ 1-18). Repeat fines: $200 second offense, $500 thereafter. Only exception: ADU conversion under Article 35.

Both § 12-40 and § 12-40.1 are listed in § 1-18.1(a) as code sections the City has specifically declared infractions rather than misdemeanors. Under § 1-18, a first violation is punishable by a fine up to $100, a second violation of the same section within one year up to $200, and each additional violation within that year up to $500. The City can also require the converted space be restored to parking use.

Compared to other cities, Inglewood takes a harder line on garage conversions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

ADU Rules

Inglewood allows one accessory dwelling unit and one junior ADU per single-family lot, and internal or attached ADUs equal to 25 percent of unit count on multifamily lots, under Municipal Code Article 35. Detached ADUs top out at one thousand square feet and one story or sixteen feet in height, and the Economic and Community Development Director must act on a complete application within sixty days.

Key details: Units per SFD lot: One ADU plus one JADU maximum. Detached ADU size cap: 1,000 sq ft or 100% of primary. Detached ADU height: One story or 16 feet maximum. Rear setback: Minimum 4 feet. Review timeline: 60 days for a complete application.

Selling or otherwise conveying an ADU or JADU separately from the primary lot breaches the recorded covenant required under Section 12-148 and runs with the land against every future owner. Advertising or renting either unit as a short-term stay, or for a term under 30 days, violates the rental-term restriction tied to the permit. Building beyond the size, setback or height limits in Section 12-149 without approved Site Plan Review leaves the structure unpermitted and subject to correction.

ADU Impact Fees

Inglewood waives development impact fees for any accessory dwelling unit under 750 square feet, and reviews complete ADU or JADU applications within sixty days, under the Article 35 accessory dwelling unit standards.

Key details: Governing law: IMC § 12-147, Ord. 24-02 (12-12-23). Fee-exempt ADU size: Under 750 square feet. Application review time: 60 days for complete application. Site Plan Review needed for: New detached ADU structures only. Affordable ADUs: Deed-restricted units exempt from review.

Article 35 does not attach its own fine schedule to the impact fee exemption; an ADU built without the required permits, or one that misrepresents its square footage to avoid an impact fee it actually owes, is enforced as a building code and permitting violation through the City's standard code enforcement process rather than under a penalty clause specific to this Section.

The rules around adu impact fees in Inglewood lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Shed & Carport Rules

Inglewood exempts small detached tool and storage sheds from building permits under an amended Building Code Section 105.2, but only if the structure stays under 120 square feet, tops out at 7 feet (10 feet if portable), sits outside required setbacks, skips plumbing and electrical, and is spaced 10 feet from other accessory structures.

Key details: Permit-exempt size: Up to 120 sq ft. Height limit (fixed shed): 7 feet. Height limit (portable): 10 feet. Spacing from other structures: 10 feet minimum. No utilities allowed: No plumbing or electrical.

Building an accessory shed larger than 120 square feet, taller than the applicable 7- or 10-foot limit, placed in a required setback, or wired for electrical or plumbing without first obtaining a Section 105.1 building permit is enforced as a misdemeanor under Section 1-18, punishable by up to a $500 fine or six months in jail, since accessory structure permitting is not on the City's infraction list.

The Bottom Line

Inglewood is tougher than many cities when it comes to accessory structures. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Inglewood, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Inglewood can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.