Long Beach's Accessory Structures: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles accessory structures a little differently. In Long Beach, California, there are 5 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

ADU Owner Occupancy

Long Beach requires the property owner to live in either the primary dwelling or the accessory dwelling unit under Municipal Code § 21.51.276.E.1.a, unless both units are leased to the same tenant who is barred in writing from subletting either unit to anyone else. The City records a deed restriction and can force removal of the ADU at the owner's expense for violations.

Key details: Governing section: LBMC § 21.51.276.E.1.a. Enforcing department: City of Long Beach Development Services Department. Exception: Same tenant leases both units, sublease barred. Enforcement tool: Recorded deed restriction before building permit issuance. Penalty: ADU removal at owner's expense.

Violating the owner-occupancy condition breaches the recorded deed restriction under § 21.51.276.E.1.f, and subsection (e) authorizes the City to require removal of the entire accessory dwelling unit at the property owner's expense, not just a fine. Long Beach Development Services administers ADU compliance and can also apply standard zoning-code enforcement remedies under Title 21 for continuing violations, including administrative citation provisions.

This is one of the stricter rules in Long Beach's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

ADU Rental Restrictions

Long Beach bars short-term rental of accessory dwelling units: Municipal Code § 21.51.276.E.1.d requires that any rental of the ADU or the primary dwelling run longer than thirty (30) days, and subsection (b) blocks selling the ADU off from the main house altogether, keeping both restrictions tied to a single parcel and deed.

Key details: Governing section: LBMC § 21.51.276.E.1.d. Minimum rental term: Longer than 30 days. Separate sale: Prohibited under § 21.51.276.E.1.b. Enforcement: Recorded deed restriction, ADU removal for violation. Adopting ordinance: ORD-21-0028 (2021).

Renting an ADU or its paired primary dwelling for stays of thirty days or less violates § 21.51.276.E.1.d and puts the unit's entitlement at risk: subsection (e) allows the City to order the ADU removed at the owner's expense for any violation of the section. Long Beach Development Services enforces the rental-term and no-separate-sale conditions through the recorded deed restriction and standard zoning code-enforcement process.

Garage Conversions

Converting a Long Beach garage into an ADU means losing the garage door for good: LBMC § 21.51.276(D)(3)(b) requires the opening to be removed and finished to match the house, while § 21.51.276(E)(3) lets the converted structure be rebuilt as needed for building, fire and life-safety code compliance without losing its existing nonconforming setback rights.

Key details: Garage door: must be removed, opening finished to match. Rebuild allowance: for code compliance, keeps nonconforming setback. Replacement parking: 1 space for ADU, some exemptions apply. Second story: allowed above nonconforming detached structure.

Converting a garage to an ADU without removing the garage door and finishing the opening to match the building violates § 21.51.276(D)(3)(b); rebuilding beyond what's needed for code compliance can forfeit the structure's nonconforming-setback protection under § 21.51.276(E)(3), and diverting the required replacement parking away from the property's residents violates § 21.51.276(E)(1)(c).

ADU Rules

Accessory dwelling units in Long Beach must meet the same zoning standards as the underlying district, parking, height, setbacks, lot coverage and floor area ratio, under LBMC § 21.51.276(D), plus ADU-specific caps in Table 51.276-1: height tops out at 25 feet and two stories, side yards can shrink to 5 feet, and unit size is capped at 50% of the primary home's floor area or 800 square feet, whichever is less.

Key details: Height limit: 25 ft. and 2 stories, or district limit. Side yard setback: 5 ft. or district standard, less. Min lot size: 4,800 sq. ft.. Max unit size: 800 sq. ft. or 50% of GFA. Min lot width: 27 ft..

An ADU built outside the setback, height, lot-size or unit-size figures in Table 51.276-1 without qualifying as an exempt Limited ADU is out of compliance with § 21.51.276(D) and can be denied a certificate of occupancy or ordered corrected by Development Services before the unit can be legally occupied or rented.

Shed & Carport Rules

Long Beach bars carports outright from the required front yard and street-side yard setbacks citywide. Where the zoning code allows a carport in an interior side or rear yard, LBMC Table 31-3 requires the support column to clear the property line by three feet, with the eave or roof overhang permitted to come only within two feet six inches of the line.

Key details: Front yard: Not permitted (Table 31-3). Street side yard: Not permitted. Interior side yard: 3 ft to column, 2 ft 6 in to eave. Rear yard: 3 ft to column, 2 ft 6 in to eave. Governing table: LBMC Table 31-3, Chapter 21.31.

A carport built into the prohibited front or street-side setback, or that fails to hold the three-foot column clearance in a side or rear yard, is a zoning violation subject to Chapter 1.32's general penalty: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, or an administrative citation under Section 9.65.060 for a Title 21 violation. The City may also declare the encroachment a public nuisance and summarily abate it.

The Bottom Line

Long Beach's accessory structures rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Long Beach is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Long Beach's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.