Accessory Structures in Lakewood, CA (2026)
5 verified accessory structures rules for Lakewood, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Lakewood lets a single-family lot host up to two Accessory Dwelling Units through ministerial Building and Safety plan check under Municipal Code Section 9302.21a, with a 150 to 1,200 square-foot size range, four-foot side and rear setbacks, a twenty-foot front setback, and a height cap of two and a half stories or thirty-five feet.
Lakewood ADU Size, Setback & Height
Some RestrictionsLakewood, CA, Municipal Code § 9302.21a(A)(1), (D)(2)-(4)
A. ALLOWED ADUS ADUs shall only be allowed as follows: 1. Single Family Residential. The City shall ministerially approve through an application for a Building and Safety plan check to permit no more than two (2) ADUs per lot within zoning districts that allow single-family dwelling units or where there is an existing non-conforming single-family residence... 2. ADU Setbacks. (a) Side Yard. Min...
ADU Owner Occupancy
Lakewood ties ADU owner-occupancy to when the unit was permitted: Municipal Code Section 9302.1(B)(1) exempts ADUs approved before January 1, 2025 from any residency requirement, but any ADU permitted on or after that date requires the property owner, a human being rather than a corporation, to live on site as their primary legal residence.
Lakewood ADU Owner-Occupancy Rule
Significant RestrictionsLakewood, CA, Municipal Code § 9302.1(B)(1)
1. ADU. The property owner of an ADU is required to reside on the property as follows: (a) An ADU permitted prior to January 1, 2025, shall not require the property owner to reside on the property to be issued a permit to construct and/or to rent/lease the ADU to a separate person. (b) An ADU permitted on or after January 1, 2025, shall require the property owner, a human being, to reside on th...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Lakewood bars short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units outright: Municipal Code Section 9302.21a(D)(12) requires every ADU lease to run thirty-one days or longer, and any ADU permitted on or after January 1, 2025 must carry a recorded Notice of Condition repeating that minimum and binding it on future owners.
Lakewood ADU Rental Term Rules
Some RestrictionsLakewood, CA, Municipal Code § 9302.21a(D)(12)
12. ADU Rental. (a) Residency. ... (b) Rental Terms. The rent/lease of an ADU shall adhere to the following: (1) An ADU shall only be rented/leased for thirty-one (31) days or more. (2) An ADU shall not be rented as a short-term home-share rental. (c) ADU Notice of Condition (NOC). A NOC shall be recorded for every ADU permitted on or after January 1, 2025... The NOC shall state, but shall not ...
Shed & Carport Rules
Lakewood keeps sheds and other non-habitable accessory buildings at least three feet off the rear or side lot line under Municipal Code Section 9322.7, dropping to one foot on the rear half of an interior lot. Garages and carports facing a street or alley need a twenty-foot setback, though an automatic door opener with a twenty-four-foot turning radius shortens that on alleys.
Lakewood Accessory Building & Shed Setbacks
Some RestrictionsLakewood, CA, Municipal Code § 9322.7(A), (E)
No private garage or other non-habitable accessory building shall be located less than three (3) feet from the rear or side lot line, except that any structure used as a private garage or other non-habitable accessory building and located within the rear fifty percent (50%) of the lot may be located no less than one (1) foot from the side lot line, which does not abut a street. ... Each garage ...
Garage Conversions
Converting a Lakewood garage into an ADU is a permitted path under Municipal Code Section 9302.21a(B), processed with a concurrent demolition plan check under (C)(1)(c) if the garage is torn down and rebuilt in the same footprint, and Subsection (D)(10) requires the finished conversion to erase every trace of the old garage doors and windows.
Lakewood Garage-to-ADU Conversion Rules
Some RestrictionsLakewood, CA, Municipal Code § 9302.21a(B), (C)(1)(c), (D)(10)
B. ADU CONSTRUCTION An ADU shall be constructed as one of the following: a) a new fully detached accessory building; b) an addition to an existing or proposed primary or accessory structure; or c) a remodel and conversion of existing or proposed space contained within either an existing or concurrently proposed primary dwelling unit or an existing or concurrently proposed accessory structure, i...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Lakewood city rules.
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