Accessory Structures in Ventura, CA (2026)
6 verified accessory structures rules for Ventura, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Ventura allows one ADU on any residential or mixed-use lot and one JADU on single-family-zoned lots under Municipal Code Chapter 24.430. Adopted by Ordinance No. 2024-013, the chapter sets height, setback, parking and permitting standards that implement, and in places exceed, the minimums of state ADU law.
Ventura Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Buenaventura Municipal Code §§ 24.430.010, 24.430.050(A)
24.430.010 Purpose. ... The purpose of this chapter is to allow and regulate accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”) and junior accessory dwelling units (“JADUs”) in compliance with Chapter 13 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the California Government Code. ... 24.430.050 General ADU and JADU requirements. The following requirements apply to all ADUs and JADUs that are approved under Section 24.430.040(A)...
ADU Impact Fees
Ventura waives development impact fees for small accessory dwelling units. Municipal Code Section 24.430.070(A) exempts any ADU under 750 square feet from Mitigation Fee Act and Quimby Act impact fees entirely, and prorates any impact fee owed on a larger ADU based on its floor area relative to the primary home.
Ventura ADU Impact Fee Exemption
Light RestrictionsSan Buenaventura Municipal Code § 24.430.070(A)
24.430.070 Fees. The following requirements apply to all ADUs that are approved under Section 24.430.040(A) or (B). A. Impact Fees. 1. No impact fee is required for an ADU that is less than 750 square feet in size. For purposes of this subsection A, “impact fee” means a “fee” under the Mitigation Fee Act (Government Code Section 66000(b)) and a fee under the Quimby Act (Government Code Section ...
ADU Owner Occupancy
Ventura does not require the owner to live on-site for a standard accessory dwelling unit built since 2020, but junior ADUs still carry a strict owner-occupancy rule. Section 24.430.050(G) requires the titleholder to reside in either the primary home or the JADU as their legal domicile, with narrow exceptions for government, land-trust or housing-organization owners.
Ventura ADU Owner-Occupancy Requirements
Some RestrictionsSan Buenaventura Municipal Code § 24.430.050(G)
G. Owner Occupancy. 1. ADUs created under this section on or after January 1, 2020, are not subject to an owner occupancy requirement. 2. As required by state law, all JADUs are subject to an owner occupancy requirement. A natural person with legal or equitable title to the property must reside on the property, in either the primary dwelling or JADU, as the person’s legal domicile and permanent...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Ventura bars short-term rental of accessory dwelling units. Municipal Code Section 24.430.050(D) sets a 30-day minimum rental term for every ADU and JADU in the city, applying retroactively to units built before the rule and permanently closing off nightly or weekly vacation-rental use of any accessory unit.
Ventura ADU Minimum 30-Day Rental Rule
Significant RestrictionsSan Buenaventura Municipal Code § 24.430.050(D)
D. Rental Term. No ADU or JADU may be rented for a term that is shorter than 30 days. This prohibition applies regardless of when the ADU or JADU was created.
Shed & Carport Rules
Ventura exempts small detached sheds from a building permit under Municipal Code Section 12.115.020(A)(3), amending CBC Section 105.2. A shed qualifies only if it is one story, no larger than 120 square feet, no taller than 8'6" from grade, sits in the rear yard on a residential (R-3 occupancy) lot, and carries no electrical, plumbing or mechanical equipment.
Ventura Detached Shed Size and Setback Rules
Light RestrictionsSan Buenaventura Municipal Code § 12.115.020(A)(3) (amending CBC § 105.2, Building Item 1, Detached Sheds)
1. Detached Sheds. A single, one-story, detached accessory structure used as a tool or light storage shed, playhouse, and similar uses, provided the floor area is not greater than 120 square feet, and that said structure is not taller than 8'6" in maximum height measured from grade (grade is defined as the lowest point within 5'0" of the perimeter of a structure), and is located on a residentia...
Garage Conversions
Converting an existing garage into livable space in Ventura is allowed only as part of an accessory dwelling unit under Municipal Code Section 24.430.040(A). A garage conversion on a single-family lot qualifies for ministerial building-permit approval, and multifamily buildings may convert garages, storage rooms and similar spaces into ADUs up to 25 percent of existing units.
Garage Conversion to ADU in Ventura
Some RestrictionsSan Buenaventura Municipal Code § 24.430.040(A)
24.430.040 Approvals. ... A. Building Permit Only. If an ADU or JADU complies with each of the general requirements in Section 24.430.050, it is allowed with only a building permit in the following scenarios: 1. Converted on Single-Family Lot. One ADU as described in this subsection and one JADU on a lot with a proposed or existing single-family dwelling on it, where the ADU or JADU: a. Is eith...
Looking for Ventura County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Ventura city rules.
Accessory Structures in Ventura County →