ADU Owner Occupancy: Bonsall vs El Cajon
How do adu owner occupancy rules compare between Bonsall, CA and El Cajon, CA?
Bonsall, CA
San Diego County
No data available yet for Bonsall.
El Cajon, CA
San Diego County
El Cajon cannot require owner-occupancy on standard ADUs permitted after January 1, 2020 because California Government Code §65852.2(a)(6) — made permanent by AB 976 (2023) — preempts local owner-occupancy mandates. JADUs still require owner-occupancy of either the primary dwelling or the JADU under Gov. Code §65852.22, with a deed restriction recorded against title.
View full El Cajon rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Bonsall | El Cajon |
|---|---|---|
| Standard ADU | - | No owner occupancy (state preempts) |
| JADU | - | Owner occupancy required |
| State Law | - | Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(6); AB 976 |
| Deed Restriction | - | Recorded for JADUs |
| AB 1033 Condo Conversion | - | Not adopted in El Cajon |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Bonsall FAQ
No FAQs available.
El Cajon FAQ
Does El Cajon require owner-occupancy for ADUs?
No, not for standard ADUs. California Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(6) and AB 976 (2023) preempt local owner-occupancy mandates. Both the primary dwelling and the ADU can be rented to non-owner tenants long-term.
What about JADUs?
JADUs still require owner-occupancy of either the primary dwelling or the JADU under California Gov. Code §65852.22. El Cajon records a deed restriction at permit issuance to memorialize this requirement against title.
Compare other topics
See how Bonsall and El Cajon compare on other ordinance categories.
Want to add a third city?
Use our full comparison tool to compare up to three cities.
Open Comparison Tool