ADU Owner Occupancy: Camarillo vs Oxnard
How do adu owner occupancy rules compare between Camarillo, CA and Oxnard, CA?
Camarillo and Oxnard have similar restriction levels.
Camarillo, CA
Ventura County
Camarillo does not require the property owner to live on-site to operate an ADU permitted between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2025, per AB 881 and Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(7). JADUs (Junior ADUs) under CMC 19.56 still require owner occupancy of either the JADU or the primary dwelling.
View full Camarillo rules →Oxnard, CA
Ventura County
Oxnard does not impose an owner-occupancy requirement on standard ADUs. Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(8), as amended by AB 587 (2019) and AB 976 (2023), prohibits cities from requiring owner-occupancy on ADUs permitted on or before January 1, 2025 and indefinitely thereafter. JADUs remain subject to owner-occupancy under Cal. Gov. Code §65852.22(a)(2) with a recorded deed restriction.
View full Oxnard rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Camarillo | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| ADU Owner Occupancy | Not required (Gov. Code 65852.2(a)(7)) | - |
| JADU Owner Occupancy | Required (state law) | - |
| Deed Restriction | JADUs only | - |
| Statute | AB 881 / AB 976 | - |
| ADU Owner-Occupancy | - | Not required (Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(8)) |
| JADU Owner-Occupancy | - | Required (Cal. Gov. Code §65852.22(a)(2)) |
| JADU Deed Restriction | - | Recorded against the property |
| Oxnard Implementation | - | City Code Sec. 16-467 |
| Source of Prohibition | - | AB 587 (2019), AB 976 (2023) |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Camarillo FAQ
Do I have to live in my Camarillo ADU or main house?
Not for a standard ADU — state law (Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(7)) prohibits Camarillo from imposing an owner-occupancy requirement on ADUs. Owner occupancy is required only for Junior ADUs (JADUs) under 500 sq ft.
Can I rent out both my Camarillo home and an attached JADU?
No. JADUs require the owner to live on-site (in either the JADU or the primary dwelling) and the requirement is memorialized in a deed restriction recorded with Ventura County.
Oxnard FAQ
Do I have to live in my Oxnard house to build an ADU?
No. Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(8) (as amended by AB 587 and AB 976) prohibits Oxnard from requiring owner-occupancy as a condition of issuing an ADU permit. You can rent out both the primary residence and the ADU to separate households.
Is owner-occupancy required for a Junior ADU in Oxnard?
Yes. Cal. Gov. Code §65852.22 requires the owner to occupy either the main house or the JADU as their principal residence, and a deed restriction recording that obligation (and the prohibition on separate sale) must be recorded with Ventura County before the certificate of occupancy is issued.
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