ADU Owner Occupancy: Oxnard vs Ventura
How do adu owner occupancy rules compare between Oxnard, CA and Ventura, CA?
Oxnard and Ventura have similar restriction levels.
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 →Ventura, CA
Ventura County
California state law bars Ventura from imposing owner-occupancy on ADUs permitted between 2020 and 2025. Owner-occupancy is required only for JADUs (junior ADUs) under Gov. Code § 65852.22(a)(2), which mandates that the owner reside in either the primary dwelling or the JADU.
View full Ventura rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Oxnard | Ventura |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | - |
| Standard ADU owner-occupancy | - | Prohibited by Gov. Code § 65852.2(a)(6) (made permanent by AB 976) |
| JADU owner-occupancy | - | Required — owner must live in primary or JADU (§ 65852.22(a)(2)) |
| JADU deed restriction | - | Required to be recorded — § 65852.22(a)(5) |
| Exceptions | - | Government agency, land trust, or housing organization owners exempt from JADU occupancy |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
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.
Ventura FAQ
Does Ventura require me to live on-site to rent out an ADU?
No. State law bars Ventura from requiring owner-occupancy for standard ADUs (Gov. Code § 65852.2(a)(6); AB 976 made permanent).
What about a JADU?
Yes — JADUs require the owner to live in either the main house or the JADU under Gov. Code § 65852.22(a)(2), and the city must record a deed restriction.
Are there exceptions to JADU occupancy?
Yes. The owner-occupancy rule does not apply if the owner is a government agency, land trust, or housing organization (§ 65852.22(a)(2)).
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