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πŸ—οΈ Accessory Structures/ADU Rental Restrictions

ADU Rental Restrictions: Petaluma vs Sonoma

How do adu rental restrictions rules compare between Petaluma, CA and Sonoma, CA?

Petaluma, CA

Sonoma County

No data available yet for Petaluma.

Sonoma, CA

Sonoma County

Heavy Restrictions

Sonoma prohibits renting any ADU or JADU for terms shorter than 30 days (no short-term/vacation rentals). Properties with an attached JADU are categorically ineligible for vacation rental use.

View full Sonoma rules β†’

Key Facts Comparison

FactPetalumaSonoma
Minimum rental term-30 days
Short-term rentals allowed-No
JADU lot STR eligibility-Categorically ineligible
State authority-Cal. Gov. Code 65852.2(a)(6)
Enforcement-SMC 19.45.090 + deed restriction

Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.

Petaluma FAQ

No FAQs available.

Sonoma FAQ

Can I list my Sonoma ADU on Airbnb for weekend stays?

No. SMC 19.45.030 bars any ADU rental for terms shorter than 30 days. The city's vacation rental ordinance also excludes ADUs and JADUs from STR eligibility.

If I have a JADU, can I at least vacation-rent the main house?

No. Sonoma's code explicitly makes a property with a permitted attached JADU ineligible for vacation rental use - that prohibition applies to the entire parcel, not just the JADU.

Does this apply to ADUs permitted years ago?

Yes. SMC 19.45.030 applies the 30-day minimum to all ADUs and JADUs regardless of when they were permitted, and the prohibition is reinforced by the deed restriction running with the land.

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