ADU Rulebook

City · California

ADU rules in Anaheim

4 sources

These are the primary sources for accessory dwelling unit regulations in Anaheim: the city's own zoning code, planning department pages, and permit guides. Start here before talking to anyone: the rules below are what your permit reviewer will apply.

Rules at a glance

Detached (backyard) ADU
Allowed

One new-construction ADU allowed per single-family lot (may be detached), plus a conversion ADU and one JADU; total units on a single-family lot capped at 4. Multifamily lots may add up to 8 detached ADUs (not exceeding the number of existing units) at 18 ft plus 2 ft roof pitch with 4 ft side/rear setbacks.

AMC 18.38.015.030, .020
Attached or internal ADU
Allowed

Allowed within existing or proposed space of the dwelling or an accessory structure (with up to 150 sq ft expansion for ingress/egress) or as an attached addition; Table 38-A sets attached ADU standards.

AMC 18.38.015.030, .060 Table 38-A
Maximum size
Detached: 1,200 sq ft. Attached: 50% of the main dwelling or 1,200 sq ft, whichever is less, but studio/1-bedroom units are permitted up to 850 sq ft and 2+ bedroom units up to 1,000 sq ft regardless. JADU: 500 sq ft. Minimum unit size 150 sq ft.

Conversion ADUs within existing space may add up to 150 sq ft for ingress/egress. Conversions of legally permitted structures are exempt from lot coverage, setback, height, and building-separation standards.

AMC 18.38.015.060 Table 38-A, .140
Owner occupancy
Not required

No owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs anywhere in 18.38.015 (consistent with the state ban). JADUs are different: if the JADU shares sanitation facilities with the primary residence, the owner must occupy one unit on the property, and a recorded deed restriction ties JADU use to owner-of-record occupancy.

AMC 18.38.015.110, .115
Extra parking
Studio ADU: 0 spaces. ADU with 1+ bedrooms: 1 space, waived under state-law exemptions (within half mile walking distance of transit, historic district, conversion of existing primary residence or accessory structure space, car share within a block, on-street permits not offered to ADU occupants, ADU built with a new primary dwelling, or garage demolished/converted for the ADU). JADU: 0 spaces. No replacement parking required when a garage or carport is demolished or converted for an ADU.

18.38.015.080 defers to the residential parking chapter; subsection .070 there carries the ratios and exemptions.

AMC 18.42.030.070, .0701, .0705; AMC 18.38.015.080, .1402
Approval process
Permitted use

Ministerial: reviewed by the Planning and Building Director without discretionary review or hearing; completeness check within 15 business days, approval or denial within 60 days of a complete application. No variances or waivers from 18.38.015 may even be accepted for processing.

AMC 18.38.015.150
Rental restrictions
An ADU may be rented separately from the main dwelling but may not be sold or conveyed separately (except per Gov. Code 66341). The current section states no minimum rental term for ADUs; a former subsection .125 was repealed by Ord. 6620 (Jan 13, 2026). For JADU properties, the unit not occupied by the owner may be rented for no less than 30 consecutive days.

Check Anaheim's separate short-term-rental rules (outside 18.38.015) before assuming ADU STRs are allowed; this section itself imposes no STR-specific rule on ADUs.

AMC 18.38.015.105, .1102, .120, .125
The fine print: 7 caveats that can change the picture
  • ADU Express: qualified single-family properties using a pre-approved detached plan from the city's catalogue can complete ADU review in 1-3 days; an online eligibility tool checks addresses. Standard custom ADUs go through the normal building review process.
  • Single-family lots: max one conversion ADU, one new-construction ADU, and one JADU, with total units (including the primary dwelling) capped at 4.
  • Multifamily lots follow separate allowances: conversion ADUs up to 25% of existing units, up to 2 detached ADUs with a proposed multifamily building, up to 8 detached ADUs with an existing one (never more than the existing unit count).
  • ADUs are prohibited in areas the City Council designates by resolution as having insufficient sewer infrastructure, and on parcels that used an SB 9 two-unit development or urban lot split permit (AMC 18.38.255).
  • Detached ADU height: 18 ft plus 2 ft for roof pitch, or the height of the main dwelling, whichever is greater; detached ADUs generally cannot sit forward of the main dwelling's front wall (garage conversions excepted).
  • Lots with National/California Register or Mills Act historic buildings face extra design standards (matching character-defining features, 1 ft narrower than the existing structure, garage doors retained on street-facing conversions).
  • Section last amended by Ord. 6620, January 13, 2026 (which also repealed former subsection .125); Anaheim expressly defers to Gov. Code 66310-66342 as amended.

Summarized from Anaheim's ordinance text, read July 2026; every row links the code section it came from. Rules often vary by zone and lot, so treat this as orientation, not a permit determination, and confirm with the planning department before you commit to a design.

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ADU regulations

California statewide law also applies

California sets baseline ADU rights at the state level. Where local rules are stricter than state law allows, state law usually wins, so both are worth reading.

See California statewide rules

Spotted something outdated?

Zoning codes change. If a link is dead or Anaheim has updated its ordinance, report it and we'll verify against the official source.

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