Add an ADU to a house lot

The rule

• The City has to approve this set with a building permit only: one ADU inside the house or the garage, one junior ADU, and one new detached ADU.
• A new ADU of 800 sq ft with 4 ft side and rear setbacks can't be blocked by lot coverage, floor area or front-yard rules.
• The City has 60 days to approve or deny a complete application.
• Nobody has to live on the property.

The numbers

What you can build

• Turn the garage into a home. You don't have to replace the parking.
• Add up to 150 sq ft to a converted garage or shed, for the entry.
• Build a detached ADU up to 1,200 sq ft under LA's own ADU rules. 800 sq ft is the part the state guarantees.
• Attach an ADU to the house, up to 50% of the house's floor area (800 sq ft is always allowed) and 25 ft tall, or the zone's height if that's lower.
• Go to 18 ft within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop, plus 2 ft more if the roof pitch matches the house.
• Skip parking within a half-mile walk of public transit, for a garage conversion, or in a historic district.
• Pay no school fees under 500 sq ft. Above 750 sq ft, impact fees are charged in proportion to the house.

What it doesn’t allow

• Sell the ADU on its own. LA hasn't adopted the state's option to sell ADUs as condos.
• Rent it for 30 days or less.
• Count on 1,200 sq ft everywhere. Past 800 sq ft, LA's own standards decide.
• Build an ADU on a lot that is in both a Very High fire zone and a Hillside Area. LA's ADU ordinance bars it (LAMC 12.22 A.33). The state housing department told LA in November 2024 that this breaks state law; LA hasn't confirmed a change.

Coming 1 January 2027

• AB 956 allows two new detached ADUs on a house lot instead of one. The City may cap each at 800 sq ft.