GUEST HOUSE / ADU
(ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT)
CALIFORNIA HAS PASSED A NEW LAW AND YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!
In January of 2017, the California Gov. passed legislation that went into effect immediately which requires EVERY City Building Department in California, including Los Angeles, to allow ALL lots zoned single-family or multi-family use that contains one existing single-family dwelling or multiple dwellings to be able to create at least one guest house on their property that can be rented out or not. The various ways a homeowner can accomplish this in the City of Los Angeles are:
1. You can convert your existing attached or detached permitted garage, rec room, storage room, etc. into a Guest House with no set-back or square footage limitations. (This option does not add additional square footage to your existing structure.)
2. You can convert an existing portion of your house into a guest house which can be rented out. The only restriction is that this section can only be up to 50% of your existing house and must have its own entrance to the outside. (This option does not add additional square footage to your existing structure.)
3. You can build an attached guest house that can be up to 50% the size of your main house, depending on the lot and the max allowable square footage the lot can have and city set-back requirements. (This option does add additional square footage to your existing house)
4. You can build a new detached guest house that is up to 1,200 square feet in size, depending on the lot and the max allowable square footage the lot can have and city set-back requirements. (This option does add additional square footage to your property but does not use any existing detached structure such as a garage or rec room, etc., in any way)
5. You can build a new detached guest house that is attached to, and can incorporate, your existing permitted detached structure (such as a garage or rec room) that is up to 1,200 square feet with a rear and side yard set-back of only 5' max. The amount of square footage depends on the lot and the max allowable square footage the lot can have. (This option does add additional square footage to your property and must be attached to or include the use of a permitted detached structure such as a garage or rec room, etc.)
Additionally, when converting your existing garage, no new covered parking will be required and in many cases, no additional parking requirements will be needed.
1. You can convert your existing attached or detached permitted garage, rec room, storage room, etc. into a Guest House with no set-back or square footage limitations. (This option does not add additional square footage to your existing structure.)
2. You can convert an existing portion of your house into a guest house which can be rented out. The only restriction is that this section can only be up to 50% of your existing house and must have its own entrance to the outside. (This option does not add additional square footage to your existing structure.)
3. You can build an attached guest house that can be up to 50% the size of your main house, depending on the lot and the max allowable square footage the lot can have and city set-back requirements. (This option does add additional square footage to your existing house)
4. You can build a new detached guest house that is up to 1,200 square feet in size, depending on the lot and the max allowable square footage the lot can have and city set-back requirements. (This option does add additional square footage to your property but does not use any existing detached structure such as a garage or rec room, etc., in any way)
5. You can build a new detached guest house that is attached to, and can incorporate, your existing permitted detached structure (such as a garage or rec room) that is up to 1,200 square feet with a rear and side yard set-back of only 5' max. The amount of square footage depends on the lot and the max allowable square footage the lot can have. (This option does add additional square footage to your property and must be attached to or include the use of a permitted detached structure such as a garage or rec room, etc.)
Additionally, when converting your existing garage, no new covered parking will be required and in many cases, no additional parking requirements will be needed.