ADU questions Simi Valley homeowners ask most
Straight answers on Simi Valley ADUs: renting, selling, owner occupancy, parking, sprinklers, unpermitted units and the rules that changed in 2026.
These are the questions that come up on almost every first visit, from Big Sky to the Texas Tract. Each answer points to the state law or City document behind it, because ADU rules in Simi Valley changed twice in the past year and a lot of what is online is out of date.
If your question is about a specific ADU type, the service pages go deeper. Cost and permit questions have their own pages too.
Renting and selling
You can rent an ADU or JADU, but the City may require terms longer than 30 days, which rules out nightly short-term rentals. An ADU generally cannot be sold separately from the main house; state law allows separate sale only under a local condominium ordinance or a narrow nonprofit exception.
Living on the property
No owner-occupancy requirement can be placed on an ADU. A JADU is the exception: if it shares a bathroom with the house, the owner has to live in the house. Give the JADU its own bathroom and that requirement drops away.
Rules that changed recently
HCD's October 29, 2025 letter to Simi Valley and the City's replacement Ordinance 1373 (reported adopted July 2026) changed several local limits. State law also changed on January 1, 2026; HCD's handbook was updated to match.
- Detached ADU separation: the 6-foot rule in Ordinance 1349 was flagged by HCD.
- Garages no longer count as living area when sizing against the house.
- School fees and city impact fees use different thresholds: 500 and 750 square feet.
- A JADU with its own bathroom no longer requires the owner to live on site.
Questions homeowners ask
Can I rent my ADU on Airbnb?
The City may require rentals longer than 30 days, and state law requires that for JADUs and streamlined ADUs. Plan on monthly or longer tenancies.
Can I sell the ADU separately from my house?
Generally no. Separate sale needs a local condominium ordinance under Government Code 66342, or the narrow nonprofit exception in 66341.
Will an ADU make me add fire sprinklers to my house?
No. Building an ADU cannot trigger a sprinkler requirement for the existing house, and the ADU itself needs sprinklers only if the main house is required to have them.
How many parking spaces does an ADU need?
At most one per unit or bedroom, whichever is less, and it can be tandem on the driveway. None is required within a half mile walk of public transit, for units inside the house or an existing accessory structure, and in several other cases.
My house came with an unpermitted unit. Can it be legalized?
Often. For a unit built before January 1, 2020, the City cannot deny a permit because it violates building standards or ADU rules unless a fix is needed for health and safety or the building is substandard.
Someone offered to get me an ADU grant. Is that real?
CalHFA says its ADU grant round is fully allocated and that anyone offering to help you get one is running a scam. Report the name and number to CalHFA.
Sources
Facts on this page last verified: .
- HCD ADU Handbook, updated for law in effect January 1, 2026: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/policy-and-research/adu-handbook-update.pdf (2026-10-05)
- HCD findings on Simi Valley ADU Ordinance No. 1349, October 29, 2025: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/policy-and-research/ordinance-review-letters/simi-valley-adu-findings-102925.pdf (2026-10-05)
- Ordinance 1373 (reported adopted July 2026): the adopted text was not published online when this page was written. Confirm current local ADU standards with City of Simi Valley Building & Safety: https://www.simivalley.org/departments/environmental-services/building-safety-division/online-permit-submittal-instructions (2026-10-05)
- CalHFA ADU Grant Program status and scam alert: https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/adu/ (2026-10-05)
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