Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s)

By Bob Walsmith Jr.
2022 President
Santa Barbara Association of Realtors

What are ADU’s?

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a smaller, independent residential dwelling located on the same lot as a stand alone (I.e., detached) single-family home.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have been known by many names: granny flats, in-law units, backyard cottages, secondary units and more. No matter what you call them, ADUs are an innovative, affordable, effective option for adding much-needed housing in California. The interest in ADU’s have grown exponentially in number as more cities, counties, and homeowners become interested in ADUs as one solution to increasing the supply of affordable housing.

The increased popularity of ADU’s in our area make perfect sense because of the reasons below;

What are the benefits of ADU’s?

•         ADUs are an affordable type of home to construct in California because they do not require paying for land, major new infrastructure, structured parking, or elevators.

•         ADUs can provide a source of income for homeowners.

•         ADUs are built with cost-effective wood frame construction, which is significantly less costly than homes in new multifamily infill buildings.

•         ADUs allow extended families to be near one another while maintaining privacy.

•         ADUs can provide as much living space as many newly-built apartments and condominiums, and they’re suited well for couples, small families, friends, young people, and seniors.

•         ADUs give homeowners the flexibility to share independent living areas with family members and others, allowing seniors to age in place as they require more care.

What are JADU’s?

Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) are allowed to be created within the walls of a proposed or existing single-family residence and shall contain no more than 500 square feet. JADUs offer additional housing options. They may share central systems, contain a basic kitchen utilizing small plug-in appliances, may share a bathroom with the primary dwelling, all to reduce development costs. JADUs present no additional stress on utility services or infrastructure because they simply repurpose existing space within the residence and do not expand the dwelling’s planned occupancy.

Laws vary by county, and here is the website regarding the information, restrictions, permit process, etc. for Santa Barbara County. https://www.countyofsb.org/1083/Accessory-Dwelling-Units

Bob Walsmith Jr. is a native to Southern California and a Realtor® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties in Santa Barbara. During his work with the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, Bob has served on the CORE Committee, Education Committee, been Chair of the Budget & Finance Committee, and the Multiple Listing Service Committee. He also is on the Board of Directors of the Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara. Bob lives in Goleta with his beautiful wife Julie. When not working, Bob enjoys playing golf, fine wine, fine dining, and walking our beautiful coastline. Bob can be reached at 805.720.5362 and/or bob@bobwalsmithjr.com