- Home
- City Government
- Planning
- Current & Long Range Planning
- Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory Dwelling Units
project update
Updated 11/28/23 - On November 27, 2023, the City Council held a hearing on the Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ordinance as well as the Planning Commission's recommendations. After deliberations, the Council provided comments to staff and directed staff to return with revisions at the December 11, 2023 meeting. The staff report will be available on the City's website prior to the meeting.
The State has identified Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as an important tool to create more affordable housing amidst California’s housing crisis and has passed several laws to make it easier to build ADUs. The City is preparing an ordinance to be consistent with the State laws, and needs community input to ensure the regulations reflect Malibu’s needs and characteristics.
What is an ADU?
In general, an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit (i.e., detached) located on the same lot as a stand-alone, single-family home. In response to recent changes in State laws, the City is preparing a local ordinance to amend the Municipal Code and Local Coastal Program (LCP) so that they are consistent with State law.
project overview
In 2016, in an effort to increase affordable housing opportunities, the State of California adopted three laws regarding ADUs and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs): State Bill (SB) 1069, Assembly Bill (AB) 2299, and AB 2406, which all went into effect in 2017. The new regulations were intended to reduce the regulatory, physical, and financial barriers to constructing ADUs, which were seen as an opportunity for providing affordable housing. It is important to note that State law still authorizes local agencies to adopt additional restrictions to regulate ADUs, as long as the additional restrictions do not conflict with regulations established in State law. In January 2018, the Legislature further updated ADU law to clarify and improve various provisions in order to promote the development of ADUs. These include allowing ADUs to be built concurrently with a single-family home, increasing the areas where ADUs can be built to include all zoning districts that allow single-family uses, modifying fees from utilities, such as special districts and water corporations, and reducing parking requirements. In October 2019, the State legislature adopted four laws that will have further significant effects on promoting ADU development: AB 881, AB 670, SB 13, and AB 68. These new laws went into effect on January 1, 2020.
It should be noted that the City of Malibu is entirely within the coastal zone and has a certified LCP that governs all new development, including ADUs. Portions of Malibu’s LCP are more restrictive than State ADU regulations.
SUBMIT COMMENTS
To submit a comments on the proposed ordinance, email teaton@malibucity.org or mail to: City of Malibu Planning Department, c/o Tyler Eaton, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu, CA 90265.
NOTIFICATIONS
To be notified directly of important information regarding the proposed ordinance, including public hearings and meetings, email Tyler Eaton at teaton@malibucity.org or call 310-456-2489, ext. 273.
RESOURCES
- Malibu Accessory Dwelling Unit FAQ
- California HCD Accessory Dwelling Unit Guidance Page
- California Coastal Commission Memoranda on ADUs
COMMUNITY MEETINGS & PUBLIC INPUT
Meeting videos for City Council and Planning Commission are available in the Public Meeting Video Archive.
- November 27, 2023 - (Staff Report)
- November 13, 2023 - (Staff Report)
- September 11, 2023 - (Staff Report)
- August 28, 2023 City Council, Continued to September 11, 2023 (Staff Report)
- March 14, 2023 Planning Commission - (Staff Report)
- March 6, 2023 Planning Commission Staff Report)
- November 21, 2022 Planning Commission (Notice of Public Hearing) - Hearing Postponed
- August 22, 2022 City Council (Staff Report)
- March 7, 2022 Planning Commission (Staff Report and Actions)
- January 18, 2022 Planning Commission (Staff Report)
- December 6, 2021 Planning Commission (Staff Report, Notice of Public Hearing)
- May 20, 2021 Planning Commission Special Meeting (Staff Report, Notice of Public Hearing)
- March 16, 2020 Planning Commission Hearing CANCELLED (Notice of Public Hearing)
- September 4, 2018 Planning Commission (Staff Report, Staff Presentation, and Meeting Minutes)
- July 17, 2018 ZORACES (Staff Report and Meeting Minutes)
- June 11, 2018 City Council (Staff Report, Resolution, and Meeting Minutes)
ADU-RELATED STATE BILLS
The State of California has adopted several bills that affect accessory dwelling units (ADUs). With respect to the ADU ordinance, the focus is on AB 881, section 1.5 (and to some extent, section 2.5, which does not take effect until 2025) regarding ADUs, and on AB 68, section 2, regarding Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. The other bills also affect ADUs, but in ways that are not significantly related to the City’s ordinance. For example, SB 13, section 3, adds a new Health and Safety Code provision affecting extensions of time to correct building-code violations in an ADU, AB 670 affects ADUs under private CC&Rs, AB 671 affects ADU treatment in Housing Elements, and AB 587 allows for separate conveyance of an ADU in very narrow circumstances, if the City chooses to allow it.
- ADU Updates Summary and Statute Redline Changes - January 2020
- Assembly Bill 881
- State Bill 13
- Assembly Bill 68
- Assembly Bill 671 / AB 139
- Assembly Bill 670
- Assembly Bill 587
Note: Some bills contain yellow and red highlighting - Yellow highlighting identifies the sections that take effect, and the non-highlighted sections do not take effect because of the order in which the bills were signed into law. In AB 881, since both sections 1.5 and 2.5 are effective, and section 2.5 replaces section 1.5 as of January 1, 2025, the substantive differences between the texts of the two sections are highlighted in red.
-
Tyler Eaton
Senior PlannerPhone: 310-456-2489, ext. 273