Noooo SB 937 is a huge deal!!!! I was in looking to to an SB 9 and split my lot and build 2 units on each. The city of Santa Rosa was able to charge per unit 60k each! So I needed to shell out over 200k upfront! But Now I can get construction financing and at the end pay that fee from the 30 year mortgage!!!!! I am dancing in my living room right now!!!!!!
I live in the high desert; half acre lot with septic tank. City wants me to install another septic tank if I build an ADU; but it has to have internet, alarm, and monthly contract for inspection from septic company. Only one guy has the "license" to install one of those; and he wants $65k when regular septic tanks cost $15k installed. Did I mention the septic contractor knows the city development manager on a first name basis? It is a mafia. This is how the city stops you from building an ADU here. I bought another house instead in the next city over. The neighbor city only asks you to increase the size of your septic tank if you want to build an ADU.
That's super sad, but very interesting. Can you email me the details including your jurisdiction? ryan@how-to-adu.com I can show this to industry groups/lobbyists and try to suggest reform packages when we see opportunities to fix things, lower fees or streamline stuff that doesn't smell right.
@@salcervantes4324 I have learned city officials only speak lawsuit language. They know the majority will not spend the money getting lawyers involved or people don't have the time. Meanwhile, development commission members are involved in several construction projects within the city: either they sold the parcel of land; have their engineering architect firm doing plans, or have a contractor firm building the project. La Cosa Nostra.
If California, STILL does not have an Anti-Criminal Squatter Bill, would not rent anything out, even an ADU until that bill is signed and sealed into Law, just like Florida did in March 2024.
A lot of people end up renting the ADU to direct family members right now, and I think this concern is part of the reasoning. Have you seen the guy who legally rents the house when there's a squatter, and lives with them and annoys them (legally) until they move away voluntarily? He has a youtube channel.
Yeah and I would be the asshole to ask if you take section 8 and if you say no then I’ll file the $30- dollar paper for suing you for being discriminatory and sue you for the max of $1500-
I absolutely agree. Otherwise, individuals will be subsidizing social programs to house California’s homeless (squatters). Let the state do it with section 8 housing instead. “Unburden what has been” Thank you Kamala for such an insightful wisdom.
I will never take a Section 8 tennant again. I had two and ended up with two destroyed houses. I'm sure it's not all section 8's but these two screwed it up for anyone else who comes at me with that nonsense. My homes. My choice.
What BS. "Making it easier" is meaningless if they charge exorbitant fees up front; permits, impact fees, bullshit fees, bribery fees, kick-back fees, extortion fees, blackmail fees and protection racket fees. Before you can even stick a spade in the ground. Eff that. I'm just moving elsewhere.
My uncle built the ADU add-on to side of his newly purchased house with friends immediately after buying it. It was in town facing the street and county never challenged it. He built two more add on in back that could not be seen from the front with friends. No permits or fees. He owned the house for over 40 years. He never beleived anyone should tell him what to do on his land
Wow! You have it pat on these new laws. Glad that there is someone like you out there that is making it easy for the rest of us to understand. Appreciate it!
Have you looked into the recent Supreme Court’s ruling Sheetz vs Eldorado county?Basically the county lost because they were charging excessive fees. I am about to play that card with my county where I have been trying to build a few ADU units. I have built hundreds of homes in California in fact the first one the total permit cost was $700! My impression is that the county’s are trying to keep this quiet because they will have to quit charging exorbitant fees,sometimes more expensive than the actual construction cost for the ADU.
Still 271 days to get an ADU permit in corrupt Glendale, and if you want separate electric meter, it takes minimum 8 months. City intentionally restricting the process and ignoring California rules.
Wow, that's bad. You should report them to the HCD: calhcd.service-now.com/csp?id=csm_sc_cat_item_public&sys_id=19d0846297794910edea398c1253af2a Also, if you are literally still waiting for comments, and it is that egregious, write to me. I'm looking for some good examples to put on the channel, and in some cases, can find organizations willing to pay limited legal fees to get the cities moving. ryan@how-to-adu.com
Please report them to the state. Unless they had an existing adu ordinance adopted prior to the state, they are required to comply with California state law.
I'm totally not surprised. San Mateo county is the same. They don't care about state law and just ignore the state legislation. It will be interesting to see the effect of SB 1037
I've had a tiny house in my back yard for 4 years now sitting on a tandem trailer, so it's really an RV as opposed to an ADU. A city inspector came and checked it out and saw no permitting issues. His only concern was that it was not anchored in the event of an earthquake, but no citation was given.
That's a great outcome! In my neighborhood, they don't let RVs or anything motorized stay parked for over a certain number of months without a permit. But it always varies based on local rules and the human who actually checks up on you, right?
@@Michael-ic8kn Alameda county. The city inspector said they are becoming less restrictive towards adu and tiny houses. Surprised that more homeowners dont take advantage of them
So if somebody did whatever they wanted to on their property and built a substandard building with substandard electrical work, maybe with exposed wires, and they started a fire, burned the ADU down, burned their own home down and then the neighbors on each side of them as well, that’s totally cool “cuz it’s their property”? Hell no. We have ordinances, regulations and laws for a reason.
Newsom had to give us a bone once in a while so he seems like he's doing something. Its how they play the game. He's running for President. FYI he's related to Nancy Pelosi lol
California just wants the increase in taxes on adu... "Tell us your getting rental income, and we won't fine you, well just increae your property tax, and audit your income."
Arent we glad we have u to sift thru this mambo-jumbo. I cant believe how many SB there r and probably more coming up affecting ADU. Thank u for your work presenting a summary n simplified version❤
Dude, you rock. Thank you so much for this video. I can tell how passionate and knowledgeable you are about this subject and you’re making it so much more approachable for someone like myself who is just generally curious about zoning and housing issues. it feels fortuitous that the algorithm brought me this video right now as someone who bought a house with “rental unit potential,” and as someone who has already battled a NIMBY city on quite a few permits in order to build a family childcare home, it’s heartening to hear that the state is coming down somewhat on the side of the people. I look forward to following and hearing more.
Aw, glad I can help you! Hope your project goes well and the city doesn't give you too much grief. There are lots of great rule changes coming down every year to help homeowners out
I have wondered about the impact of a second dwelling on my property taxes. I build, pay for ALL construction costs and then rent. Increase in my personal taxes as well as property taxes, how’s that help me?
There are additional property tax assessments for the new ADU so that is something people need to estimate and take into account before building an ADU. Importantly, this should not generally affect the property taxes for the primary residence. Talk to the county assessor for more detailed explanation. And a CPA for your specific situation.
Not true. We had Section 8 tenants try that and we had them out in 45 days. Three day notice. Thirty day notice. And two weeks later the Sheriff escorted them off the property. You just have to be diligent with the timely filings.
you sound ignorant, you can definitely evict people for no payment of rent. That being said, there's a proper way to handle evictions, the US isn't a third world country.
Be careful out there. Boxabl, according to their own financial releases, still does not build ADUs in California: www.boxabl.com/circular/form253g2.htm even though it has been years since they first took down payments and preorders for their units. According to that release in June, they planned on selling park model RVs (which are not code compliant for ADUs) to California in the future.
So much for paradise. Manhattan here we come. So sick of California trying to shoehorn people into every nook and cranny. Guess what, not everyone can afford to live wherever they want
This is destroying quality of life and by no means will this help solve the “hOuSiNg CrIsIs” on the contrary reality is that the prices and rents are still SKYROCKETING! 🤦🏻♂️
It's great they are making the ability to add ADUs. I added mine, but now I'm having sooo much trouble getting it insured. We rent out the main house and then the tiny home ADU to a different person and that seems to be a huge problem for insurance companies who don't want 2 different tenants on one policy. So it's no good building a unit if you can't get insurance. Anyone have a suggestion of an insurance provider to try?!
Rent control is the root of the rental housing shortage. Housing investors won’t take the risk of govt control of their business. Home owners who are contemplating an ADU should check rent control ordinances because they may be giving up property rights to tenants and govt.
Corporations found their way around rent control around 2010. New leases say, a new lease must be signed every year or you can go month to month with a $500 to a $1000 increase per month. Corporations like Moss and Company and Jones and Jones both to this. Read the lease.
What did you think about the part of the video where we talk about rent control? From my experience, there are still developers willing to develop in the current environment (even with state wide rent control in California). But it's true that we never know what projects got discouraged before they were even initiated (whether it's rent control or another factor)!
Interesting. "Homewreckers" is on my to do list and I may cover it on the podcast "The Discretionary Review" th-cam.com/play/PLcGwck-4dicd1-egeTkx2S-pFwVXGmbgP.html Would love to know your thoughts if you've read it.
THEY passed codes not laws. What is the difference between codes & law? How can i get away with constructing a building without abiding by Codes and Compliance or paying them? What case law says i don't need permits? NOTE: There are a lot of questions and answers people don't ask because they think a foreign body can dictate what they can or cannot do. They continue because their parents and possibly grandparents did it that way. Before you say we don't have a choice do some research on the questions posted.
My house is on a septic system in Southern California and I'm not allowed to add a septic system for the ADU. To connect to my existing system I would need to expand it and there is resistance to do that also. Any laws on the book that address septic systems?
Somebody else commented about this exact issue too so you're not alone, unfortunately. This common issue is a big roadblock to rural ADU development. I've heard that some counties are willing to approve alternatives like leach lines or incinerator toilets - but that for the most part, you are in "discretionary" territory. Where you are asking for permission. And the real benefit of ADUs is that they are ministerial (ie you don't need a discretionary decision to get permission). Sorry - but I'll definitely post if I see solutions to this costly issue in the future.
Love your content and your efforts. Besides, your backdrop shows design acumen not often seen on TH-cam. As a person in construction for decades, this bill seems sensible. To hell with bringing everything up to current "code", but safety is easy to conform to. Kudos for linking the law. You can find out what any municipality has adopted online (just about). Research the policy and go to the "planning" department (not "building") and tell them exactly what you want to do before designing your project. Then take what they say with a grain of salt. They don't have to train their people and they don't have to commit to anything. Just keep checking what they'll accept as you go along. Don't ever trust them, but most often planning will make a half-ass reasonable decision.
My wife (who deserves more credit for the backdrop than me) really loved this feedback ;) I love your advice! Free conversations and a healthy skepticism go a long way in good faith cities :)
Generally, property tax will go up on the ADU permitted structure. In my experience, taxes should not generally go up for the existing unmodified primary home or the rest of the unmodified property. Talk to your tax assessor about your specific situation.
Cities and counties had to rename their "fees" after SCOTUS ruled the fees have to be intrinsic to the property. As in, you pay for a fire hydrant (Berkeley- $0-100k, maybe more?) twenty miles away... Graft
Musk moved to texas to avoid taxation of his exorbitant profits - he NOW has invested sufficiently to control federal policy - You can, too, just by moving to texas.
Cities have a responsibility to invest the taxes they collect on infrastructure to support the people who live and work there. It is generally more efficient to do that when there are 2 houses close to each other than 2 houses far from each other, all other things equal.
It can handle it as long as people pay appropriate fees commensurate with their impact on that infrastructure. It’s a lot better than building new subdivisions that are sprawling with super expensive infrastructure. Really, you need to look into it so you can educate yourself on what makes sense
@steveperreira5850 fee don't improve infrastructure. Majority of fees go to cover salary and benefits. Only 2% go towards infrastructure. You should educate yourself first on the real world.
The thing is if you convert a detached garage for an example you need the minimum electric, sewer hook up with connection fees, insulation that meets minimum title 24 requirements, moisture protection from the ground through the concrete slab, heating/ AC, probably needs more goodies. Just saying.
The state is chomping at the bit to increase those owners property taxes and their water and sewer bills. Just wait until their homeowners insurance finds out they are renting space..
Property tax for the unit will generally increase (as an additional assessment) that's right. If the assessor tries to change the value of the existing home though, that's unorthodox. But yeah, taxes. Oof.
@@HowToADU As a homeowner I"m fine with an increase in property taxes if I can raise my property values by close to double (or even more). That's a cheap price to pay for retirement security.
Tenants will be in control of your property and ruin your privacy and quality of life. They will make piles and encroach on your space. You can have rules but enforcing them is an hourly challenge especially when your tenants don’t get along!
I took a property MGMT course last year. Teacher is an active property manager of 50 unit apartments. She never lose an eviction case due her diligence at doing her job. There's a known MGMT approach to increase your odds GREATLY to evict bad tenants. Property mgmt is work, but if want to make money, you better do your work just right. Not rocket science but prop. mgm isn't for everyone.
We need to REMIND ourselves why such bills come to the fore. It's because of very specific interests who fawn at the feet of Grusome. These changes were not made with the " environment" in mind or what's best for new to housing market buyers, it's all about some people in certain income brackets maximizing their bank accounts.
There definitely are people who lobby for reform with a profit motive in mind. That's a fact. But for what it's worth, I'm an advocate who pushes for these reforms, and I'm a big fan of the environment and what's best for new to housing market buyers :)
Carrie That what YOU think was the reason. I think it had to do with unreasonable permitting hurdles in many cities, the mandating of more housing, among many other factors. Having an ADU ( additional income) allows first time homeowners to buy when otherwise they could not. Where I live the city used to charge a sell to inspect a home prior to sale and would make you tear out a nice to code "grannyflat" that was unpermitted because of the unreasonably onerous and lengthy permit process.
It IS in REALITY Real Estate agents, flippers, and organizations performing those services. You are in ERROR that it is some toothless speedfreak word, like "gummint." Laws PUSHED THROUGH by the wealth of the real estate industry prevent effective transfer f homes without the bloodsuckers i have mentioned profiting. WHY, for example, is it necessary to conduct title searches - THAT information SHOULD be permanently on record in county or city. The exorbitant charges by real estate agents have given them the ability to corrupt Zoning laws, exceptions to such laws, Acquisition of more than one home has created the greedy flippers who most commonly do NOTHING other than flip - buy cheap sell at inflated prices. The consequent LOCK on homes by investors instead of users, has created BOTH the rent-slaves that most of us must become to live at all, AND the REFUSAL to drop prices. The Market, then. encourages flippers - whether individuals or large investment trusts - NEVER to drop a price. NEITHER DO real estate agents, who would lose their cash cow - YOU - were they to do so. The laws concerning all these issues have been pushed through by antidemocracy forces - Forces means money, and republicans exist because of greed. LOOK at the financial practices, of republicans, LOOK at who donates money to republicans. YOUR de facto slave economy exists solely due to such manipulation of legislation - but the problem is NOT "gummint" it IS the people committing th e actions i have generally mentioned -- those to whom YOU are right now, paying money.
Its property developers and private equity that are making money off housing that makes housing expensive. If they changed the tax laws so that housing was not seen as an investment that would help
@@christeiicook-x2fand who sanctions that AND expedites it? Yeah, ultimately it your GOV getting in the way AND sticking their finger in the pie. Dont be fooled. Developers and private equity firms are an issue for sure. But are an issue that WOULDNT EXIST or at the least would be a blip on the radar if it wasn't for Gov bolstering and solidifying their positions
Thank you for the tips, notes, details. Working in Oakland, I feel the City just tries to disuade homeowners with costly requirements, PSL Certi's, Boundary Surveys, etc. You can literally build the ADU FASTER than the City of Oakland responds to an email...?!! UGH. Ministerial is a joke when they stop, start over again, etc. It's a game, imo.
It's really tough. Did you see the video about Oakland making 12 people homeless for a year for 3 parking spots? th-cam.com/users/shortsAEBUt2mCS3c?feature=share Breaks my heart. Hang in there though! Oakland has some shining lights and some great projects do make it over the finishing line.
Suggestion for follow up to this episode: Research if cities who sued state regarding sb9 and won, will be able to hold that legal ground moving forward, or now that 450 is in place, will be forced to allow sb9/450 projects. Look specifically at Whittier CA, since it allowed 1 sb9 project but then sued the state over sb9 and again, won.
Indeed. My understanding is that the AG will be appealing the LA County court's ruling, and that the modified language in SB 450 makes it pretty iron tight when that happens. But I guess we won't know til we go to the dance :)
Yes, that's true. It's very important that cities adopt ordinances to keep street parking well-regulated and safe. This can be done through parking permits, time-limited parking, and similar parking regulations. Street safety is very important!
We are thinking of building a two story shed/studio very kuch like the one you pictured. Do you know how to get the rules in Riverside County or do you know if a person can legally build a two story 10x12 converted for minimalist living spaces?? Thanks
Can't give specific advice, but Riverside (city) has been pretty chill about allowing everything the state mandates. I'm not sure about unincorporated county. 2 story rules are in this video (there's a link to a detailed blog post in the video description, describing 4 categories that can build above 16 feet): th-cam.com/video/jcxCwMFIUYY/w-d-xo.html If you cannot build above 16 feet, there are ways to get loft spaces under 16 feet "building height" depending on how the county defines building height. th-cam.com/video/0brkGWT3ay8/w-d-xo.html Talk to your county planning department, ask to see the ordinances about ADUs, and ask how to measure building height. Then work with an architect or experienced, licensed GC who knows all the ADU rules (rare, and often more expensive than a good architect).
do you have a video on strategies for back footing, front footing, side footing issues? I know the ADU laws didn’t change those elements of property ownership but thought you might share insights on how far the ADU can be from existing structure, etc.
Work with experienced professionals! I talk a bit about setbacks in the common mistakes video th-cam.com/video/tzu3uGaOH4g/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0jcn1SHB94siGPrk&t=779 But the rules have actually changed and been clarified a lot since then. And there's a short about distance between structures and fire rating in this short I made at Inspired ADUs: th-cam.com/users/shortsOXJ1wizZayc Broadly you want to use the HCD ADU Handbook for your property setback requirements, and you want to use CBC to make sure you meet fire safety requirements for the distance between the structures eave to eave. And if the lot constraints are tight, you can get wins in fire safety but it's gonna cost you (eg sprinklers, no openings on fronting walls).
A female in Venice received four parking tickets ($100 each) in merely one week, because there was chronically no parking available where she lived. This is a direct cause of homelessness because you’re required to pay parking tickets before rent is paid & she couldn’t afford both.
Wow that sounds tragic. So I’m required to pay parking tickets before rent is paid? That seems unusual. Do you have more information about this sad story of a person who was evicted because she parked illegally four times in a week in Venice? I’d love to help change this law that requires people to pay parking tickets before rent.
More people, more noise, less space, more cars, fewer places to park them Sounds like a place I don’t want to live in How about adding a rule where anyone adding an ADU not own a car and use public transportation since people are now living where they used to park
I would like to sign your petition for parking permit requirements and incentivized public transportation :) I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic, but most of the housing advocates who support these reforms, also support reform around parking, mass transit, and traffic safety. It's not the number one priority in the world for me, but I would totally support a limit on the number of cars per household that can be parked on my street. But I wouldn't attach it to how many homes people build. The trouble with the way we do things now is that we build the cost of parking and other transportation issues into the cost of housing and try to restrict parking by restricting housing. It would be great to directly restrict parking instead. I live on a street where the rent is pretty ludicrously high, and I see more and more families overcrowding into single-family homes so they can afford the rent. (like 3-5 people per bedroom). And the adults all own 1 or more cars. In this anecdote, the lack of housing isn't regulating how many cars they park on the street. It would also be cool if we didn't have to pay for roads, tolls, etc. except through car registration fees. Brave new world :)
@@HowToADU Absolute insanity! Having government involved in people's lives usually leads to unintended consequences and that will involve people who aren't even initially impacted by these granny flats! Keep government out of our lives. You want to keep cars out of your life and be able to walk everywhere - move to Kenya!
@HowToADU We have zoning laws in this country for a reason - to preserve the quality of life and tranquility of the neighborhood. You want to be stupid and do something that doesn't address the root cause of the problem but to create a much bigger problem and ruining whole neighborhoods at the same time! This is liberal insanity on steroids!
What does that mean "health and safety standard", not building code? It would be still difficult to construct and ADU by health and safety standards because in most cases you need a 1-hr fire separation and sound insulation, especially if it's an attached ADU. If that detached ADU featured behind you is less than 5' from property line or less than 10 feet from a habitable building, it would require 1hr fire rating and sound insulation. None of this is cheap if you are having to remove existing dry to replace with 5/8" type X.
I have a deal I am working on that will build 5 ADUs on what is currently a 4 unit property, a lot of people don't know about this yet so hopefully I will make quite a bit of money on this one but it might be more expensive for the next one.
How can you make low affordable rent if you are forced to pay insanely high fees just to be allowed to start the project...that will also be insanely higher in cost to build compared to other states.. simply because its in California....The landlords aren't the enemy..they are the sacrficial lambs..for why existing in California is SO expensive. The mom and pop landlords have an even greater weight to bear...No support what so ever at the ever rising cost to own..along with high risk for chances of getting opportunist folk getting onto your home to take you out financially,structually and mentally ...while not being allowed to call it criminal. What should be a positive,simple solution has so many dips and dives.....appears to be a lose ,lose in the long run if you aren't a corporation with great plans and attornies.
If you add just one kitchen and one bathroom per lot, then add dozens of ADUs in a neighborhood without increasing say water and sewer utility lines to a neighborhood, you eventually harm everyone in the area as the infrastructure no longer is accommodating the growth. So portions of the so called safety items are not good safety-wise over the long term. Lack of Structural requirements are concerning bc ppl do dumb things to buildings all the time. GCs are not always qualified to make such technical decisions (which is why the law requires licensed A/Es to make certain design decisions. ) More housing is great. More unsafe housing is not. But you will find out …
Yeah, those are great points. It's scary how many unpermitted structures already exist out there, right? I guess that's why they are making it easier for people to bring those units out of the shadows and up to living standard.
Trading your skills for rent, in someone's backyard, is going to become the new norm in unaffordable housing. A lot of homeowners can barely maintain their properties. It's been working for me for 20 years already. It's a good life you just gotta be creative. And having some people skills helps, folks.
Hey, I'm building a JADU and the tenant wont have access to the thermostat, but will still have heat. Is that legal, or do they need to be able to control their heat?
Imagine if one occupant (with thermostat) is on vacation. How would the other tenant be able to access heat, utilities, etc. talk to a lawyer for specific legal advice. Tenant rights advocates are also a great source of information.
At 4:02 you say that an SFR can have a JADU, Internal ADU and a Detached. Along with the Main living area this is 4 units. Is this correct or did you mean that you can Either have an Internal or External ADU - making it JADU, ADU and Main Living area(3 units). If it is 4 then I would love to know how you arrived at 4 units. Thanks
Good ear - I meant 4. This explains which clause: th-cam.com/users/shortsfiYxXHoHpLQ It's about the HCD's interpretation of the word "or" and you might have to teach your city a bit if they're not already watching this channel :) If they are reluctant to believe you, it is on page 19 or so of the HCD's ADU Handbook. And if they still don't want to do it, you can report your case to the HCD and the state agency will have a conversation with your planners (which honestly can still go either way). But generally they just let most of the people I work with do the multiple units.
I live a long way from California. I am not a landlord and I own my own home - but have massively benefited from the artificial increases in housing regulations. But I am very pleased with all these new laws that have passed, especially AB1893, Prop 34, SB1037, and SB450. For far too long local governments, getting massive pushes from well to do residents of these areas, have screwed over the average Joe by doing everything possible to weaponize housing. This has been going on for over half a century. It’s not the Boomers (so you can’t put all that much blame on them), who started it, nor even their older siblings, but the WWII generation that got the ball rolling. It’s resulted in housing being so scarce, and forcing prices up so much, that not only are people not able to afford their own apartment, not only are they able to afford their own room, but all they can afford is to share a bed with some stranger. Yep, you read that right. It’s worse than the Gilded Age. Housing costs are a huge factor that is creating the cost of living crisis in America. A huge part of that comes from California. And it’s not like people can necessarily leave - that’s where the living wage jobs are. At the same time it’s making things very unaffordable for support workers (like a grocery store clerk). I love these laws as they go a long way to remedying both the incredible housing shortages in California (and America) and creates a situation where things will be a lot less unaffordable - and maybe make living affordable for the average person again. It tells NIMBYites that there is a serious consequence for weaponizing housing. Especially since other densely populated states, which have the same housing issues as California, are apt to follow California’s lead.
Thank you so much for breaking this down. It really is expensive to live here- Los Angeles!! I lived in Venice in the late 90's. I paid 900 for a two-bedroom HOUSE front and back yard. A home up the street was for sale for 190K. It became so expensive so quickly- I know that I will never be able to afford to purchase a home, I'm in my late 50s. I work two jobs. I have a college degree (student debt). The other day, I applied for food stamps. It's rough out here-and you are right, it's the cost of housing. Even places in the hood hood 3K for a two bedroom. WOW!! Which I worry about every other day-keeping a roof over my head.
I have a similar situation where my house keeps going up in value because the town grows faster than our housing stock. And it won't take a lot of migratory Californians to mess up all the other lovely housing markets. Let's buuuiiiild.
Every county will have their own rules & regulations. The insurance companies will no doubt have a field day cancelling polices for all of these add on units. Good luck and be careful when building or adding on to a single family home. You may find that your county will tell you who you can and cannot rent it to.
Welcome :) It's probably time I revisit this playlist and make a basic guide with all of today's amendments/rules. But here is the old playlist for beginners: th-cam.com/play/PLcGwck-4diceQjp1ZrB1hXI7nz55Pk4bh.html Here is a video about JADUs: th-cam.com/video/XyHrJ1fZrDw/w-d-xo.html And the state agency that oversees this stuff (HCD) will put out a new version of their ADU handbook soon. That might be a perfect opportunity for me to do a fresh "ADU for beginners" video. I'd expect that in December.
As someone who installs internet services just remember that every home built with in a quarter mile will have slower internet speeds unless you want your bill to go up 40 - 80 to regain that speed. Internet is not unlimited its shared.
If only there was some way to build infrastructure for higher density cities right? :) Out of curiosity, is it cheaper or more expensive in your experience to run high speed internet out to rural areas where there are only a few homes every acre or in residential neighborhoods in urbanized environments where dozens of homes can use cables on a city block? Most of what I’ve read suggests that city infrastructure, utilities, and services are more expensive per user in rural areas.
Does the property tax increase on your entire property? If your home is paid off and the taxes are based on a 1970s purchase, will the re-assessment bring all the value forward to 2024 rates in perpetuity? Something to consider. The building costs and taxes could be high and eventually cost you your home especially if the rent is paid on time or if there is a gap in occupancy.
You should ask your county assessor what the process will be. In general, this is an additional assessment for the ADU and not a reassessment of the primary. But it’s definitely a hugely important thing to verify ahead of doing your project.
These ADU and multi-dwelling situations really hurt cities and just standard living. Literally turns neighborhoods into parking lots. Not to mention as people have noted septic issues. Many cities have very old some dating back 100 years when it comes to their sewage systems. Packing all these extra bodies a in these neighborhoods is eventually going to wreak havoc.
unless they allow variances for health/septic systems, most rural areas won't be able to take advantage of detached ADU's, like me...2/3 acre but only 1 septic per 1/2 acre allowed in San Bernardino County.
You're so right. Rural ADUs very frequently can't deal with the cost of septic upgrades (which are a bit excessive in some cases). I think another solution here is off grid sewage and getting more counties to adopt new technology that allows for safe on site sewage treatment. Maybe something to advocate for next session!
For existing unpermitted JADU how would a city know if it was pre 2020 ? My question is would it be more beneficial to say the unit was built pre 2020 ? Essentially you could say it was 2018 or say it was built 2022 ?
Thank you for the great content! So just to make sure I understand correctly, if I purchased a property with an unpermitted ADU and the city has scheduled an on-site inspection, AB 2533 would allow me to get a retroactive permit as long as the ADU is safe and habitable, correct? Also, would this be different for each city? This property is in Oakland.
You're going to want to talk to a professional about your specific situation. It sounds like the city is already coming to your site, and this law doesn't go into effect until January. Also, I avoid using phrases like "retroactive permit" because they don't have a real legal meaning and they confuse planners. I would try to avoid having a physical inspection before this law goes into effect, and I would ask the city to provide the checklist required by this bill before coming for the inspection, if possible. Now if I've been reported and already have somebody coming out - that may not be possible - and I would lawyer up.
The rules around ADU height changed a couple years ago. www.how-to-adu.com/adu-articles-blog/new-adu-laws-in-2023 You can always ask HCD for guidance if your city doesn't have up to date regulations: calhcd.service-now.com/csp?id=csm_sc_cat_item_public&sys_id=19d0846297794910edea398c1253af2a
Great information. Thank you. Are you able to direct me in the right direction. I have a property with a raised foundation with a cover patio that was converted into a family room. Wondering who I can reach out to see if this could get permitted.
Thanks for watching. We will see what cities come out with. The checklist has to provide a full list of all the things that could deem a building substandard. I imagine that major foundation issues (like there are no footings) or lack of sheer wall would be on the checklist as major structural hazards. And I would urge everybody who watches this video to just be safe and take all these risks seriously, regardless of what the law requires.
before ADU's were a thing, we lived in a converted garage for many years, we were broke and at times the neighbors would report it and so we had to shamefully move around a lot. My my how have times changed...
Can you talk more about 3 adu's on sfr? I'm in the process of getting a JADU and a ADU. I didn't know I could do an internal Adu. This would be a total of 3 ADU's plus the sfr.
Noooo SB 937 is a huge deal!!!! I was in looking to to an SB 9 and split my lot and build 2 units on each. The city of Santa Rosa was able to charge per unit 60k each! So I needed to shell out over 200k upfront! But Now I can get construction financing and at the end pay that fee from the 30 year mortgage!!!!! I am dancing in my living room right now!!!!!!
I like the law also because it adds an incentive for the city to cooperate and do their jobs. Putting them at the end of the line does that.
😡
The $30k per unit is one of the problems. Charging builder punitive "inspection" fees that probably pay for operations, not impact.
@@williameason1194 He said 60k each not 30k each.
Fees that high are extortion!
I live in the high desert; half acre lot with septic tank. City wants me to install another septic tank if I build an ADU; but it has to have internet, alarm, and monthly contract for inspection from septic company. Only one guy has the "license" to install one of those; and he wants $65k when regular septic tanks cost $15k installed. Did I mention the septic contractor knows the city development manager on a first name basis? It is a mafia. This is how the city stops you from building an ADU here. I bought another house instead in the next city over. The neighbor city only asks you to increase the size of your septic tank if you want to build an ADU.
That's super sad, but very interesting. Can you email me the details including your jurisdiction? ryan@how-to-adu.com I can show this to industry groups/lobbyists and try to suggest reform packages when we see opportunities to fix things, lower fees or streamline stuff that doesn't smell right.
Which city did you end up buying in?
Wow, corruption at its best! 😡
Similar situation in Adelanto, They wouldn't let me rebuild a burned down home. Got the state involved, State made them follow the law!
@@salcervantes4324 I have learned city officials only speak lawsuit language. They know the majority will not spend the money getting lawyers involved or people don't have the time. Meanwhile, development commission members are involved in several construction projects within the city: either they sold the parcel of land; have their engineering architect firm doing plans, or have a contractor firm building the project. La Cosa Nostra.
If California, STILL does not have an Anti-Criminal Squatter Bill, would not rent anything out, even an ADU until that bill is signed and sealed into Law, just like Florida did in March 2024.
A lot of people end up renting the ADU to direct family members right now, and I think this concern is part of the reasoning. Have you seen the guy who legally rents the house when there's a squatter, and lives with them and annoys them (legally) until they move away voluntarily? He has a youtube channel.
Yeah and I would be the asshole to ask if you take section 8 and if you say no then I’ll file the $30- dollar paper for suing you for being discriminatory and sue you for the max of $1500-
I absolutely agree. Otherwise, individuals will be subsidizing social programs to house California’s homeless (squatters). Let the state do it with section 8 housing instead. “Unburden what has been” Thank you Kamala for such an insightful wisdom.
@garystevens1044 there is zero reason to not take Section 8. Zero. So just say you do.
I will never take a Section 8 tennant again. I had two and ended up with two destroyed houses. I'm sure it's not all section 8's but these two screwed it up for anyone else who comes at me with that nonsense. My homes. My choice.
What BS. "Making it easier" is meaningless if they charge exorbitant fees up front; permits, impact fees, bullshit fees, bribery fees, kick-back fees, extortion fees, blackmail fees and protection racket fees. Before you can even stick a spade in the ground. Eff that. I'm just moving elsewhere.
How else will politicians like Newsom by their big expensive houses next to the water?
My uncle built the ADU add-on to side of his newly purchased house with friends immediately after buying it. It was in town facing the street and county never challenged it. He built two more add on in back that could not be seen from the front with friends. No permits or fees. He owned the house for over 40 years. He never beleived anyone should tell him what to do on his land
My neighbor put in an adu and permiting cost $89. Her daughter lives in it. This is a great step forward.
Ignorance….
Send your addr3ss we will send the inspector this monday. 😂😂😂😂😂@@williamlyons3947
Wow! You have it pat on these new laws. Glad that there is someone like you out there that is making it easy for the rest of us to understand. Appreciate it!
Thank you for watching - It's my pleasure! Share it far and wide please :)
Have you looked into the recent Supreme Court’s ruling Sheetz vs Eldorado county?Basically the county lost because they were charging excessive fees. I am about to play that card with my county where I have been trying to build a few ADU units. I have built hundreds of homes in California in fact the first one the total permit cost was $700! My impression is that the county’s are trying to keep this quiet because they will have to quit charging exorbitant fees,sometimes more expensive than the actual construction cost for the ADU.
Supreme Court GUTS Impact Fees
th-cam.com/video/QH1WWRLqSVE/w-d-xo.html
@@HowToADU interesting. That could be a game changer! This with the recent Chevron decision.... the biggest cost of housing is....bureaucracy
Still 271 days to get an ADU permit in corrupt Glendale, and if you want separate electric meter, it takes minimum 8 months. City intentionally restricting the process and ignoring California rules.
Wow, that's bad. You should report them to the HCD: calhcd.service-now.com/csp?id=csm_sc_cat_item_public&sys_id=19d0846297794910edea398c1253af2a
Also, if you are literally still waiting for comments, and it is that egregious, write to me. I'm looking for some good examples to put on the channel, and in some cases, can find organizations willing to pay limited legal fees to get the cities moving. ryan@how-to-adu.com
Please report them to the state. Unless they had an existing adu ordinance adopted prior to the state, they are required to comply with California state law.
I'm totally not surprised. San Mateo county is the same. They don't care about state law and just ignore the state legislation. It will be interesting to see the effect of SB 1037
@@alirasheed8554 " required by law? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha THAT'S A GOOD ONE! Laws are only required by peasant now City workers.
I've had a tiny house in my back yard for 4 years now sitting on a tandem trailer, so it's really an RV as opposed to an ADU. A city inspector came and checked it out and saw no permitting issues. His only concern was that it was not anchored in the event of an earthquake, but no citation was given.
That's a great outcome! In my neighborhood, they don't let RVs or anything motorized stay parked for over a certain number of months without a permit. But it always varies based on local rules and the human who actually checks up on you, right?
Can you share the city and or county. We have a few properties to work with. Thanks 🙏
@@Michael-ic8kn Alameda county. The city inspector said they are becoming less restrictive towards adu and tiny houses. Surprised that more homeowners dont take advantage of them
@@HowToADUIt was a trailer (no motor) so the RV or motorized vehicle would not apply
They can walk on your property at anytime?
Ryan, it looks like this video is getting pretty big. Thank you for doing this good work!
The people want ADUs 😅
People should be allowed to do what they want with their property. Smaller gov't, not more.
There will be more coming because the aim is total control. The ruling satanic sodomites have been planning this for a very long time.
Negative. People constantly prove they are mentally special.
So if somebody did whatever they wanted to on their property and built a substandard building with substandard electrical work, maybe with exposed wires, and they started a fire, burned the ADU down, burned their own home down and then the neighbors on each side of them as well, that’s totally cool “cuz it’s their property”? Hell no. We have ordinances, regulations and laws for a reason.
It's amazing that California has actually passed laws that make it easier for homeowners.
Yes! they're on a roll. It's really allowing homeowners to do more with our properties.
Newsom had to give us a bone once in a while so he seems like he's doing something. Its how they play the game. He's running for President. FYI he's related to Nancy Pelosi lol
I'm sure there's a catch. There's no way they will make it easier and not take your money
California just wants the increase in taxes on adu...
"Tell us your getting rental income, and we won't fine you, well just increae your property tax, and audit your income."
It's true they never miss an opportunity to remind me about my taxes... ;D
Property tax should really be more based on the land used than the buildings put on it.
Arent we glad we have u to sift thru this mambo-jumbo. I cant believe how many SB there r and probably more coming up affecting ADU. Thank u for your work presenting a summary n simplified version❤
I enjoy it! Thanks for watching :)
Always great coming to your channel for the latest changes in ADU laws
Thanks for watching! Hope this is helpful :)
Great update. Truly appreciate your channel. Thank you!
Glad you liked it - thanks for watching :)
Thanks!
Thank you for the support :)
Dude, you rock. Thank you so much for this video. I can tell how passionate and knowledgeable you are about this subject and you’re making it so much more approachable for someone like myself who is just generally curious about zoning and housing issues. it feels fortuitous that the algorithm brought me this video right now as someone who bought a house with “rental unit potential,” and as someone who has already battled a NIMBY city on quite a few permits in order to build a family childcare home, it’s heartening to hear that the state is coming down somewhat on the side of the people. I look forward to following and hearing more.
Aw, glad I can help you! Hope your project goes well and the city doesn't give you too much grief. There are lots of great rule changes coming down every year to help homeowners out
I have wondered about the impact of a second dwelling on my property taxes. I build, pay for ALL construction costs and then rent. Increase in my personal taxes as well as property taxes, how’s that help me?
There are additional property tax assessments for the new ADU so that is something people need to estimate and take into account before building an ADU. Importantly, this should not generally affect the property taxes for the primary residence. Talk to the county assessor for more detailed explanation. And a CPA for your specific situation.
Thank you. You are great in
explaining in plain English that is understandable and making sense.
No way, it’s hard to get people out who don’t pay their rent! The law is on their side 😮
Not true. We had Section 8 tenants try that and we had them out in 45 days. Three day notice. Thirty day notice. And two weeks later the Sheriff escorted them off the property. You just have to be diligent with the timely filings.
you sound ignorant, you can definitely evict people for no payment of rent. That being said, there's a proper way to handle evictions, the US isn't a third world country.
Very good info.Thank You smart young man.
Aw, thanks for watching you smart viewer! :)
I am looking to build an ADU in my backyard for my parents. Ideally one of those prefab boxble homes would be ideal
Be careful out there.
Boxabl, according to their own financial releases, still does not build ADUs in California: www.boxabl.com/circular/form253g2.htm even though it has been years since they first took down payments and preorders for their units. According to that release in June, they planned on selling park model RVs (which are not code compliant for ADUs) to California in the future.
If you are in California and if you're lucky enough to get one approved, please let me know
So much for paradise. Manhattan here we come. So sick of California trying to shoehorn people into every nook and cranny. Guess what, not everyone can afford to live wherever they want
There goes the neighborhood.
This is destroying quality of life and by no means will this help solve the “hOuSiNg CrIsIs” on the contrary reality is that the prices and rents are still SKYROCKETING! 🤦🏻♂️
It's great they are making the ability to add ADUs. I added mine, but now I'm having sooo much trouble getting it insured. We rent out the main house and then the tiny home ADU to a different person and that seems to be a huge problem for insurance companies who don't want 2 different tenants on one policy.
So it's no good building a unit if you can't get insurance.
Anyone have a suggestion of an insurance provider to try?!
Rent control is the root of the rental housing shortage. Housing investors won’t take the risk of govt control of their business. Home owners who are contemplating an ADU should check rent control ordinances because they may be giving up property rights to tenants and govt.
Corporations found their way around rent control around 2010. New leases say, a new lease must be signed every year or you can go month to month with a $500 to a $1000 increase per month. Corporations like Moss and Company and Jones and Jones both to this. Read the lease.
What did you think about the part of the video where we talk about rent control?
From my experience, there are still developers willing to develop in the current environment (even with state wide rent control in California). But it's true that we never know what projects got discouraged before they were even initiated (whether it's rent control or another factor)!
Interesting. "Homewreckers" is on my to do list and I may cover it on the podcast "The Discretionary Review" th-cam.com/play/PLcGwck-4dicd1-egeTkx2S-pFwVXGmbgP.html Would love to know your thoughts if you've read it.
Lets get a rep to introduce it in CA house or senate
@@soniasias6226 do you have the link for this?
THEY passed codes not laws. What is the difference between codes & law? How can i get away with constructing a building without abiding by Codes and Compliance or paying them? What case law says i don't need permits?
NOTE: There are a lot of questions and answers people don't ask because they think a foreign body can dictate what they can or cannot do. They continue because their parents and possibly grandparents did it that way. Before you say we don't have a choice do some research on the questions posted.
Amazing information! Thank you for all you do!!!
Happy to help keep everybody informed with all the cool new updates - thanks for watching!
I’m going to clarify The Supreme Court in Washington DC made the ruling not the California state Supreme Court.
Hey Ryan, we finally completed our ADU in East Bay just waiting on certificate of occupancy!
Home run content right here. Great job!!
Thanks man!
My house is on a septic system in Southern California and I'm not allowed to add a septic system for the ADU. To connect to my existing system I would need to expand it and there is resistance to do that also. Any laws on the book that address septic systems?
Somebody else commented about this exact issue too so you're not alone, unfortunately. This common issue is a big roadblock to rural ADU development. I've heard that some counties are willing to approve alternatives like leach lines or incinerator toilets - but that for the most part, you are in "discretionary" territory. Where you are asking for permission. And the real benefit of ADUs is that they are ministerial (ie you don't need a discretionary decision to get permission). Sorry - but I'll definitely post if I see solutions to this costly issue in the future.
I remember a time when building an illegal ADU would bring your neighbors with pitchforks and torches. This is BS.
😅
Love your content and your efforts. Besides, your backdrop shows design acumen not often seen on TH-cam. As a person in construction for decades, this bill seems sensible. To hell with bringing everything up to current "code", but safety is easy to conform to. Kudos for linking the law. You can find out what any municipality has adopted online (just about). Research the policy and go to the "planning" department (not "building") and tell them exactly what you want to do before designing your project. Then take what they say with a grain of salt. They don't have to train their people and they don't have to commit to anything. Just keep checking what they'll accept as you go along. Don't ever trust them, but most often planning will make a half-ass reasonable decision.
My wife (who deserves more credit for the backdrop than me) really loved this feedback ;)
I love your advice! Free conversations and a healthy skepticism go a long way in good faith cities :)
Is this a trick for property taxes to go up?
Generally, property tax will go up on the ADU permitted structure. In my experience, taxes should not generally go up for the existing unmodified primary home or the rest of the unmodified property. Talk to your tax assessor about your specific situation.
Cities and counties had to rename their "fees" after SCOTUS ruled the fees have to be intrinsic to the property. As in, you pay for a fire hydrant (Berkeley- $0-100k, maybe more?) twenty miles away... Graft
Just what California needs, more regulations.
Musk moved to texas to avoid taxation of his exorbitant profits - he NOW has invested sufficiently to control federal policy - You can, too, just by moving to texas.
they should be spending time on water, traffic, & airports for defense !
Infrastructure was not designed for higher density development in these areas
Cities have a responsibility to invest the taxes they collect on infrastructure to support the people who live and work there.
It is generally more efficient to do that when there are 2 houses close to each other than 2 houses far from each other, all other things equal.
@@HowToADU😂
@HowToADU it still doesn't fix the facts that the state has limited resources to share.
It can handle it as long as people pay appropriate fees commensurate with their impact on that infrastructure. It’s a lot better than building new subdivisions that are sprawling with super expensive infrastructure. Really, you need to look into it so you can educate yourself on what makes sense
@steveperreira5850 fee don't improve infrastructure. Majority of fees go to cover salary and benefits. Only 2% go towards infrastructure. You should educate yourself first on the real world.
The thing is if you convert a detached garage for an example you need the minimum electric, sewer hook up with connection fees, insulation that meets minimum title 24 requirements, moisture protection from the ground through the concrete slab, heating/ AC, probably needs more goodies. Just saying.
ADU’s NOT ALLOWED IN YUBA COUNTY AS WELL AS SUTTER COUNTY
Great video. Your content is spot on for me
Thanks for watching
The state is chomping at the bit to increase those owners property taxes and their water and sewer bills. Just wait until their homeowners insurance finds out they are renting space..
Property Tax In California can only Increase %2 a Year
Nice try Troll
I wish there was someone this knowledgeable but for the state of oregon to do videos!
Great information in your channel, congrats!
Kol Peterson and Derek Sherrell are your guys for Oregon!
Do not forget your property tax will increase. They want $$$$ to make more laws to get it out of your pocket 😢😢😢
Property tax for the unit will generally increase (as an additional assessment) that's right. If the assessor tries to change the value of the existing home though, that's unorthodox. But yeah, taxes. Oof.
@@HowToADU As a homeowner I"m fine with an increase in property taxes if I can raise my property values by close to double (or even more). That's a cheap price to pay for retirement security.
@@rrluthi1 That's the attitude! What it costs only matters as much as part of your return on investment :)
Tenants will be in control of your property and ruin your privacy and quality of life. They will make piles and encroach on your space. You can have rules but enforcing them is an hourly challenge especially when your tenants don’t get along!
Being a housing provider is a real job and it is not easy. Too true.
Ignorance….
I took a property MGMT course last year. Teacher is an active property manager of 50 unit apartments. She never lose an eviction case due her diligence at doing her job. There's a known MGMT approach to increase your odds GREATLY to evict bad tenants. Property mgmt is work, but if want to make money, you better do your work just right. Not rocket science but prop. mgm isn't for everyone.
We need to REMIND ourselves why such bills come to the fore. It's because of very specific interests who fawn at the feet of Grusome. These changes were not made with the " environment" in mind or what's best for new to housing market buyers, it's all about some people in certain income brackets maximizing their bank accounts.
There definitely are people who lobby for reform with a profit motive in mind. That's a fact. But for what it's worth, I'm an advocate who pushes for these reforms, and I'm a big fan of the environment and what's best for new to housing market buyers :)
8:45 @@HowToADU
@@angelpagan5543 Yeah, that's the part where I explain that a lot of the coastal zone is urbanized like Venice Beach and Solana Beach, right?
I hate how ADUs are changing single family home neighborhoods into apartment roach style areas. Really sad
Carrie That what YOU think was the reason. I think it had to do with unreasonable permitting hurdles in many cities, the mandating of more housing, among many other factors. Having an ADU ( additional income) allows first time homeowners to buy when otherwise they could not. Where I live the city used to charge a sell to inspect a home prior to sale and would make you tear out a nice to code "grannyflat" that was unpermitted because of the unreasonably onerous and lengthy permit process.
Great content as always. I need to listen again.
Thanks for being a longtime viewer and all your feedback over the years :)
Thank you Ryan! This video is incredibly helpful!
Look who’s talking! The ADU Center is the most helpful !
All these rules…. A simple way to improve things would be LESS regulations. Who “owns” the property anyway?
wards of the corporate state. bonded social security slaves. useless certificates and titles are not owning anything
Just thank you!!!
You are very welcome! Share it wide and far. Thank YOU for watching.
I'm sick of the government taking my money and micromanaging my life. It's the government who makes housing unaffordable.
Yes, but just think.... think about how many lives you can now finally micromanage ! 🤔
It IS in REALITY Real Estate agents, flippers, and organizations performing those services.
You are in ERROR that it is some toothless speedfreak word, like "gummint."
Laws PUSHED THROUGH by the wealth of the real estate industry prevent effective transfer f homes without the bloodsuckers i have mentioned profiting.
WHY, for example, is it necessary to conduct title searches - THAT information SHOULD be permanently on record in county or city.
The exorbitant charges by real estate agents have given them the ability to corrupt Zoning laws, exceptions to such laws,
Acquisition of more than one home has created the greedy flippers who most commonly do NOTHING other than flip - buy cheap sell at inflated prices.
The consequent LOCK on homes by investors instead of users, has created BOTH the rent-slaves that most of us must become to live at all, AND the REFUSAL to drop prices.
The Market, then. encourages flippers - whether individuals or large investment trusts - NEVER to drop a price.
NEITHER DO real estate agents, who would lose their cash cow - YOU - were they to do so.
The laws concerning all these issues have been pushed through by antidemocracy forces - Forces means money, and republicans exist because of greed.
LOOK at the financial practices, of republicans, LOOK at who donates money to republicans.
YOUR de facto slave economy exists solely due to such manipulation of legislation - but the problem is NOT "gummint" it IS the people committing th e actions i have generally mentioned -- those to whom YOU are right now, paying money.
Its property developers and private equity that are making money off housing that makes housing expensive. If they changed the tax laws so that housing was not seen as an investment that would help
@@christeiicook-x2f when real estate is no longer looked at or treated as an investment we will have completely given up our standards of living.
@@christeiicook-x2fand who sanctions that AND expedites it? Yeah, ultimately it your GOV getting in the way AND sticking their finger in the pie. Dont be fooled. Developers and private equity firms are an issue for sure. But are an issue that WOULDNT EXIST or at the least would be a blip on the radar if it wasn't for Gov bolstering and solidifying their positions
This is absolutely disastrous! 😡 This should NOT be allowed!
Yeah, this is third world crap.
Like... all of it?
Sorry, which part?
Spoken like a true NIMBY!
Thank you for the tips, notes, details. Working in Oakland, I feel the City just tries to disuade homeowners with costly requirements, PSL Certi's, Boundary Surveys, etc. You can literally build the ADU FASTER than the City of Oakland responds to an email...?!! UGH. Ministerial is a joke when they stop, start over again, etc. It's a game, imo.
It's really tough. Did you see the video about Oakland making 12 people homeless for a year for 3 parking spots? th-cam.com/users/shortsAEBUt2mCS3c?feature=share Breaks my heart.
Hang in there though! Oakland has some shining lights and some great projects do make it over the finishing line.
Thank you..well explained, well researched important information
Suggestion for follow up to this episode: Research if cities who sued state regarding sb9 and won, will be able to hold that legal ground moving forward, or now that 450 is in place, will be forced to allow sb9/450 projects. Look specifically at Whittier CA, since it allowed 1 sb9 project but then sued the state over sb9 and again, won.
Indeed. My understanding is that the AG will be appealing the LA County court's ruling, and that the modified language in SB 450 makes it pretty iron tight when that happens. But I guess we won't know til we go to the dance :)
For the unpermitted adus , does this law apply to rooms and bathrooms of the main house? Or just adus?
I'm loving your videos. You're very knowledgable.
For some neighborhoods, street parking will just get worse.
Yes, that's true. It's very important that cities adopt ordinances to keep street parking well-regulated and safe. This can be done through parking permits, time-limited parking, and similar parking regulations. Street safety is very important!
Thank you for this info
Thanks for watching! Share it far and wide :)
We are thinking of building a two story shed/studio very kuch like the one you pictured. Do you know how to get the rules in Riverside County or do you know if a person can legally build a two story 10x12 converted for minimalist living spaces?? Thanks
Can't give specific advice, but Riverside (city) has been pretty chill about allowing everything the state mandates. I'm not sure about unincorporated county.
2 story rules are in this video (there's a link to a detailed blog post in the video description, describing 4 categories that can build above 16 feet): th-cam.com/video/jcxCwMFIUYY/w-d-xo.html
If you cannot build above 16 feet, there are ways to get loft spaces under 16 feet "building height" depending on how the county defines building height. th-cam.com/video/0brkGWT3ay8/w-d-xo.html
Talk to your county planning department, ask to see the ordinances about ADUs, and ask how to measure building height. Then work with an architect or experienced, licensed GC who knows all the ADU rules (rare, and often more expensive than a good architect).
do you have a video on strategies for back footing, front footing, side footing issues? I know the ADU laws didn’t change those elements of property ownership but thought you might share insights on how far the ADU can be from existing structure, etc.
Work with experienced professionals!
I talk a bit about setbacks in the common mistakes video th-cam.com/video/tzu3uGaOH4g/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0jcn1SHB94siGPrk&t=779 But the rules have actually changed and been clarified a lot since then.
And there's a short about distance between structures and fire rating in this short I made at Inspired ADUs: th-cam.com/users/shortsOXJ1wizZayc
Broadly you want to use the HCD ADU Handbook for your property setback requirements, and you want to use CBC to make sure you meet fire safety requirements for the distance between the structures eave to eave. And if the lot constraints are tight, you can get wins in fire safety but it's gonna cost you (eg sprinklers, no openings on fronting walls).
@ That was helpful, thank you.
Thank you
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
People watch out. These are made to ruin your life style. On your own property
# 1 First EXPLAIN , HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES, because of ADU 😮.... please,,
What do you mean by unit? I live in a mobile home in the country. How many ADU's can I build ? Its a double wide on 5 acres of land.
A female in Venice received four parking tickets ($100 each) in merely one week, because there was chronically no parking available where she lived. This is a direct cause of homelessness because you’re required to pay parking tickets before rent is paid & she couldn’t afford both.
Wow that sounds tragic. So I’m required to pay parking tickets before rent is paid? That seems unusual. Do you have more information about this sad story of a person who was evicted because she parked illegally four times in a week in Venice? I’d love to help change this law that requires people to pay parking tickets before rent.
Hmm you're required to pay parking tickets in order to update car registration. But rent?
Could you possibly list all of those acronyms you are using and what they mean?
More people, more noise, less space, more cars, fewer places to park them Sounds like a place I don’t want to live in How about adding a rule where anyone adding an ADU not own a car and use public transportation since people are now living where they used to park
I would like to sign your petition for parking permit requirements and incentivized public transportation :) I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic, but most of the housing advocates who support these reforms, also support reform around parking, mass transit, and traffic safety.
It's not the number one priority in the world for me, but I would totally support a limit on the number of cars per household that can be parked on my street. But I wouldn't attach it to how many homes people build.
The trouble with the way we do things now is that we build the cost of parking and other transportation issues into the cost of housing and try to restrict parking by restricting housing. It would be great to directly restrict parking instead.
I live on a street where the rent is pretty ludicrously high, and I see more and more families overcrowding into single-family homes so they can afford the rent. (like 3-5 people per bedroom). And the adults all own 1 or more cars. In this anecdote, the lack of housing isn't regulating how many cars they park on the street.
It would also be cool if we didn't have to pay for roads, tolls, etc. except through car registration fees. Brave new world :)
Well if you pay for parking it’s same as paying for rent legally🤦🏻♂️
@@HowToADU
Absolute insanity!
Having government involved in people's lives usually leads to unintended consequences and that will involve people who aren't even initially impacted by these granny flats! Keep government out of our lives.
You want to keep cars out of your life and be able to walk everywhere - move to Kenya!
@@LWRC So if this is my backyard, I should be allowed to build a house in it right?
@HowToADU
We have zoning laws in this country for a reason - to preserve the quality of life and tranquility of the neighborhood. You want to be stupid and do something that doesn't address the root cause of the problem but to create a much bigger problem and ruining whole neighborhoods at the same time! This is liberal insanity on steroids!
What does that mean "health and safety standard", not building code?
It would be still difficult to construct and ADU by health and safety standards because in most cases you need a 1-hr fire separation and sound insulation, especially if it's an attached ADU.
If that detached ADU featured behind you is less than 5' from property line or less than 10 feet from a habitable building, it would require 1hr fire rating and sound insulation. None of this is cheap if you are having to remove existing dry to replace with 5/8" type X.
excellent!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Hoping to get info on tiny homes & maybe a community
Dont forget to check for school fees
True! Most school districts are still charging that school fee.
I have a deal I am working on that will build 5 ADUs on what is currently a 4 unit property, a lot of people don't know about this yet so hopefully I will make quite a bit of money on this one but it might be more expensive for the next one.
How can you make low affordable rent if you are forced to pay insanely high fees just to be allowed to start the project...that will also be insanely higher in cost to build compared to other states.. simply because its in California....The landlords aren't the enemy..they are the sacrficial lambs..for why existing in California is SO expensive. The mom and pop landlords have an even greater weight to bear...No support what so ever at the ever rising cost to own..along with high risk for chances of getting opportunist folk getting onto your home to take you out financially,structually and mentally ...while not being allowed to call it criminal.
What should be a positive,simple solution has so many dips and dives.....appears to be a lose ,lose in the long run if you aren't a corporation with great plans and attornies.
Southern California Fontana. what are all the permit fees total? Garage adu. And how much and what can I do myself. Thank you
If you add just one kitchen and one bathroom per lot, then add dozens of ADUs in a neighborhood without increasing say water and sewer utility lines to a neighborhood, you eventually harm everyone in the area as the infrastructure no longer is accommodating the growth. So portions of the so called safety items are not good safety-wise over the long term. Lack of Structural requirements are concerning bc ppl do dumb things to buildings all the time. GCs are not always qualified to make such technical decisions (which is why the law requires licensed A/Es to make certain design decisions. ) More housing is great. More unsafe housing is not. But you will find out …
Yeah, those are great points. It's scary how many unpermitted structures already exist out there, right? I guess that's why they are making it easier for people to bring those units out of the shadows and up to living standard.
Trading your skills for rent, in someone's backyard, is going to become the new norm in unaffordable housing. A lot of homeowners can barely maintain their properties. It's been working for me for 20 years already. It's a good life you just gotta be creative. And having some people skills helps, folks.
Hey, I'm building a JADU and the tenant wont have access to the thermostat, but will still have heat. Is that legal, or do they need to be able to control their heat?
Imagine if one occupant (with thermostat) is on vacation. How would the other tenant be able to access heat, utilities, etc. talk to a lawyer for specific legal advice. Tenant rights advocates are also a great source of information.
At 4:02 you say that an SFR can have a JADU, Internal ADU and a Detached. Along with the Main living area this is 4 units. Is this correct or did you mean that you can Either have an Internal or External ADU - making it JADU, ADU and Main Living area(3 units). If it is 4 then I would love to know how you arrived at 4 units. Thanks
Good ear - I meant 4. This explains which clause: th-cam.com/users/shortsfiYxXHoHpLQ It's about the HCD's interpretation of the word "or" and you might have to teach your city a bit if they're not already watching this channel :)
If they are reluctant to believe you, it is on page 19 or so of the HCD's ADU Handbook. And if they still don't want to do it, you can report your case to the HCD and the state agency will have a conversation with your planners (which honestly can still go either way). But generally they just let most of the people I work with do the multiple units.
If I am building an unpermitted studio (150sf detached), what are my options to having it being permitted after the fact?
Sorry, can't help.
I live a long way from California. I am not a landlord and I own my own home - but have massively benefited from the artificial increases in housing regulations. But I am very pleased with all these new laws that have passed, especially AB1893, Prop 34, SB1037, and SB450. For far too long local governments, getting massive pushes from well to do residents of these areas, have screwed over the average Joe by doing everything possible to weaponize housing. This has been going on for over half a century. It’s not the Boomers (so you can’t put all that much blame on them), who started it, nor even their older siblings, but the WWII generation that got the ball rolling. It’s resulted in housing being so scarce, and forcing prices up so much, that not only are people not able to afford their own apartment, not only are they able to afford their own room, but all they can afford is to share a bed with some stranger. Yep, you read that right. It’s worse than the Gilded Age.
Housing costs are a huge factor that is creating the cost of living crisis in America. A huge part of that comes from California. And it’s not like people can necessarily leave - that’s where the living wage jobs are. At the same time it’s making things very unaffordable for support workers (like a grocery store clerk). I love these laws as they go a long way to remedying both the incredible housing shortages in California (and America) and creates a situation where things will be a lot less unaffordable - and maybe make living affordable for the average person again. It tells NIMBYites that there is a serious consequence for weaponizing housing. Especially since other densely populated states, which have the same housing issues as California, are apt to follow California’s lead.
Crook realtors and investors are going to make money and It’s not going to do anything to prevent homelessness
Thank you so much for breaking this down. It really is expensive to live here- Los Angeles!! I lived in Venice in the late 90's. I paid 900 for a two-bedroom HOUSE front and back yard. A home up the street was for sale for 190K. It became so expensive so quickly- I know that I will never be able to afford to purchase a home, I'm in my late 50s. I work two jobs. I have a college degree (student debt). The other day, I applied for food stamps. It's rough out here-and you are right, it's the cost of housing. Even places in the hood hood 3K for a two bedroom. WOW!! Which I worry about every other day-keeping a roof over my head.
I have a similar situation where my house keeps going up in value because the town grows faster than our housing stock. And it won't take a lot of migratory Californians to mess up all the other lovely housing markets.
Let's buuuiiiild.
Thanks for watching. I got a text about CAL Fresh the first year I was working in housing too. Hang in there.
Every county will have their own rules & regulations. The insurance companies will no doubt have a field day cancelling polices for all of these add on units. Good luck and be careful when building or adding on to a single family home. You may find that your county will tell you who you can and cannot rent it to.
first time to your channel - do you have a video that is an intro guide to adu's? Some video that would answer what is a JADU, etc...
Welcome :)
It's probably time I revisit this playlist and make a basic guide with all of today's amendments/rules. But here is the old playlist for beginners: th-cam.com/play/PLcGwck-4diceQjp1ZrB1hXI7nz55Pk4bh.html
Here is a video about JADUs: th-cam.com/video/XyHrJ1fZrDw/w-d-xo.html
And the state agency that oversees this stuff (HCD) will put out a new version of their ADU handbook soon. That might be a perfect opportunity for me to do a fresh "ADU for beginners" video. I'd expect that in December.
As someone who installs internet services just remember that every home built with in a quarter mile will have slower internet speeds unless you want your bill to go up 40 - 80 to regain that speed. Internet is not unlimited its shared.
If only there was some way to build infrastructure for higher density cities right? :)
Out of curiosity, is it cheaper or more expensive in your experience to run high speed internet out to rural areas where there are only a few homes every acre or in residential neighborhoods in urbanized environments where dozens of homes can use cables on a city block? Most of what I’ve read suggests that city infrastructure, utilities, and services are more expensive per user in rural areas.
Does the property tax increase on your entire property? If your home is paid off and the taxes are based on a 1970s purchase, will the re-assessment bring all the value forward to 2024 rates in perpetuity? Something to consider. The building costs and taxes could be high and eventually cost you your home especially if the rent is paid on time or if there is a gap in occupancy.
You should ask your county assessor what the process will be. In general, this is an additional assessment for the ADU and not a reassessment of the primary. But it’s definitely a hugely important thing to verify ahead of doing your project.
"I want to add value to my home, but don't want to pay the taxes", nothing but greed.
These ADU and multi-dwelling situations really hurt cities and just standard living. Literally turns neighborhoods into parking lots. Not to mention as people have noted septic issues. Many cities have very old some dating back 100 years when it comes to their sewage systems. Packing all these extra bodies a
in these neighborhoods is eventually going to wreak havoc.
unless they allow variances for health/septic systems, most rural areas won't be able to take advantage of detached ADU's, like me...2/3 acre but only 1 septic per 1/2 acre allowed in San Bernardino County.
You're so right. Rural ADUs very frequently can't deal with the cost of septic upgrades (which are a bit excessive in some cases). I think another solution here is off grid sewage and getting more counties to adopt new technology that allows for safe on site sewage treatment. Maybe something to advocate for next session!
For existing unpermitted JADU how would a city know if it was pre 2020 ?
My question is would it be more beneficial to say the unit was built pre 2020 ?
Essentially you could say it was 2018 or say it was built 2022 ?
My neighbor needed this. Oh I hope this saves their tiny home ADU ! ❤ They have been harassed by the city!
Good to know - share the video and let them know that the city should publish guidance in the first half of 2025.
Thank you for the great content! So just to make sure I understand correctly, if I purchased a property with an unpermitted ADU and the city has scheduled an on-site inspection, AB 2533 would allow me to get a retroactive permit as long as the ADU is safe and habitable, correct? Also, would this be different for each city? This property is in Oakland.
You're going to want to talk to a professional about your specific situation. It sounds like the city is already coming to your site, and this law doesn't go into effect until January. Also, I avoid using phrases like "retroactive permit" because they don't have a real legal meaning and they confuse planners. I would try to avoid having a physical inspection before this law goes into effect, and I would ask the city to provide the checklist required by this bill before coming for the inspection, if possible. Now if I've been reported and already have somebody coming out - that may not be possible - and I would lawyer up.
What about ADU on the second floor. The city I live in restricts 2nd floor add-ons.
The rules around ADU height changed a couple years ago. www.how-to-adu.com/adu-articles-blog/new-adu-laws-in-2023
You can always ask HCD for guidance if your city doesn't have up to date regulations: calhcd.service-now.com/csp?id=csm_sc_cat_item_public&sys_id=19d0846297794910edea398c1253af2a
Great information. Thank you. Are you able to direct me in the right direction. I have a property with a raised foundation with a cover patio that was converted into a family room. Wondering who I can reach out to see if this could get permitted.
Contact your jurisdictions building department
What State does this apply too???
These are laws in the state of California. Where are you thinking about building?
Thank you for the great info! Will they require existing garage conversions into ADUs get retrofit foundations? That's a bug part of the cost
Thanks for watching. We will see what cities come out with. The checklist has to provide a full list of all the things that could deem a building substandard. I imagine that major foundation issues (like there are no footings) or lack of sheer wall would be on the checklist as major structural hazards. And I would urge everybody who watches this video to just be safe and take all these risks seriously, regardless of what the law requires.
before ADU's were a thing, we lived in a converted garage for many years, we were broke and at times the neighbors would report it and so we had to shamefully move around a lot. My my how have times changed...
Thanks for sharing your story. I hope we can make a lot more homes and make it easier for families to afford to live where they work. Hang in there!
Can you talk more about 3 adu's on sfr? I'm in the process of getting a JADU and a ADU. I didn't know I could do an internal Adu. This would be a total of 3 ADU's plus the sfr.
Bro i love you in the movie UP, it’s good to see you as an adult
🤣🤣 I am “a friend to all”!
Does the rule of a new ADU can only be up to 50% of the main house square footage?
Broadly, no. There are specific ADUs like attached ADUs, which in some cities can be limited to 50% of the size of the primary home.
2:07 they are gonna want to see you knock it down and start over
Theres one empty lot in venice beach shothole neighborhood..