Renting an ADU
Renting one out or renting one: tenant law, rent control and the certificate-of-occupancy date that decides which applies.
Both sides of the lease. What tenant law actually says about an ADU, which units fall under rent control and which are exempt, how long an exemption lasts, who pays the utilities, and what a renter should check before signing.
Start here: How to rent out your ADU in Los Angeles
15 posts on renting an adu
Renting a Washington ADU? The Landlord Can Live Anywhere.
Washington bars cities from making ADU owners live on-site, so your backyard-cottage landlord may be miles away. The Landlord-Tenant Act still guarantees repairs, your deposit, and 90 days' notice before a rent hike.
September 14, 2026
California Taxes Your ADU Rent Up to 13.3%. Washington Doesn't.
Rent out a California ADU and the income is taxed as ordinary money, up to 13.3 percent at the state level. Depreciation quietly shields part of it, while a Washington landlord across the state line owes zero state tax.
August 23, 2026
Your SF Landlord Wants to Add an ADU. You Have 30 Days.
When a San Francisco owner adds an ADU under the city's Local Program, every tenant gets a sworn notice first and a 30-day window to object at the Rent Board. Here is what the paperwork protects, and what it leaves out.
August 17, 2026
Who Pays the ADU Power Bill? In California, the Meter Decides.
Renting out a California ADU means deciding who pays for water, gas, and power. If the unit shares a meter with the house, state law forces a written arrangement, and an over-billed tenant can sue to get the money back.
August 14, 2026
Washington Capped Rent at 9.683%. New ADUs Are Exempt for 12 Years.
Washington's new 9.683 percent rent cap made headlines, but the state exempts any home built in the last 12 years, so most newly built ADUs are not covered. Here is how a renter can check before signing.
August 9, 2026
Renting a Portland ADU? The 9.5% Rent Cap Often Skips You
Oregon caps 2026 rent increases at 9.5 percent, but the law exempts any home whose certificate of occupancy is under 15 years old. Most Portland ADUs are that new, leaving their renters no ceiling at all.
July 30, 2026
Renting a California ADU? 12 Things to Check Before You Sign
The listing looks charming and the rent runs a little low. Before you sign a lease on a California backyard ADU, twelve checks decide whether you get a legal home or a legal headache, and it starts with one document.
July 22, 2026
SF's Waiver ADU Is Easier to Build, and Rent-Controlled for Life.
San Francisco lets you build a bigger ADU on a tight lot, but only if you accept permanent rent control. The Waiver track trades floor area for a capped rent; the No-Waiver track keeps your unit at market.
July 15, 2026
Is Your San Francisco In-Law Rent Controlled? One Word Decides
Two San Francisco in-law units can look identical yet follow opposite rent rules: one built under the Waiver Program is rent controlled for life, the other holds its own certificate of occupancy and is exempt.
July 8, 2026
Your New LA ADU Skips Rent Control. For 15 Years.
In Los Angeles, one document decides whether your ADU is rent controlled: the certificate of occupancy. A pre-1978 unit falls under the RSO; a new ADU skips the state rent cap for 15 years, then rolls in.
July 5, 2026
Renting a Newly Legal Basement Apartment in NYC: A 12-Point Tour Checklist
12 things to check before renting a basement apartment under NYC Local Laws 126 and 127: ATR certificate, community district eligibility, sprinklers, flood sensors, right of first return, and more.
June 24, 2026
What Tenant Law Actually Says About Renting a California ADU
Renting a California ADU or JADU is not the same as renting a regular apartment. Here is what AB 1482, AB 1154, and state ADU law actually cover, and what they do not, from rent caps to just cause eviction.
June 10, 2026
California JADU and Owner Occupancy: What AB 1154 Means for Renters
AB 1154, signed October 2025, limits JADU owner-occupancy rules to units sharing a bathroom with the main house, and requires all JADU leases run longer than 30 days statewide. Here's what renters need to know.
June 7, 2026
What It's Like to Live in a California ADU: Real Household Stories
A Dwell feature profiles three California families in their ADUs, from a retiree's 360 SF Berkeley conversion to a 600 SF Santa Cruz garage build, with candid detail on storage, tradeoffs, and what surprised them most.
May 31, 2026
AB 1154 Narrows the JADU Owner-Occupancy Rule for LA Landlords
AB 1154, signed October 10, 2025, narrows the JADU owner-occupancy requirement so it only applies when the JADU shares sanitation with the main house. JADUs with their own bathroom can be rented without an owner-occupant.
October 17, 2025