The City of San Leandro has produced an Accessory Dwelling Unit Information Sheet

Summary:

ADU’s are allowed in any residential zone where there is an existing single-family residence on the lot. Only one ADU is allowed per lot.

You may be able to have an ADU on your property if it meets ALL of the following criteria.

  • In a R District: Allowed in any residential zone. ‰
  • RS / RO / RS-40: Second story addition must also meet Site Plan Review Standards
  • RS-VP: Maximum 18’ height and one-story. Must also meet View Preservation/Site Plan Review Standards.
  • Single-Family Residence: Lot currently contains one single-family residence.
  • Setbacks: You have room on your lot to add an ADU outside of the required setbacks.
  • Lot Coverage and FAR: Total lot coverage and floor area ratio (FAR), including the ADU, would not exceed the maximum allowed for the zoning district.
  • If Detached ADU: Must meet the zoning standards for accessory structures in your zoning district.

The City’s regulations require that the owner lives in either the primary unit or the ADU.

An ADU may not be rented out as a short-term rental (e.g. Airbnb, VRBO, etc). An ADU may be left vacant.

 ADUs must be 150 sq.ft. or greater.
Maximum floor area of the ADU is 50% of the existing floor area or the following, whichever is less:
Parcel size less than 7,500 sq.ft. ADU can be 10% of lot area.
Parcel size of 7,500 to 9,999 sq.ft. ADU can be 750 sq.ft.
Parcel size of 10,000 to 19,999 sq.ft. ADU can be 900 sq.ft.
Parcel size of 20,000 to 39,999 sq.ft. ADU can be 1,050 sq.ft.
Parcel size of more than 40,000 sq.ft. ADU can be 1,200 sq.ft.
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