City of San Diego
Status: Active
Ordinance: O-21989
Yes — San Diego activated AB 1033. As of August 22, 2025, eligible accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the City of San Diego can be converted, subdivided, and sold separately as condominiums. In one of California’s most competitive housing markets, your detached backyard home may now qualify as a fully independent ownership asset.
Key Highlights
San Diego Adopted AB 1033
The San Diego City Council formally implemented AB 1033 in June 2025, and the separate-sale ordinance took effect August 22, 2025. ADU condominium subdivision is now codified in the municipal code — not proposed, not pilot, not pending.
Streamlined Condo Subdivision Path
San Diego’s ordinance establishes a clear condominium subdivision process for qualifying ADUs under the Subdivision Map Act and the Davis-Stirling Act. For eligible properties, the pathway is administrative and codified — not a discretionary or courtroom-driven partition process.
City-Backed Support
The San Diego Housing Commission provides free technical assistance to moderate-income homeowners navigating ADU design, permitting, and compliance. That support helps owners successfully build or legalize an ADU — the necessary foundation before pursuing condominium subdivision under AB 1033.
San Diego Turned Backyard Homes Into Real Ownership Opportunities
San Diego didn’t quietly ‘study’ AB 1033 — it integrated it into city law. Qualifying ADUs can now be legally subdivided as condominiums and conveyed separately from the primary residence. Instead of being permanently tied to your main home’s title, a detached ADU can stand as its own legal property interest within a structured condominium framework.
Detached ADUs are typically the most straightforward candidates because they already function as independent living units. To qualify for separate sale, the ADU must comply with zoning standards, receive final inspection approval, and be incorporated into a recorded condominium plan. Written consent from lienholders is required prior to recordation, and deed-restricted affordable ADUs cannot be sold separately during the restriction period.
This pathway is operational. Outside of the Coastal Overlay Zone, San Diego’s separate-sale provisions are active and codified in SDMC §141.0302(f). The Development Services Department has published formal guidance, and the city has incorporated AB 1033 into its broader ADU reform package. This is a live regulatory framework — not a future proposal.
San Diego has one of the most robust ADU ecosystems in California, with objective approval standards, pre-approved plans, density programs, and technical support resources. Adding separate ADU sales builds on that momentum. In a high-cost coastal market, smaller condominiumized ADUs may offer a new tier of attainable homeownership while giving existing homeowners greater flexibility and long-term planning options.
San Diego Coverage & Policy Resources
Ready to Explore an ADU Condo Conversion in the City of San Diego?
If you own a detached ADU in the City of San Diego and want to evaluate whether condominium subdivision is realistic for your property, we’ll walk you through zoning compliance, subdivision requirements, and lender coordination step by step. Clear analysis. No guesswork. Just real options.