California Assembly Bill 1033 (signed 2023, in effect January 1, 2024) — lets a city adopt an ordinance allowing an ADU to be sold separately from the main house as a condominium.
It applies only where the city has opted in. San José was the first, in 2024; Berkeley approved its ordinance in 2025, and Santa Cruz and San Diego are among the others. Where a city has opted in, a separate sale needs a condominium plan and the consent of every lienholder on the property. Most California cities have not opted in.
Part of the BackyardADU California ADU Glossary — plain-English definitions of the regulatory, construction, and financing terms you'll encounter during a California ADU project.