Hemet Zoning and ADU Guide for Homeowners

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team.

Hemet adopted Ordinance No. 2072 on March 10, 2026, which restates the city’s accessory dwelling unit rules in Section 90-321 of the Hemet Municipal Code, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, size caps of 850 and 1,000 square feet and a 60-day approval clock. This guide summarizes the ordinance’s main standards for homeowners, how junior ADUs and conversions work, how many units a lot can have, and what to do if your home has an older unpermitted unit.

Ordinances change and the city’s Planning Division has the final word on your lot.

Hemet ADUs at a glance

Ordinance	No. 2072, adopted March 10, 2026; Hemet Municipal Code Chapter 90, Article XI, Section 90-321
JADU size	150 to 500 square feet of interior livable space
Attached or detached ADU	Up to 850 sq ft for a studio or one-bedroom; up to 1,000 sq ft for two or more bedrooms; 800 sq ft for simplified-approval detached units
Detached ADU height	16 feet (one story); 18 feet near transit or beside multi-story multifamily; 25 feet for two stories over a garage, with conditions
Side, street-side and rear setbacks	4 feet, unless converting an existing structure with less
Short-term rentals	Prohibited; rental terms must be longer than 30 days
Completeness check	15 business days
Approval	Deemed approved if no action within 60 days of a complete application

Size and height

Under Ordinance 2072 a junior ADU (JADU) may be no more than 500 square feet and no less than 150 square feet of interior livable space, and may add up to 150 square feet for ingress and egress.

An attached or detached ADU may be up to 850 square feet for a studio or one-bedroom unit and up to 1,000 square feet for a unit with two or more bedrooms.

A detached ADU that uses the simplified approval standards may not exceed 800 square feet, and an attached ADU that expands the primary home by more than 150 square feet may not exceed 50 percent of the existing home’s floor area.

For height, a one-story detached ADU is limited to 16 feet. That rises to 18 feet for a detached ADU within a half mile walking distance of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor, or one next to a multi-story multifamily building.

A two-story detached ADU over a garage may reach 25 feet under conditions. An attached ADU follows the base zone height or 25 feet and two stories, whichever is lower, and a converted accessory structure may keep its existing height.

Setbacks

An ADU must meet the zone’s standards except that side, street-side and rear setbacks are 4 feet, unless the ADU converts or replaces an existing structure that already sits closer. A conversion built in the same place and to the same dimensions needs no added setback.

A two-story detached ADU over a garage must be at least 10 feet from the side and rear lines of an abutting single-family property, though that can be reduced to the zone’s accessory structure setbacks in some cases.

An attached ADU that uses the height exception must meet the primary dwelling’s front, side and rear setbacks.

Parking, owner occupancy and rentals

The ordinance generally requires no parking for ADUs or JADUs, and no replacement parking when a garage or carport is converted or demolished for an ADU.

A detached ADU may be required to provide one space per ADU or per bedroom, whichever is less, but no parking can be required within a half mile walk of public transit, in a designated historic district, inside the main home or an existing accessory structure, where a car-share vehicle is within one block, or when the application is filed with a new home.

A JADU requires the owner to live in either the home or the JADU unless the JADU has separate sanitation facilities or the owner is a government agency, land trust or housing organization. Short-term rentals are prohibited, and rentals must be longer than 30 days.

How many units a lot can have

A single-family lot may have up to two detached ADUs, one attached ADU and one JADU, with no more than four ADUs and JADUs on any lot.

A lot with a proposed multifamily building may have up to two detached ADUs, while a lot with an existing multifamily building may have up to four detached ADUs not exceeding the number of existing units, plus attached ADUs or conversions of non-livable space up to 25 percent of the existing units, with a minimum of one.

The ordinance also addresses SB 9 lot splits and caps the combined units on the two parcels at four.

Fees and review time

The city must decide whether an ADU or JADU application is complete within 15 business days. If it takes no action on a completed application within 60 days, the application is deemed approved, except when the ADU application is for a lot where a new home is also being built.

A denial must list the deficiencies in writing within the same 60 days.

For fees, no impact fee applies to an ADU or JADU under 750 square feet, ADUs and JADUs of 500 square feet or less are exempt from school fees, and larger units pay fees in proportion to the main home’s size.

An ADU is generally not treated as a new residential use for water and sewer connection fees unless built with a new home, and a JADU is not.

Process and plan check

The city’s ADU plan check guide tells applicants to contact Planning about the development standards for their lot, including setbacks, height, lot coverage and unit size, before submitting plans to Building and Safety. In practice you confirm the zone and standards with Planning, prepare plans, then follow the building permit steps in our Hemet building permits guide.

State ADU law and Hemet

California’s ADU statute, Government Code section 66314 and following, sets a floor that every city must follow, and local ordinances fill in the details.

The state requires ministerial review within 60 days of a complete application, bars a city from requiring more than a limited set of standards, and generally allows an ADU or conversion inside existing space without added setbacks.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) publishes a handbook and keeps a list of the state requirements. Because state law changes often, treat the city’s current ordinance and handout as the final word on size, height, parking and fees for your lot.

ADUs, garage conversions and selling a Hemet house

Many older homes have a converted garage or a backyard unit built without permits. Buyers and lenders ask about them, and California sellers generally disclose known unpermitted work. Our guide to selling as-is with unpermitted work explains the rules, and our Prop 13 guide explains how new construction can affect property tax. Before you list:

• Check city records for permits on any ADU, conversion or addition.
• Ask Planning whether the structure could qualify under current rules.
• Estimate plans, fees and corrections needed to legalize it.
• Compare that with selling as-is and letting a cash buyer take on the legalization.

Questions to ask Planning before you design

• Does my lot and zone allow an ADU, a junior ADU, or both?
• Is a pre-approved or pre-reviewed ADU plan available?
• What are the current impact, utility and school fees for the size I am considering?
• Can my existing garage or accessory structure be converted without changing its footprint?
• Are there fire, slope, easement or utility constraints on my lot?

Junior ADUs and garage conversions in more detail

State law treats a junior ADU as a unit of up to 500 square feet created inside the walls of an existing or proposed single-family home, with an efficiency kitchen and a recorded restriction that keeps it from being sold apart from the house.

A garage conversion is a different path: the unit replaces the garage, and state law generally does not require the city to demand replacement parking. Both are common sources of unpermitted space in older Hemet neighborhoods, which is why buyers’ agents and appraisers ask for the permit record.

If a conversion was done without a permit, the usual fix is to submit as-built drawings, pay the fees and pass inspection, which can take months and cost real money.

Fees, utilities and property tax

State law limits the impact fees a city can charge on smaller ADUs and on conversions of existing space, and it limits when a separate utility connection can be required.

Larger new units can still carry impact fees, school fees and water or sewer connection charges, so ask for an itemized estimate before you commit to plans. New construction is generally reassessed for property tax under Prop 13, which means an ADU can raise the bill for the whole property. Our Prop 13 guide explains how reassessment works.

Why ADUs matter for resale

A permitted ADU can add rental income and appeal for some buyers, but an unpermitted one can complicate financing and appraisal. Lenders typically want permitted living area, and an appraiser may not count unpermitted space.

Because an ADU generally cannot be sold separately from the main home, its value comes through the sale of the whole property.

If you inherited a house with an old backyard unit, or bought one with a converted garage, check what the city has on file before you decide how to sell. Our probate home sale guide covers inherited property.

How to sell a house in Hemet

1. Ask the city for the permit record on any ADU or conversion.
2. Collect plans, inspection records and any city notices.
3. Request a no-obligation cash offer for the house as it stands.
4. Choose your closing date.
5. Close with no repairs, legalization or showings required.

See also our Hemet page, the Hemet cash offer process, selling a Hemet house as-is, selling an inherited Hemet house and the Riverside County hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum ADU size in Hemet?

Ordinance 2072 lists up to 850 square feet for a studio or one-bedroom ADU and up to 1,000 square feet for two or more bedrooms. A JADU is limited to 500 square feet.

What setbacks apply to a Hemet ADU?

Side, street-side and rear setbacks are 4 feet unless you convert an existing structure that already has less.

Does Hemet require parking for an ADU?

Generally no. The ordinance allows one space per ADU or bedroom for some detached ADUs but lists many exceptions, including near transit and for conversions.

Can I rent my Hemet ADU short term?

No. The ordinance prohibits short-term rentals, and rentals must be longer than 30 days.

How long does Hemet have to approve an ADU?

The city must decide completeness within 15 business days, and a completed application is deemed approved if the city does not act within 60 days, subject to the exception for new homes.

Can I sell my Hemet house with an unpermitted ADU or garage conversion?

Yes. You can disclose it and sell as-is, including to a cash buyer. Our statewide guide explains the disclosure rules.

More guides

• We Buy Houses in Hemet
• We Buy Houses in Riverside County
• Riverside County Property Tax Guide
• Hemet Building Permits Guide
• Hemet Code Enforcement Guide
• All California Guides

Sources

• City of Hemet: Ordinance No. 2072 (accessory dwelling units)
• City of Hemet: Accessory Dwelling Unit Plan Check Guide
• California HCD: Accessory Dwelling Unit Handbook (March 2026)
• City of Hemet: Building and Safety

This guide is general information from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm current rules, fees and hours with the city.