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Ojai council adopts ordinance to allow movable tiny homes, sets annual cap of 20
Summary
After months of study and a May community workshop, the Ojai City Council adopted a standalone ordinance governing movable tiny homes, removing them from ADU rules, allowing several foundation/pad options, permitting composting toilets under conditions, and setting a 20-unit annual cap.
The Ojai City Council adopted an ordinance on first reading to regulate movable tiny homes in residential neighborhoods, carving those units out of the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules and establishing a one-year, 20-unit cap on permits.
Council action followed a multi-year pilot program, public workshops and two open houses in May where staff and developers took questions about siting, septic and alternative wastewater systems. Community Development Director Lucas Seibert presented the ordinance and described the history: the pilot began in 2021, lapsed in 2023, and was revived for a full code process earlier this year.
Supporters told the council the rules will create an additional form of small-scale housing on single-family lots. Opponents and several residents at the meeting pressed for clearer rules on wastewater disposal and enforcement if composting toilets are used. The council adopted language that keeps sewer connection and septic systems as options, allows composting toilets only with city approval and an approved waste-disposal plan, and prohibits on-site disposal.
Seibert outlined the ordinance's key provisions: tiny homes may be sited with several pad/foundation choices; on-site, site-built tiny homes are allowed; land leases are permitted; a separate permitting track untangles tiny-home approvals from ADU requirements; and the city will review the program after one year. He told the council the draft also removes a prior requirement that tiny homes be inspected under party ANSI standards, a provision developers and applicants found burdensome during the pilot.
The council's discussion emphasized public health and enforceability around toilets. Seibert said the ordinance specifically forbids septic connections and clarifies that "composting toilets require specific Community Development Director approval and implementation of a health and safety and waste disposal plan. On-site composting toilet waste disposal is prohibited." The council also directed staff to collect data at permit intake about whether the tiny-home site will be owner-occupied and to return with a one-year progress report comparing outcomes to the ordinance's objectives.
The measure passed on roll call with Mayor Gilman, Mayor Pro Tem Lang, Council Member Whitman and Council Member Meng voting yes; Council Member Ruhl abstained. The council's action sets a start point for the city's new tiny-home permitting process and requires staff to return with implementation details and the one-year review.
