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Council reinstates ADU compliance program and removes sunset date to allow continued legalization of pre‑2021 units
Summary
Council voted to reinstate the city’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) compliance/legalization program and to remove the program’s sunset date so eligible pre‑2021 units can continue to seek legalization under safety-focused criteria.
The Ojai City Council voted on Aug. 26 to reinstate the ADU compliance program (also known as the legalization or “amnesty” program for existing second units) and to remove the program’s previously scheduled sunset date.
Nut graf: The compliance program provides a path for existing unpermitted ADUs or second units built before Jan. 1, 2021, to be brought up to safety and habitability standards and legalized without requiring full reconstruction or punitive enforcement. Staff told the council the program remains in use, and that the city already reports legalized units annually to the state as part of housing-element reporting.
Staff said the program was created in 2013, has been periodically reviewed and remained active as a practical tool to address long-standing unpermitted units. Council voted to make the program ongoing rather than time-limited; staff will include compliance-program status in the annual housing reports submitted to the state.
Ending: The decision keeps an established legalization pathway open for qualifying units; council members said they will monitor the annual counts and revisit the program if needed.
