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  • San Diego Passes New Rules for ADUs: What Property Owners Need to Know

    San Diego Passes New Rules for ADUs: What Property Owners Need to Know

    San Diego Passes New Rules for ADUs: What Property Owners Need to Know

    In a significant move that could reshape housing development in the city, the San Diego City Council has passed sweeping amendments to how Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are regulated. With a narrow 5–4 vote, the council approved changes designed to balance the city’s housing needs with the goal of preserving neighborhood character.

    If you’re a homeowner, real estate investor, or landlord in the city of San Diego, these updates could directly affect how and where you build—and manage—ADUs. At Uplift Property Management, we’re here to break down what the new rules mean and how they might impact your property plans.

    What’s Changing in San Diego’s ADU Policy?

    The new amendments to San Diego’s municipal code come at a time when ADUs are increasingly seen as a solution to the region’s housing shortage. However, concerns about overdevelopment in residential areas have prompted the city to add more structure to its existing ADU incentives.

    These are the key changes property owners should know about:

    1. Limits on Number of Units per Lot

    Previously, property owners could build multiple ADUs on one lot under various incentive programs. Now, the maximum number of ADUs will depend on lot size:

    • Small lots will be limited to a total of four units
    • Large lots might contain up to six units

    This is an important shift that is meant to prevent high-density development from turning single-family neighborhoods into congested neighborhoods.

    2. Infrastructure and Development Fees

    Infrastructure fees shall be paid by developers when building ADUs. The fees are used in financing public facilities like sewer, water, and road infrastructure required to support denser housing.

    3. More Restrictive Parking Requirements

    If your ADU is not located near public transit, you’ll now need to provide off-street parking. This rule addresses concerns about increased congestion and limited street parking in residential areas.

    4. New Size and Height Restrictions

    • ADUs can be no more than two stories tall
    • The maximum size is capped at 1,200 square feet

    These restrictions are meant to preserve neighborhood scale and aesthetics, especially in communities where lot sizes are smaller or view corridors are a concern.

    5. Enhanced Fire Safety Requirements

    If your property is in a fire hazard severity zone, you’ll need to meet stricter safety regulations for ADU construction. This includes fire-resistant materials, increased setbacks, and possibly additional clearance or access requirements.

    What’s Not Changing?

    Importantly, the city did not restrict the ability to rent or sell ADUs separately from the main home. This leaves a door open for investors and homeowners interested in maximizing the value and income potential of their properties.

    When Will These Rules Take Effect?

    Another vote from the city council is expected within the coming months. If the amendments pass again, the new ADU regulations could take effect as soon as August 2025.

    Uplift’s Take: What It Means to You

    At Uplift Property Management, we experience that being one step ahead of local policy changes is the secret to shrewd, compliant, and lucrative real estate investment. These fresh ADU regulations may affect your planning if you’re:

    • Considering building an ADU in 2025 or later
    • Having a two-unit property on one lot
    • Desiring to boost rental income with a second unit

    Our team is still closely connected to local legislation and building code updates so we can help you modulate your plan without missing a beat. Whether you’re weighing the viability of your property, working through permits, or figuring out how these regulations influence your investment in the long term, we can help.

    Need Help Making Sense of the New ADU Rules?

    If you’re a homeowner or investor wondering what these changes mean for your property, contact Uplift today. We’ll review your situation and help you plan next steps—from feasibility to future tenant placement. Call us or visit upliftpm.com to schedule a consultation. Let’s turn policy changes into property opportunities—together.

    Claudina

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  • CA AB 2801: Changes Security Deposit Rules! What You Must Know!

    CA AB 2801: Changes Security Deposit Rules! What You Must Know!

    CA AB 2801: Changes Security Deposit Rules! What You Must Know!

    California’s rental laws are constantly evolving, and AB 2801 is the latest bill to impact how landlords and tenants handle security deposits. Whether you’re a renter looking to understand your rights or a property owner adjusting to new regulations, these changes could significantly affect the leasing process. Here’s what you need to know about AB 2801 and its impact on California’s rental market.

    Watch the video here!

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    Transcript

    Transcript Scroll Box

    Hey! There’s new security deposit laws in California here’s what you need to know!

    Welcome back inside Uplift Property Management I’m CEO Tommy Perfect and I am really excited to share with you a little bit about the new California law AB2801, it’s all changes to the security deposit uh handling and how we can do that as a landlord.

    So under our current existing regulations under California civil code you know we have our normal security deposit you know you go in you inspect the unit you see what’s wrong you can tell the tenant what damages are there we already have a little bit of provisions behind that but then what we do is you go and you just charge the security deposit for whatever repairs or damages there were and you send your invoices along with it. So that’s kind of where we go with these security deposits right now but AB2801 is really just switching that up a little bit and requiring a lot more evidence from you the landlord to prove the value of those charges to the tenant.

    The biggest hurdle that you’re going to see with this new law here in California is that you’re going to have to take a lot more photos now, we already take photos all the time move-in photos, move out photos all those things are great if you’re a good property manager a good landlord you’re already doing these things this really just codifies some of those requirements so one mandatory move-in inspections you can’t just leave it on your tenant anymore to do those inspections for you anymore you really have to go in and have your own date time stamped photos at move-in. Then of course at move out you’re going to take and document all of those issues that were there at the property all of those tenant caused damages a real show of the condition of the unit and now the third step the third round of photos now is that you’re going to have to take photos of the actual repairs completed and send those along with the itemized statement and invoices for that security deposit disposition for the tenant.

    Really important right now for property managers and landlords is this starts going into effect April 1st 2025 that’s just a few weeks away right now for all of your moveout photos and those third step those repair photos for your existing tenants so all of those moveouts that happen on or after April 1st 2025 you need to have those date timestamp photos at move out and of completed repairs the movein photo requirement will be established for all new tenencies as of July 1st 2025 so make sure you remember those dates and stay compliant.

    I know some of you guys are out there thinking “Oh every time that a tenant moves out you’re going to be able to charge for cleaning.” Well this really takes away that automatic cleaning fee that any landlord or property manager might have it really makes it specific that you can’t just say “Oh yeah no matter what you’re going to get charged for cleaning.” Now you and I both might know that the tenants never really leave it all the way clean so you can still charge a cleaning fee as long as you are actually returning the property to the initial status and condition when the tenant received it so if you had it professionally cleaned when they moved in you can then charge to make sure that it’s professionally cleaned when they moved out or the tenant has that opportunity to pay a professional cleaner to hit those initial conditions when they moved in.

    The days of automatically charging for carpet cleaning or automatically charging for cleaning the the house or apartment are long gone those are in the past and we got to move forward under these new regulations one of the lesserk known things that’s already part of California landlord tenant law is that the right to an initial inspection or we call it a pre moveout inspection this inspection happens 14 days prior to the tenant moving out now there are some really specific requirements when this happens and it is optional you as a landlord must offer it to the tenant but the tenant has the option to take you up on it if they do take you up on that initial or pre-moveout inspection there are some specific requirements that you need to follow as the landlord.

    First off you need to provide an itemized written statement of the potential damages that the tenant may be charged for now that kind of fits you into a box right? you have to get everything on that statement so that you can charge it or if they have personal belongings that are in the unit that are preventing you from being able to see the damage, then you can still charge for those or damages that occur in between that initial inspection and the move out date.

    This law changes a little bit when a unit is entirely empty if they’ve already vacated and they still want that pre-move out they still want to hold possession of the unit so they can make those repairs you have to get all of those things into that statement and give the tenant a chance to cure those damages before you’re able to charge their security deposit.

    In conclusion AB 281 big thing on photos three stages of photos move in move out after repair got to have it it’s required got to start doing that second, no more mandatory cleaning fees and then lastly, changes to those um initial inspections and giving that photo evidence to the tenant that documentation to the tenant to really prove the charge and prove the value that you actually had caused in damages so you got to make sure that we keep up on these laws and you know feel free to call Uplift if you have any questions regarding this and we’re happy to help you walk you through these security deposit questions and the pain points that happen.

    Conclusion

    AB 2801 is another step toward tenant-friendly rental policies in California. While it introduces new challenges for landlords, it also provides clarity and consistency in security deposit handling. Staying proactive and informed is key to navigating these changes successfully.

    At Uplift Property Management, we help landlords stay ahead of California’s evolving rental laws. If you need guidance on how AB 2801 will impact your rental property, contact us today—we’re here to help you adapt and thrive!

    Claudina

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