Within the City of San Diego, an ADU may be subdivided into a condominium and sold or conveyed separately from the primary residence when the municipal and subdivision requirements are met. Permission to build an ADU does not itself complete this separate-conveyance process. City Information Bulletin 400 describes the main steps and limits; the process is different from unincorporated San Diego County.
Confirm the condominium and recordation requirements
The City bulletin requires the condominium development to comply with applicable zoning and subdivision rules. Before the condominium plan is recorded, permitted work must have final approval of its inspections. For a pre-existing ADU, the bulletin calls for a housing-quality-standards report from a HUD-certified building inspector. The applicant must notify utility providers, and written consent from each lienholder is required before the subdivision map or condominium plan is recorded.
The City also requires a primary-residence marketing period. For at least 30 days after the ADU is first listed, the owner must offer it through at least two publicly accessible real-estate websites or databases and disclose that it is being offered to buyers who intend to use it as their primary residence. A covenant must be recorded before the subdivision mapping process is complete to secure this requirement.
Check affordability and assistance restrictions
An ADU that received San Diego Housing Commission assistance or is rent-restricted by law or an affordability covenant cannot be separately conveyed during the applicable deed-restriction or covenant term. The City’s bulletin describes the restriction but does not determine the duration or release conditions in a particular program agreement or recorded instrument. Review the actual documents before planning a transfer.
Use the current City bulletin, applicable code and subdivision requirements, title, lienholder consents, inspection records, utility notices, and covenant forms to confirm the route for the parcel. The City’s process does not establish that a particular map will be approved or recorded, settle tax or lender treatment, or replace title review. The unincorporated County guide addresses a separate jurisdiction and process.