Sebastopol became the first city in Sonoma County to adopt an ordinance allowing accessory dwelling units to be sold as separate homes, approving the measure on a 4-1 vote Wednesday night, city officials said. 

The ordinance implements AB 1033, a new California law that permits ADUs to be sold independently as condominiums, a press release issued Thursday noted. 

Supporters said the policy could expand attainable, for-sale housing options by allowing smaller homes, often built on existing residential lots, to enter the ownership market. 

City officials said the change builds on Sebastopol’s state-approved housing plan, which calls for 213 new housing units between 2023 and 2031, including 60 ADUs and junior ADUs.  

With the new ordinance, some of those units, as well as ADUs built previously, could be sold to first-time buyers or residents looking to downsize. 

Sebastopol joins San Jose, which adopted a similar policy in 2025 and recently completed the state’s first legal sale of an ADU.