Short answer: across the 25 Southern California cities below, the federal rent benchmark for a one-bedroom unit — the size of most ADUs — runs from $1,705 a month in the Inland Empire to $3,710 in Irvine. Zillow’s asking-rent index puts typical asking rents between $1,971 and $3,604 a month in the same cities. Your ADU’s actual rent depends on its size, finish level, and ZIP code — but this page gives you the two numbers every landlord, lender, and appraiser in California starts from.
The two benchmarks on this page
HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) — the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s benchmark for a modest rental, utilities included, set at the 40th percentile of rents in each area. Housing authorities base Section 8 voucher payment standards on it, so it behaves like a conservative floor. The tables use HUD’s FY2027 figures, in effect October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) — Zillow’s measure of typical asking rents across all home types in each city, September 2026. It runs higher than HUD in most cities because it includes large single-family homes — a brand-new one-bedroom ADU usually rents between the HUD one-bedroom benchmark and this citywide figure.
ADU Rents in Los Angeles County
| City | Studio | 1-Bedroom | 2-Bedroom | 3-Bedroom | Typical Asking Rent (Zillow) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $2,290 | $2,550 | $3,150 | $4,000 | $2,772 |
| Long Beach | $2,370 | $2,640 | $3,260 | $4,140 | $2,412 |
| Pasadena | $2,800 | $3,130 | $3,860 | $4,900 | $3,010 |
| Glendale | $2,510 | $2,800 | $3,460 | $4,390 | $2,765 |
| Burbank | $2,230 | $2,490 | $3,070 | $3,890 | $2,752 |
| Torrance | $2,630 | $2,930 | $3,620 | $4,590 | $3,006 |
| Santa Monica | $3,020 | $3,370 | $4,160 | $5,280 | $3,516 |
HUD figures are ZIP-level Small Area FMRs for each city’s central ZIP (90012, 90802, 91101, 91203, 91502, 90503, 90401) — rents vary by ZIP inside the city.
ADU Rents in Orange County
| City | Studio | 1-Bedroom | 2-Bedroom | 3-Bedroom | Typical Asking Rent (Zillow) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | $2,420 | $2,480 | $2,920 | $3,960 | $2,755 |
| Santa Ana | $2,420 | $2,480 | $2,920 | $3,960 | $2,820 |
| Irvine | $3,660 | $3,710 | $4,340 | $5,900 | $3,604 |
| Huntington Beach | $2,710 | $2,740 | $3,210 | $4,360 | $3,105 |
| Fullerton | $2,560 | $2,590 | $3,030 | $4,120 | $2,888 |
| Costa Mesa | $2,600 | $2,630 | $3,080 | $4,180 | $3,121 |
| Orange | $2,420 | $2,480 | $2,920 | $3,960 | $3,037 |
HUD figures are ZIP-level Small Area FMRs for each city’s central ZIP (92801, 92701, 92618, 92648, 92831, 92627, 92866) — rents vary by ZIP inside the city.
ADU Rents in Riverside County
| City | Studio | 1-Bedroom | 2-Bedroom | 3-Bedroom | Typical Asking Rent (Zillow) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $2,427 |
| Corona | $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $2,661 |
| Moreno Valley | $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $2,412 |
HUD figures are the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metro Fair Market Rents — HUD publishes one set for the whole metro.
ADU Rents in San Bernardino County
| City | Studio | 1-Bedroom | 2-Bedroom | 3-Bedroom | Typical Asking Rent (Zillow) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino | $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $1,971 |
| Fontana | $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $3,191 |
| Ontario | $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $2,580 |
| Rancho Cucamonga | $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $2,786 |
HUD figures are the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metro Fair Market Rents — HUD publishes one set for the whole metro.
ADU Rents in San Diego County
| City | Studio | 1-Bedroom | 2-Bedroom | 3-Bedroom | Typical Asking Rent (Zillow) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | $2,192 | $2,335 | $2,823 | $3,743 | $3,004 |
| Chula Vista | $2,192 | $2,335 | $2,823 | $3,743 | $2,935 |
HUD figures are the San Diego–Carlsbad metro Fair Market Rents.
ADU Rents in Ventura County
| City | Studio | 1-Bedroom | 2-Bedroom | 3-Bedroom | Typical Asking Rent (Zillow) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard | $1,827 | $2,035 | $2,424 | $3,287 | $2,894 |
| Ventura | $1,827 | $2,035 | $2,424 | $3,287 | $2,898 |
HUD figures are the Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura metro Fair Market Rents.
Does the Rent Cover the Loan Payment?
Run the math on a common scenario: a $300,000 ADU loan at 7% for 30 years costs about $1,996 a month in principal and interest. Compare that to the one-bedroom HUD benchmark in the city you are looking at — $2,480 in Anaheim, $2,550 in Los Angeles, $2,335 in San Diego. In much of Southern California, a one-bedroom ADU renting at even the conservative federal benchmark covers a mid-size construction loan’s payment. Two-bedroom rents ($2,103 to $4,340 across these cities) cover more. That is the core of the rental-income case for building — and it is why lenders will count a share of projected ADU rent when you qualify. Our ADU rental income guide walks through the full math, including vacancy, insurance, and taxes.
How to Use These Numbers Honestly
- HUD FMR includes utilities. If your tenant pays their own utilities, the comparable contract rent is lower than the FMR. If you include utilities in the rent, it is directly comparable.
- Citywide numbers hide ZIP-level spread. In Los Angeles and Orange County, HUD publishes rents by ZIP code, and two neighborhoods in the same city can differ by hundreds of dollars a month. The tables use each city’s central ZIP.
- A new ADU is not an average rental. FMR is the 40th percentile of all rentals, including older stock. A newly built ADU with modern finishes commonly rents above the benchmark for its bedroom count — but never bank on top-of-market rent when you underwrite a loan.
- Rents reset every year. HUD publishes new FMRs each fall. LA County ZIP-level benchmarks jumped roughly 12–18% for FY2027; several coastal Orange County, San Diego, and Ventura benchmarks dipped 3–10%. We refresh this page when new figures land.
- Know your city’s rental rules. California ADUs must be rented for terms of 30 days or longer in most cases, and some cities layer on their own rules — see our guide to renting an ADU short-term.
Common Questions
How much can I rent my ADU for?
Start with the HUD benchmark for your city and bedroom count in the tables above, then adjust: add for new construction, a private yard, in-unit laundry, and included utilities; subtract if the tenant pays utilities separately. In most of our service area, a one-bedroom ADU lands between $1,700 and $3,700 a month.
Can I rent my ADU to a Section 8 voucher holder?
Yes — and the HUD figures on this page are essentially the starting point for what a housing authority will pay, because voucher payment standards are set from Fair Market Rents (typically 90–110% of FMR). A new ADU in good condition is exactly the kind of unit voucher programs are short on.
Will a lender count ADU rent before it is built?
Often, yes — several loan programs let you qualify using a percentage of projected ADU rental income, appraised from comparable rents. See our ADU financing guide for how the main programs treat it.
What does it cost to build the ADU that earns this rent?
Compare the rent to the build cost in our Southern California ADU cost guide — garage conversions start around $100,000, detached ADUs typically run $250,000 to $450,000.
Want the rent math run on your lot?
Free feasibility consult — what you can build, what it costs, and what it should rent for in your ZIP.
Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2027 Fair Market Rents and Small Area Fair Market Rents (effective October 1, 2026); Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), city-level, September 2026. Fair Market Rents are gross rents including utilities and are a benchmark, not a guaranteed rent for any specific property. Page last updated November 2026.
