Indio Planning Commission backs larger ADUs, with bonus space for affordable rentals

Indio property owners could build larger accessory dwelling units, and larger still if they rent them at affordable rates, under an ordinance update the Planning Commission approved Wednesday.

The changes would raise the maximum size of an ADU from 1,200 square feet to 1,300 square feet for market-rate units. Units rented at affordable rates would be allowed to reach 1,500 square feet.

To qualify for the extra space, owners would have to rent out the unit at an affordable rent to lower-income households for at least five years. The ordinance defines affordable rent as no more than 30% of a household’s gross income, and lower-income households are calculated based on Riverside County’s Area Median Income (AMI) and range from a family of four with an annual income of between $36,900 and $98,400.

The bonus would apply even if it pushes an attached ADU past the usual limit of 50% of the main home’s floor area, as long as the unit stays within 1,500 square feet.

Erika Kash, a consultant with Dudek who presented the update, told the commission, “The ordinance supports the creation of additional housing opportunities, including more affordable housing options and multi-generational living arrangements, helping to further address local housing needs.”

The incentive is the second of two programs the city committed to when it applied for the state’s Prohousing Designation. Indio applied in December 2024 and received the designation in 2025. Kash said the programs must be in place within two years of the application. With this one adopted, she said, “the designation will be secured.”

Most of the update brings Indio’s rules in line with current state law. The rewrite sorts the regulations into clearer categories, including conversions and detached units on single-family and multifamily lots, and makes design standards more objective.

Parking drew the most attention. State law exempts many ADUs from parking requirements.

“One of the criticisms of ADUs is people can convert [garages],” said Brian Halvorson, Indio’s director of community development. Even though adding parking after an ADU is in place is not required, Halvorson said the homeowner can choose to add parking in the front or side setbacks of the house.

Commissioner Michael Slater asked whether a dirt lot would qualify as parking. Halvorson clarified the spaces “would need to be paved.” He said materials such as decomposed granite “could be reviewed on a case by case basis” with the city’s engineering staff.

The ordinance now moves on to the City Council, which has final approval.

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