Rent it out
Rent out your ADU
in Sacramento — without becoming a landlord.
Upside builds your ADU; a vetted partner runs it. We're a pure ADU builder, not a property manager — so when your unit is move-in ready, we hand you off to a trusted Sacramento-area property manager who leases, screens, and maintains it. You collect rent; they handle the work.
Want the rent comps and payback math first? See ADU rental income & ROI in Sacramento →
After you build
How renting your ADU actually works
To rent out your ADU in Sacramento, Upside builds and permits the unit, then hands you off to a vetted property-management partner who lists it, screens tenants, signs a California-compliant lease, and collects the rent. Upside stays your builder — never your landlord or manager. The referral is free, optional, and a separate company runs the rental.
We build it
Design, permits, and turnkey construction with a $1,000 down payment and inspection-tied milestone draws.
We hand it off
At final inspection we introduce you to a reputable Sacramento-area property manager — your call whether to hire them.
They run it
The manager leases, screens, maintains, and accounts. You get a monthly deposit and your time back.
Why owners rent
A backyard unit that pays you back
Most Sacramento homeowners build an ADU for the income. A legal second unit on your existing lot rents in a tight market, adds resale value, and turns unused backyard into a monthly deposit — without buying another property.
- Sacramento-area ADU rents typically run ~$1,000–$2,800/mo by size and finish
- Income on a lot you already own — no second down payment
- A legal, permitted unit adds documented resale value
- Units under 750 sq ft are exempt from impact fees, improving the return
- Steady rental demand across the greater Sacramento region
- Flexible — rent it now, house family later, or both over time
The numbers live elsewhere
Rent comps & ROI math
We keep this page a clean builder-to-manager handoff, so the per-neighborhood rent comps, payback periods, and full return-on-investment math live in one place — the ROI guide.
For owners
Our vetted PM partner
When your ADU is finished, we introduce you to a property-management company we've vetted for the Sacramento region. We screen for an active brokerage or PM license, real local ADU and small-multifamily experience, transparent fees, and references we've actually checked.
They are a separate company. You hire and pay them directly under their own agreement. Upside is your builder — we make the introduction so you aren't handing your new asset to a stranger off a search result.
- Licensed, insured, and locally established
- Real experience leasing ADUs and small units
- Fees disclosed up front — no surprise charges
For property managers
Partner with Upside
We build ADUs across Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and Yolo counties and regularly hand owners who want hands-off rental income to a local manager. If you run a reputable, licensed property-management company in the region, let's talk about a two-way referral partnership.
- Steady stream of brand-new, rent-ready units
- Owners pre-educated on rent & ROI before you meet
- Send qualified build leads back our way
The manager's scope
Everything after the keys
Once you've hired a manager, this is the work that leaves your plate. Upside doesn't perform any of it — the partner owns the full operating relationship with your tenant.
Marketing & leasing
Professional photos, a syndicated listing, showings, and a qualified tenant signed — usually inside a few weeks of your unit passing final inspection.
Tenant screening
Credit, income, eviction history, and rental references checked against fair-housing rules before anyone gets a key.
Rent & accounting
Rent collection, late-fee enforcement, monthly owner statements, and direct deposit — plus year-end docs for your accountant.
Maintenance & turns
A vetted vendor network handles repairs, emergencies, and move-out turns so the 2 a.m. call goes to them, not you.
Lease & compliance
California-compliant leases, legally correct notices, deposit handling, and the AB/SB rule changes that trip up DIY landlords.
Renewals & vacancy
Market-rate renewals and fast re-leasing to keep your ADU occupied — every vacant month is a month of lost rent.
Upside ADU does not provide property-management services and is not paid to recommend any specific manager unless that compensation is disclosed to you in writing. Referrals are offered purely as a convenience — you hire, pay, and contract with the manager directly.
The part we own
Build-to-rent, done right
A unit rents better and turns over faster when it's designed for it. That's the builder's job, and we make these calls during design — long before a property manager ever walks in.
Private, separate entry
A street- or side-yard-facing door so a tenant never walks past your back patio. Privacy is the #1 thing renters and owners both ask for.
Independent utilities
Sub-metered or separately metered power and water where the jurisdiction allows, so you bill the tenant instead of eating their usage.
Durable, rent-ready finishes
LVP flooring, quartz, and semi-gloss paint that survive turnovers — not finishes that need a refresh after every tenant.
Right-sized for the rent
We size the unit to the rent it can actually command in your submarket. The ROI guide has the rent math; we build to hit it.
In-unit laundry
A stacked washer/dryer hookup is one of the highest-return rentability upgrades you can spec into a small ADU.
Sound & fire separation
Proper assemblies between the ADU and your home keep both households comfortable and keep you code-compliant.
Building it well is step one. See exactly how we build and what it costs on how it works and pricing, or read more about who we are on about Upside.
Renting out your Sacramento ADU — FAQs
No. Upside is a pure ADU builder — we design, permit, and build your unit, then hand you off to a vetted Sacramento-area property manager. The manager is a separate company you hire directly; we make the introduction as a free convenience, not as the landlord of record.
Once your ADU passes final inspection and gets its certificate of occupancy, it can be legally rented. Most Sacramento owners either self-manage or hand the unit to a property manager who lists it, screens tenants, signs a California-compliant lease, and collects rent — so you earn income without doing the day-to-day work.
Never. The referral is optional. Plenty of owners self-manage a single backyard ADU successfully, and you're free to hire any manager you like. We offer the introduction because we'd rather point you to someone reputable than watch you gamble on a stranger online.
Most local single-family and ADU managers charge roughly 8–10% of monthly rent, plus a one-time leasing fee (often a half to a full month's rent) to place the first tenant. Exact pricing is set by the manager, not by Upside — get their fee schedule in writing before you sign.
Sacramento ADU rents generally run about $1,000 to $2,800 per month depending on size, finish, and neighborhood. We keep the detailed rent comps and payback math on the rental income & ROI guide so this page stays a clean builder-to-manager handoff — see that guide for the numbers.
Yes — that's the part we own. We build for rentability with a private entrance, separate or sub-metered utilities, durable finishes, and in-unit laundry, and we size the unit to the rent it can realistically command. Those choices are decided during design, long before a manager is ever involved.
Let's build the ADU first
Get a transparent, all-in quote and a free feasibility check for your lot — renting it out is the easy part, and we'll point you to a manager when you're ready.