Learn about the current SB 9 guidelines in Long Beach.

Introduction

Senate Bill 9—the California state law that allows property owners in urbanized areas to split their lot and build additional primary units—was passed into law on January 1, 2022. While its adoption is mandatory for all jurisdictions, local governments may tailor their city’s implementation by issuing an ordinance on SB 9.

The City of Long Beach hasn’t yet adopted an ordinance on SB 9, but they have published SB 9 guidance and a project eligibility checklist to help applicants get the information they need.

The following post will elucidate Long Beach’s SB 9 guidelines and help you determine what and where you can build with SB 9 in LBC.

For helpful infographics and relevant news articles, check out Homestead’s SB 9 City Guide for Long Beach. You can also compare grades between cities in Los Angeles County to see how your city measures up.

Long Beach’s Guidance At-A-Glance

Zoning

• Eligible zones: R1
• Ineligible: Wetlands, hazardous waste sites, earthquake faults, flood areas, conservation land/protected species habitats, historic districts or properties
• Possibly eligible: Delineated earthquake fault zones, special flood hazard areas, regulatory floodways

Occupancy

• Residential use only
• No short-term rentals (minimum 30 days)
• 3-year owner occupancy required for lot splits

SB 9 prohibited on parcels containing the following:

• Current or former (within the last 3 years) rental housing
• Registered affordable housing
• Rent stabilized housing
• Eviction (within the past 15 years)

Allowable units

Lot split:

• Up to 2 units total per lot

No lot split:

• Up to 2 primary dwelling units plus 1 ADU and 1 JADU (up to 4 units total)

Development requirements

• Height and floor area ratio determined by zoning code
• 4’ minimum side and rear setbacks
• Objective zoning standards must be followed to the extent possible

To see if your property qualifies for Senate Bill 9, use our free search tool.

Details from Long Beach’s SB 9 Guidance

Continue reading to learn more about Senate Bill 9 in Long Beach. The information is categorized into zoning, occupancy, allowable units, and development requirements.

Zoning

SB 9 development is only allowed within single-family residential zones. Long Beach's only qualifying zone is R1. If your property is zoned different, you won’t be able to develop it with SB 9.

If you don’t know how your property is zoned, you can search your home address on the city’s Zoning and Land Use Lookup map.

To ensure environmental protection, certain sensitive areas are not eligible for SB 9 development. These include wetlands, hazardous waste sites, earthquake faults, flood areas, and conservation land/protected species habitats. Historic districts and properties are also ineligible, in order to preserve historically significant landmarks and architecture.

Properties located within Earthquake Fault Zones, special flood hazard areas, and regulatory floodways may be eligible, as long as certain conditions are met. Long Beach’s SB 9 guidance doesn’t mention (Very) High Fire Severity Zones, but most cities allow SB 9 development if special fire safety protocols are followed.

It’s important to note that SB 9 does not override the California Coastal Act, so all SB 9 developments within Coastal Zones must adhere to all state (California Coastal Commission) and local building guidelines.

Occupancy

In any jurisdiction, all SB 9 units must be reserved for residential use only. Short-term rentals are prohibited, so all rental or lease periods must be a minimum of 30 days.

Lot split applicants must declare their intent to live in one of the units as their primary residence for a minimum of three years following the subdivision.

In keeping with state law, demolition or significant alteration is prohibited on rental units (either currently rented or rented within the last three years). Demolition is not allowed on rent controlled or price stabilized units.

Properties with a history of tenant eviction (within the last fifteen years) are not eligible for SB 9 development.

Allowable Units

Senate Bill 9 lets homeowners build one duplex or two single-family homes on their property for a total of two primary residential units per lot. It also gives cities the option to prohibit ADUs on SB 9 projects that include both an urban lot split and a two-unit development.

Long Beach is adopting this limitation, but has decided to allow one accessory dwelling unit and one junior accessory dwelling unit for projects that don’t involve a lot split. As such, intact lots are allowed up to four units: two primary units, one ADU, and one JADU.

Development Requirements

For lot splits, qualifying parcels must be a minimum of 2,400 square feet prior to the split. Each resulting lot must be a at least 1,200 square feet and retain no less than 40% of the original parcel’s size.

Senate Bill 9 specifies that cities must allow 4’ minimum side and rear setbacks. In Long Beach, front and street-side setbacks must meet municipal code standards.

SB 9 projects must follow all applicable objective design standards in the Long Beach municipal code. These standards may not prevent two units of at least 800 square feet each. There are no special unit size and height requirements for SB 9 projects in Long Beach, so projects must comply with the underlying zoning standards.

The Future of Senate Bill 9 in Long Beach, California

For the time being, Long Beach is implementing state law as written, with aded allowances for ADUs. Along with Los Angeles, it tied for the highest SB 9 City Guide grade in the county. This is encouraging for homeowners looking to develop their property in Long Beach.

The city may adopt an ordinance in the future, and there’s a chance it could be more strict than these initial guidelines. But for the time being, Long Beach is placing few restrictions on the process. Hopefully this will lead to more naturally affordable units and help alleviate the state’s housing crisis.

Learn More with Homestead

Are you contemplating SB 9 development for your Long Beach property? Look up your address on Homestead’s SB 9 eligibility search tool to see if it’s eligible. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay in-the-know on all things SB 9 in LBC and beyond.