Learn about SB 9 zoning requirements in Los Angeles.

Intro

You’ve probably heard a lot about Senate Bill 9 and its potential to help end California’s housing crisis by allowing homeowners to split their lot and build a second single family home or duplex on each parcel. The first step to utilizing SB 9 is making sure your property qualifies. And in order to qualify, it will need to be zoned properly.

In the following guide, we’ll explore all of the zoning requirements that can impact a site’s SB 9 eligibility in the City of Los Angeles.

Use Homestead’s free SB 9 eligibility search tool to see if your property qualifies!

Quick Guide to LA’s Eligible SB 9 Zones

Eligible: A1, A2, RA, RE, RS, R1, RU, RZ, RW1

Ineligible: OS, R2, RD, RMP, RW2, R3, RAS3, R4, RAS4, R5, P, PB, CR, C1, C1.5, C2, C4, C5, CM, MR1, M1, MR2, M2, M3, PF, SL, Wetlands, floodplains/floodways, hazardous waste sites, conservation areas, habitat areas for certain species, sites with certain historic designations

Possibly eligible: Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, earthquake fault zone, coastal zone

Which zones qualify for SB 9 in Los Angeles?

As per state law, Senate Bill 9 is only applicable to properties located within single-family residential zones. In the City of Los Angeles, these zones are A1, A2, RA, RE, RS, R1, RU, RZ, and RW. If your home is zoned differently, it does not qualify for SB 9.

What are the exceptions?

Even if your parcel is located within one of the above eligible zones, it can be excluded from eligibility if it’s located within wetlands, floodplains or floodways, or a hazardous waste site. It can also be exempt if it’s in a conservation area or a habitat area for certain protected species.

Properties within certain historic designations are also ineligible for development under Senate Bill 9. These historic designations include properties listed in the State Historic Resources Inventory, designated Historic Cultural Monument (HCM), or within the Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ).

Your property may be eligible if located within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, earthquake fault zone, or coastal zone. In order to qualify, SB 9 projects will need to meet certain safety and environmental criteria. Click the links above to learn more about SB 9 development in each of these special zones.

Which zones are ineligible for SB 9?

Properties that are zoned for any other use other than single-family residential are ineligible for development under Senate Bill 9. Ineligible zones include OS, R2, RD, RMP, RW2, R3, RAS3, R4, RAS4, R5, P, PB, CR, C1, C1.5, C2, C4, C5, CM, MR1, M1, MR2, M2, M3, PF, and SL.

How can I find my property’s zone?

To quickly determine how your Los Angeles property is zoned, search your street address or AIN (Assessor's Identification Number) in LA’s Zone Information and Map Access System (ZIMAS). With information provided by the City Planning Department, the search results will indicate under the “Planning and Zoning” tab. You can also access a SB 9 Eligibility Criteria Checklist tailored specifically to your property that will tell you whether or not your property is eligible.

Learn more about SB 9 in Los Angeles

To learn more, read our blog post about SB 9 in LA for a full breakdown of the city’s memorandum.

Check out Homestead’s SB 9 City Guide for Los Angeles to learn more about what and where you can build with SB 9 in LA. You can also read SB9-related news featuring the city and compare LA’s guidelines to those of other cities in Los Angeles County.

Conclusion

Now you know the various ways that zoning can impact SB 9 eligibility in Los Angeles. While zoning is the first hurdle in determining your property’s eligibility, it’s certainly not the last. You’ll also need to consider other factors, like the size and shape of your lot and the size and position of the existing house.

For more information, read our blog post on how to evaluate a property for SB 9 development. It’s written for people looking to buy property, but the evaluation process can be applied to the property you already own.

If you think your property qualifies for SB 9 and you want to take the next steps, contact Homestead to learn more about the development options that may be available. And be sure to follow our SB 9 News Twitter account for up-to-date information on implementation and development in Los Angeles and across the state.