Long Beach | Zoning Districts

Long Beach Zoning Districts: R-1 to R-4, Title 22 MFR Zones and What Each Allows

A zoning district is the label the City puts on each lot to say what may be built there. Long Beach keeps two zoning codes side by side in its Municipal Code: Title 21, the Zoning Regulations that cover most of the city, and Title 22, a newer code used in areas the City has rezoned. This page explains the residential districts in both, and how many homes each one allows on a lot. It was read in Supplement 52 of the code, which includes ordinances adopted through August 18, 2026.

How the Two Zoning Codes Fit Together

Title 21 is the base code. Section 21.31.020 says "Twenty (20) residential zoning districts are established by this Chapter," and each district name follows a pattern. The number after the R gives the type of building the district is built around: 1 for single-family homes, 2 for two-family homes, 3 for small apartment buildings and 4 for larger multi-family buildings. The letter after it gives the lot pattern, such as S for small lots, N for standard lots, L for large lots, T for townhouses and H for high-rise.

Title 22 is titled the "Transitional Zoning Code: Zone in Specified Areas." It was added by Ordinance ORD-24-0015 in 2024 and applies only where the City Council has moved a lot into one of its zones. Section 22.12.040 sets up four families of zones: mixed-use zones (RMU3, RMU4, MU-1, MU-2, MU-M and MU-3), commercial zones (C3 and C-M), multi-family zones (MFR-L and MFR-M) and neo-industrial zones (NI-1 and NI-2). Zones with an "-A" ending, such as MU-2-A, add special use incentives from Chapter 22.25.

The City calls its rezoning program Zone In, "a systematic rezoning and municipal Zoning Code update initiative." Each Zone In area moves corridor lots from Title 21 districts into Title 22 zones. The City's page says the Council adopted the West Long Beach rezoning at its May 2, 2023 meeting, and that the Council "formally adopted the amendment and map" on June 9, 2026. The Council minutes give a different date: June 9 was the first reading, and the ordinances were adopted on second reading on June 16, 2026. The minutes are the official record, so June 16 is the adoption date. The two ordinances are ORD-26-0018, which created the Mixed-Use Main Street (MU-M) and Commercial Main Street (C-M) zones, and ORD-26-0019, which rezoned "select properties on major corridors in the Greater Bixby Knolls Area to Title 22 Zones."

So the first step for any lot is to find which code applies. The City's Zoning and Land Use Map shows the district. If it reads R-1-N or R-3-4, Title 21 applies. If it reads MFR-M or MU-2, Title 22 applies, and Title 22 sends you back to Title 21 for anything it does not cover.

The R-1 to R-3 Districts: Homes per Lot

For the lower density districts, Table 31-2A gives a fixed number of units per lot. A unit is one home with its own kitchen and bathroom. The table also gives the lot area per unit, which is the land each home needs, and the minimum lot size and width for a new lot.

Source: Long Beach Municipal Code Table 31-2A and Section 21.31.020, Supplement 52. Lot size and width apply only to new subdivisions (note c).

Section 21.31.020 describes each district in a sentence or two. R-1-S "is a single-family residential district with small lots" and "is only appropriate in high open space amenity areas such as the Coastal Zone." R-1-N is the standard single-family district, "established to protect such areas from overcrowding and conversion to higher densities." R-2-A "restricts one (1) unit to a small accessory unit," and note (n) to Table 31-2A limits that unit to "not more than 800 square feet or 12 percent of lot area, whichever is greater." R-2-I allows more building on each lot and is meant "only in areas within immediate proximity to public open space." R-3-S is the three-family district and R-3-4 the four-family district.

Two rules in Section 21.31.205 change the count on many existing lots. First, "Fractional numbers of units shall not be counted," though "at least one (1) unit shall be allowed on any legal or certified lot." Second, the narrow lot rule: "Any lot which is twenty-five feet (25′) or less in width, or has a lot area of two thousand four hundred (2,400) square feet or less (except in the R-2-I and R-2-S Zones) shall be permitted to contain only one (1) single-family residence." A 25-foot lot in R-2-N therefore holds one house under the zoning table, even though the district is a two-family district.

The section adds a hard limit: "The number of units shall not be subject to the standard variance provisions contained in this Title." A variance is a permit that lets an owner depart from a zoning standard because of a hardship on the lot. In Long Beach it cannot be used to add a home.

The R-3-T and R-4 Districts: Density by Lot Size

For R-3-T and the four R-4 districts, Table 31-2A points to "See Table 31-2B." Table 31-2B reads two numbers for each site, its area and its width, and the code explains: "If the site width and area are in ranges located in different rows, then the higher of the two (2) densities is allowed." Density here means the land each home needs, so a smaller number of square feet per unit means more homes.

Source: Long Beach Municipal Code Table 31-2B, Residential Densities for Multi-family Districts.

A worked example by VanPlex: a 6,000 square foot R-4-N lot that is 50 feet wide falls in the middle row by both measures, so it gets one unit per 1,500 square feet. 6,000 divided by 1,500 is 4, so the table allows 4 homes. On a 5,000 square foot lot the same math gives 3.33, and Section 21.31.205 drops the fraction, so the lot holds 3. The count uses net lot area, which the code defines as "the existing lot area minus any dedications for public right-of-way."

R-4-H adds a height incentive for wide sites. Table 31-3A sets 140 homes per acre on lots 181 to 250 feet wide, rising to 250 per acre on lots of 376 feet or more, with a minimum height of 8 to 20 stories. Section 21.31.220 says "Both the minimum lot width and the minimum height must be achieved before the density is allowed to exceed the R-4-N density." That rule applies to tall buildings on wide sites.

Which Building Types Each District Lists

Table 31-1 lists the uses allowed in each district with letters: "Y = Yes (permitted use). N = Not permitted. C = Conditional use permit required." A conditional use permit is a permit decided at a public hearing, with conditions the City can attach. The housing rows read as follows.

Source: Long Beach Municipal Code Table 31-1, Uses in Residential Zones, as published in Supplement 52.

The code defines each type. A "Duplex" is "a building containing two (2) dwelling units," a "Triplex" "a building containing three (3) dwelling units," and a "Fourplex" "a building containing four (4) dwelling units." A "Multiple-family dwelling" is a building "designed for or occupied by three (3) or more families living independently of each other." A "Townhouse" is "a dwelling unit with one (1) or two (2) common walls, and which has direct exterior access, private yards and no common floors or ceilings with other units."

The use table and the unit count do not always agree. As published, Table 31-1 marks a duplex "Y" in R-1-T, a three-family dwelling "Y" in R-2-A and a four-family dwelling "Y" in R-3-S, while Table 31-2A allows 1, 2 and 3 units per lot in those districts. Section 21.31.205 says "Table 31-2 indicates the maximum number of units permitted by each residential district," so the unit count in Table 31-2A is the number that limits the homes on the lot. Ask the Planning Bureau before you design around one of those three table entries.

Table 31-1 also lists two kinds of accessory dwelling unit (ADU), a "Limited accessory dwelling unit" in the R-1 districts and a "Conforming accessory dwelling unit" in most R districts, both pointing to Section 21.51.276. The City's ADU page says "Long Beach Municipal Code 21.51.276 no longer applies," and that the City applies state ADU law until it adopts a new ordinance. The ADU and SB 9 page explains what that means for each lot type.

The Title 22 Multi-Family Zones: MFR-L and MFR-M

Section 22.12.040 says the MFR-L zones "allow for a variety of lower-density residential configurations," and the MFR-M zones "encourage moderate density infill development." Neither zone has a homes-per-lot number. Section 22.40.010 says density "is not designated by any single standard but is calculated based on meeting the development standards," including "building height, setbacks, parking, open space." The number of homes is whatever fits inside those limits. Residential floor area is also exempt from the floor area ratio, which in these zones caps only the non-residential space (0.5 in MFR-L and 0.75 in MFR-M).

The Title 22 use table shapes the building type. In both MFR zones a multi-family project "shall be limited to attached configurations (rowhomes, townhomes) and detached courtyard style multifamily development such as bungalows." A detached single-family home is listed as "N," and the note says such homes "are prohibited unless developed to a minimum density threshold of 30 dwelling units per acre." ADUs are listed "Y" in both zones.

The minimum lot width is 25 feet in MFR-L and 50 feet in MFR-M (55 feet on a corner), and Site Plan Review, the City's design review by a staff committee, applies to projects of ten or more units. Setbacks, open space and parking for these zones are on the parking, setbacks and height page.

Older District Names and Changes Over Time

Long Beach renamed two districts in the early 1990s. Section 21.31.040 says "The R-3-3 district is reclassified to become the R-3-S district" and "The R-3-L district is reclassified to become the R-4-R district." Any older map, deed or permit that uses those names is read as R-3-S or R-4-R.

The City also cannot quietly lower what a lot allows. Chapter 21.11, the No Net Loss chapter, carries out the state Housing Crisis Act of 2019 and bars any change that would reduce a lot's zoning "below what was allowed for the parcel or parcels and in effect as of January 1, 2018." The chapter lists height, density, floor area ratio, open space, lot size, setbacks, frontage and lot coverage as standards that count. The same chapter requires demolished rental homes to be replaced, as explained on the three or more homes page.

How State Law Sits on Top

Long Beach is a charter city, a city that runs under its own charter. Charter Section 109 gives it "the power to make and enforce all laws and regulations with respect to municipal affairs, subject only to such restrictions and limitations as may be provided in this Charter and in the Constitution of the State of California." The City still applies the state housing laws that reach single-family lots:

• SB 9 (2021). A second main home, or a split into two lots, on an R-1 lot. Chapter 20.18 of the code implements the lot split, and the City's checklist limits both to lots "located entirely within a Single-Family (R-1) Zoning District." See the SB 9 page.
• ADU law. The City reviews every ADU and junior ADU under state law alone. See the California ADU law page.
• SB 79. Long Beach is in Los Angeles County, one of the seven counties where HCD says SB 79 took effect on July 1, 2026. The City's SB 79 form names the LA Metro A Line stations as the qualifying stops. See the SB 79 page.
• SB 684 and SB 1123. Small-lot subdivisions of up to 10 lots on multi-family lots and on vacant single-family lots. No chapter of Title 20 read for this guide implements them, so the state statute applies directly. See the SB 684 page.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the Long Beach overview, the duplex to fourplex guide and the lot eligibility checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)