Cities | Los Angeles
Los Angeles Multiplex Rules 2026: SB 9 (2021), ADUs, CHIP and SB 79
Los Angeles uses the same state housing laws as every California city, and adds its own programs and fees on top. This page shows what the city adds: how it handles SB 9 (2021) two-home projects and lot splits, its pre-approved ADU plans, the CHIP incentive ordinances, the linkage fee, and the local SB 79 approach the City Council voted for in June 2026. An ADU, or accessory dwelling unit, is a second smaller home on a lot that keeps its main house.
Los Angeles in six facts
- Los Angeles processes SB 9 (2021) projects. Side and rear setbacks are 4 feet, and a lot created by an urban lot split may hold at most two homes of any kind, ADUs included. Source: LA City Planning, Senate Bill 9
- In Los Angeles, a two-home SB 9 permit goes to the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) for plan check, and an urban lot split is filed with City Planning. Source: LADBS, SB 9 page
- The Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) and two related housing ordinances were adopted February 7, 2025 and took effect February 11, 2025. Source: LA City Planning, housing element news
- Under the linkage fee schedule dated April 22, 2026, a residential project of 2 to 5 units pays $1.28 per square foot in the Low, Medium and Medium-High Market Areas and $23.20 in the High Market Area. Source: LA linkage fee schedule
- City Planning announced on June 25, 2026 that the City Council voted for a local SB 79 approach, including low-rise homes in all residential zones within a half mile of selected stations. Source: LA City Planning release, June 25, 2026
- The US Census Bureau estimates the population of the City of Los Angeles at 3,869,089 on July 1, 2025. Source: US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025
Start With State Law
Four state laws set the minimum that Los Angeles must allow. SB 9 (2021) allows two primary homes on a lot in a single-family zone, a split of that lot into two, or both. ADU law lets a single-family lot add a converted ADU, a junior ADU and a detached ADU. SB 684 and SB 1123 allow up to 10 lots with 10 homes on a multifamily-zoned lot or a vacant single-family lot of up to 1.5 acres. SB 79 allows buildings of five or more homes near qualifying rail and bus stops, and HCD lists Los Angeles County among the seven counties where it took effect July 1, 2026.
Los Angeles is a charter city, a city that runs under its own local charter. These laws still apply to it. ADU law covers every city "whether general law or chartered," and SB 79 says it "applies to all cities, including charter cities." The SB 9 lawsuit by five charter cities did not include Los Angeles; the five were Redondo Beach, Carson, Torrance, Whittier and Del Mar. The SB 9 page covers that case.
Three 2026 laws start on January 1, 2027 and will apply here too: AB 956 (two detached ADUs per single-family lot), AB 2601 (SB 9 homes and the lot split processed together) and AB 1751 (for-sale townhome projects). Until then, the rules below are the ones in force.
Los Angeles in Numbers
The US Census Bureau estimates 3,869,089 people in the City of Los Angeles on July 1, 2025. The California Department of Finance uses a different date and method. Its E-5 estimate for January 1, 2026 counts 3,806,201 people and 1,597,841 housing units. Of those units, 143,912 are in buildings of two to four units, the size range this hub covers.
Two more figures show how owners have used the state laws here. Los Angeles City Planning says more than 10,000 ADUs were created in Los Angeles in 2023. The Terner Center at UC Berkeley found that Los Angeles received 211 applications for new SB 9 units in 2022, the most of the 13 cities it surveyed.
Your Options in Los Angeles
| Option | Where it goes | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| SB 9 two-unit development | LADBS plan check | Up to 2 primary homes. Side and rear setbacks 4 ft; front setback follows the zone. One covered parking space per existing and new unit, or none near qualifying transit. |
| SB 9 urban lot split | City Planning | Split into 2 lots without meeting the zone's minimum lot size. At most 2 homes of any kind on each new lot, ADUs and junior ADUs included. |
| ADU from a pre-approved plan | LADBS, filed through ePlanLA | Buy a plan LADBS has already checked, adapt it to the site, submit. Plan check and permit fees are based on project valuation. |
| Low-Rise Incentive Area (SB 79 local approach) | Plan check, over the counter | All residential zones, single-family included, within a half mile of qualifying stations. Floor area bonuses per unit up to 10 or 16 units. Affordable units required. |
| SB 684 or SB 1123 small-lot subdivision | State law, applied by the city | Up to 10 lots and 10 homes on a multifamily-zoned lot, or on a vacant single-family lot up to 1.5 acres. |
Sources: LA City Planning, SB 9, LADBS, SB 9, LADBS Standard Plan Program, SB 79 ordinances fact sheet and Gov. Code 66499.41.
How Los Angeles Applies SB 9
Los Angeles City Planning keeps an SB 9 page that it says has been updated for SB 450 (2024) and AB 1061 (2025). It sets out the local version of the state rules. Front yard setbacks follow the underlying zone. Side and rear setbacks are 4 feet, which is the state maximum. "No setback is required for a legally existing structure," so a garage on the property line can become a home where the rest of the rules allow it.
Parking is the main local addition. The city requires "one covered parking space per existing and new unit, or no parking if a site meets the parking exemption criteria." The exemption covers lots within one-half mile of a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop. State law caps SB 9 parking at one space per unit, and Los Angeles asks for that one space to be covered.
For a lot split, City Planning says SB 9 lets you divide a single-family lot "without having to meet the minimum lot size required by the underlying zone." The state rules still apply: each new lot must be at least 1,200 square feet and at least 40 percent of the original. "A maximum of two dwelling units of any kind (including primary units and ADUs/JADUs) are permitted on a lot created through an Urban Lot Split." Questions go to [email protected].
The work is split between two offices. The Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) says two-unit development permits "may be submitted to LADBS for plan check and permitting." Plan check is the review of construction drawings against the building code. Urban lot split applications "may be filed with City Planning for review and processing." LADBS also points owners to an SB 9 Eligibility Checklist on ZIMAS, the city's online zoning map, which appears when you search the project address.
ADUs: The Standard Plan Program
State ADU law sets what Los Angeles must approve. The city adds a way to skip a full plan check of the drawings. Under the ADU Standard Plan Program, LADBS checks ADU plans drawn by private licensed architects and engineers before any owner uses them. LADBS describes them as "pre-approved, architectural and engineering plans designed to meet local building codes without the need for a full plan check."
You buy a plan from the person or firm that owns it, adapt it to your lot, and submit it through ePlanLA, the city's online permit system. "Once an owner chooses a pre-approved plan for permitting, building plan check and permit fees will be based on the total project valuation (total cost of construction)." LADBS also offers an optional plan review tool that uses artificial intelligence to check plans before submission.
State fee rules apply to every ADU in Los Angeles. An ADU of 750 square feet or less pays no impact fees, and school districts may charge only on ADUs larger than 500 square feet. The impact fees page explains both rules.
CHIP and ED 1
On February 7, 2025, the City Council adopted and Mayor Karen Bass signed three ordinances: the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) Ordinance, the Housing Element Sites and Minimum Density Ordinance, and the Resident Protections Ordinance. All three took effect February 11, 2025. CHIP holds three programs: the State Density Bonus Program, the Mixed Income Incentive Program (MIIP) and the Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP). The Resident Protections Ordinance sets 99-year affordability terms for deed-restricted units, which are homes legally reserved for lower-income households.
In the version of CHIP that City Planning presented to the City Planning Commission on September 26, 2024, "single family zones are not eligible" for MIIP. A single-family zone could use the State Density Bonus Program only where its land use allows at least five units, and AHIP only on faith-based or public agency sites. The 2026 SB 79 Low-Rise Ordinance, below, changes that near selected stations.
You may also see ED 1, Mayor Bass's Executive Directive 1, which speeds up projects that are 100 percent affordable housing and shelters. City Planning says ED 1 "has led to the approval of 15,700 units" as of its April 17, 2025 summary. ED 1 is for fully affordable projects, so an owner planning a market-rate duplex or fourplex will use SB 9, ADU law or the Low-Rise rules instead.
SB 79 in Los Angeles
Under state law, SB 79 applies to residential, mixed and commercial lots within a half mile of a qualifying transit stop in Los Angeles County. A project must have at least five homes and reach at least 30 units per acre. Within a quarter mile of a heavy rail stop, a city cannot set a height limit below 75 feet. The SB 79 page has the full tier table.
On June 25, 2026, City Planning announced that the City Council "voted to adopt a localized approach to Senate Bill (SB) 79." The fact sheet (case numbers CPC-2026-1798-MSC and CPC-2026-1797-CA, Council File 25-1083) describes two ordinances. A Phased Implementation Ordinance pauses SB 79 on sites that meet the state's own exclusion list in Government Code 65912.161(b), which includes very high fire hazard severity zones, sea-level-rise areas, local historic resources designated by January 1, 2025, and low-resource areas.
The second, the Low-Rise Ordinance, extends the MIIP "Corridor Transition" incentives, renamed the Low-Rise Incentive Area, to every residential zone, single-family zones included, within a half mile of designated Opportunity Stations or SB 79 transit zones that are mostly Moderate and Higher Opportunity Areas. Projects get floor area ratio (FAR) bonuses per unit, up to 10 or 16 units depending on distance to the station. FAR is the building's floor area divided by the lot area. Projects must include affordable units under a covenant, a recorded legal promise that runs with the land, and "All projects in the program are reviewed over the counter through the plan check process."
Some land is left out. The Low-Rise incentives do not apply in the Coastal Zone, fire-prone hillside areas or sea-level-rise areas. Projects in Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZ) and those involving Historic-Cultural Monuments "will not be eligible for expanded incentives," and a project may not demolish a historic resource. The fact sheet is dated April 2026 and the vote was in June 2026; ask City Planning at [email protected] whether the ordinances are in force on the date you apply.
The Linkage Fee on 2 to 5 Units
The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee (Ordinance No. 185,342, adopted December 13, 2017) is a per-square-foot fee that funds affordable housing. The schedule below is from City Planning's memo dated April 22, 2026, which carries a 3.0 percent inflation adjustment effective July 1, 2025. Market Areas are fee zones on the city's maps. New 2026 Market Area maps, adopted March 25, 2026, apply to building permits issued on or after April 24, 2026.
| Use | Low | Medium | Medium-High | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, 2 to 5 units | $1.28 | $1.28 | $1.28 | $23.20 |
| Residential, 6 or more units | $10.32 | $12.90 | $15.47 | $23.20 |
| Single-family detached home | $10.32 | $12.90 | $15.47 | $23.20 |
Dollars per square foot. Source: LA City Planning, Affordable Housing Linkage Fee schedule, April 22, 2026.
Read the table with three points in mind. A single new single-family home pays the 6-or-more rate, so outside the High Market Area a project of 2 to 5 units pays a lower rate per square foot than one new house. Projects with a net loss of housing units pay an extra $3.86 per square foot. And "all projects that are subject to the AHLF shall pay the applicable fee amount that is in place at the time of building permit issuance," so a schedule update before your permit issues changes your fee.
Other charges come from state law. The 2026 statewide maximum Level I school fee is $5.38 per square foot of assessable space, set by the State Allocation Board on January 28, 2026; your school district may charge less. For the city's other development fees, ask LADBS and City Planning for the current schedule before you set a budget.
Rent Rules and Loan Limits in Los Angeles
The statewide rent cap in Civil Code 1947.12 limits a yearly increase to 5 percent plus the change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower. For Los Angeles and Orange counties, the cost of living figure is the Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area. A home with a certificate of occupancy, the city's sign-off that a building can be lived in, issued in the previous 15 years is exempt, and local rent rules can be stricter than the state's. Before you buy a property with tenants, also check the SB 9 rule that blocks demolishing or altering housing a tenant occupied in the last three years. The rent and tenant rules page covers each one.
For buyers, the Federal Housing Finance Agency's 2026 conforming loan limits in Los Angeles County are $1,249,125 for one unit, $1,599,375 for two, $1,933,200 for three and $2,402,625 for four. A conforming loan is one that Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac can buy. The financing page explains how lenders count rent from the other units.
Best For
- ✓ Owners of single-family lots outside fire, flood and historic exclusions who want two to four homes under SB 9 and ADU law.
- ✓ Owners who want a faster ADU permit with a plan LADBS has already checked.
- ✓ Lots within a half mile of a qualifying station that can use the Low-Rise incentives.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The lot is in an HPOZ, a fire-prone hillside area, the Coastal Zone or a sea-level-rise area for Low-Rise projects.
- ✕ A tenant lived in the home in the last three years and the plan demolishes or alters that housing under SB 9.
- ✕ The budget assumed the Low linkage rate and the lot sits in the High Market Area at $23.20 per square foot.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The SB 9 Eligibility Checklist on ZIMAS for your address.
- → Your Market Area on the 2026 maps if the permit issues on or after April 24, 2026.
- → Whether the SB 79 ordinances are in force on your application date ([email protected]).
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: California SB 9 in the global multiplex zoning comparison and the duplex to fourplex guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a fourplex in Los Angeles?
Does Los Angeles allow SB 9 lot splits?
What is CHIP in Los Angeles?
Does CHIP apply to single-family zones in Los Angeles?
What is the Los Angeles ADU Standard Plan Program?
How much is the Los Angeles linkage fee on a duplex or fourplex?
Does SB 79 apply in Los Angeles?
Where do I apply for an SB 9 project in Los Angeles?
Does Los Angeles require parking for SB 9 homes?
How many people live in Los Angeles?
Is Los Angeles one of the charter cities that sued over SB 9?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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