Cities | Pomona

Pomona Multiplex Rules 2026: Form-Based Zoning, ADUs, SB 9, Rent Rules and Fees

Pomona, in Los Angeles County, adopted a new Zoning and Development Code in 2024. It is a form-based code, which regulates the shape and placement of buildings first, and its residential districts permit dwelling units with no homes-per-acre cap in the text. The City Code, on Municode, holds rent stabilization, inclusionary housing and development fees; the zoning code itself is published by the City and was read for this guide from the City Council record. This page sums up the routes to two, three, four or more homes on a Pomona lot, what each allows, and where City documents and state law differ. The seven guide pages below cover each topic in depth.

Pomona Guide Pages

Start With State Law

Four state laws set the floor Pomona must allow. SB 9 (2021) allows two main homes on a lot in a single-family zone, a split into two lots, or both, approved by staff with no hearing. ADU law sets the accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which are second homes on a lot, and junior ADUs a city must allow; a junior ADU is a unit of 500 square feet or less inside the house. SB 684 and SB 1123 allow maps of up to 10 lots with 10 homes. SB 79 allows taller and denser projects near qualifying rail and bus stops in an "urban transit county."

HCD's SB 79 advisory says the upzoning rules "will take effect on July 1, 2026, in Alameda, Los Angeles," and five other counties. Its rail table lists LA Metro Rail lines A, C, E and K as light rail and Metrolink as commuter rail. This guide did not check which Pomona stops meet a tier; see the three or more homes page.

Pomona is a charter city. Its Charter, Part I of the City Code, says in Section 301 that "The City shall have all powers possible for a city to have under the Constitution and laws of this State." The SB 9 statutes apply to every city "whether general law or chartered." Pomona's code writes state ADU law into Section 830.A and the state parking limit near transit into an AB 2097 Overlay District, but has no section on SB 9, SB 684 or the state density bonus; those apply directly.

Pomona in Numbers

The US Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 city file estimates 147,807 people in the City of Pomona on July 1, 2025, down from a 2020 estimates base of 151,444. In that file Pomona is the 38th largest city in California, after Sunnyvale (156,577) and ahead of Visalia (146,541). Los Angeles County has 9,694,934 people in the same file.

Most housing decisions are made by staff or the Planning Commission. Since July 15, 2026 the Zoning Administrator decides a Tier 1 Development Plan for 4 to 29 homes, and the Planning Commission decides a Tier 2 plan for 30 or more homes, tentative maps, conditional use permits and variances. The City Council decides zone changes, code and General Plan amendments, final maps and parcel maps, and appeals of Commission decisions. A separate Historic Preservation Commission decides major certificates of appropriateness for historic property. The permits and fees page has the deadlines.

The Routes to More Homes Compared

Sources: Pomona Zoning and Development Code Sec. 520.C and 1170.C, Sec. 1100.A and 1160.F (2026) and Sec. 830.A; Government Code 65852.21, 66411.7 and 66499.41.

Zones That Allow Homes

The code has 32 districts. Each name stands for three modules, written [Form - Frontage - Use]: the form module sets lot width, coverage, setbacks and height; the frontage module sets the front yard; and the use module sets permitted uses. The five Residential Neighborhood Districts, RND1 to RND5, are described as "a walkable neighborhood environment intended to accommodate a variety of lower-intensity housing options," including "single-unit homes, cottage courts, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and other small multifamily development," up to 2.5 stories. Dwelling units are also permitted in the Neighborhood Edge, Urban Neighborhood, Activity Center and Transit Oriented districts and in two of the five Workplace districts.

Six specific plans, including Downtown Pomona (2020) and Pomona Corridors (2020), set their own rules in place of the districts. An SB 330 Overlay District applies General Plan floors and density where the zoning has not caught up with the General Plan. See the zoning districts page.

House Lots: ADUs and SB 9

Section 830.A, restated by Ordinance No. 4363 on February 2, 2026, approves every ADU and junior ADU by building permit. A detached ADU of up to 800 square feet with 4 foot side and rear setbacks fits the simplest type. Larger ADUs may reach 850 or 1,000 square feet on a lot under 7,200 square feet and 1,200 square feet on a larger lot. A detached ADU may be 16 feet tall, or 18 feet near a major transit stop, measured from the adjoining curb level. No ADU needs parking. See the ADUs and SB 9 page.

SB 9 applies under state law alone. Its two-unit and lot split statutes exclude housing "occupied by a tenant in the last three years," housing under rent control, and contributing structures in historic districts. Whether the City treats an RND lot as a "single-family residential zone" is a question for the Planning Division. The lot size and subdivisions page covers lot widths, maps and SB 684.

Three or More Homes

A project under 4 homes needs no Development Plan. From 4 to 29 homes, a Tier 1 Development Plan is decided by the Zoning Administrator; at 30 or more, or with a map, Tier 2 goes to the Planning Commission. The FY 2026-27 fee is $13,000 for a residential plan of 1 to 29 homes. Pomona's inclusionary rule in Chapter 74 applies from three homes: 13 percent moderate-income units in a rental project, 7 percent in a for-sale detached project and 11 percent in townhomes or condominiums, with an in-lieu fee allowed in listed cases. See the three or more homes page.

Parking, Setbacks and Height

Section 610.C requires no parking for the "1st 3 dwelling units" and "1 per 1 du after 3rd du." In RND1 the House Medium 1 module sets a 15 foot street setback, 5 foot side setbacks, a 10 foot rear setback, 45 percent building coverage, a 60 foot maximum building width and 2.5 stories or 32 feet. The frontage module also sets a maximum distance from the street and bars parking between the building and the street. See the parking, setbacks and height page.

Historic Districts and Older Buildings

Pomona has six historic districts: Hacienda Park, Lincoln Park, Wilton Heights, Edison, Civic Center and Landmark Quarter. Additions, accessory structures and infill there need a Major Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission. Citywide, any building 50 years old or older must be reviewed for historic eligibility before a demolition permit, and demolition carries a mitigation fee. See the historic districts page.

Rent Stabilization and Tenants

The Rent Stabilization and Eviction Control Ordinance of 2025, Ordinance No. 4359, caps rent increases on covered units at "five percent of the highest monthly rent" in the prior 12 months, once in any 12 month period. Units with a certificate of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995 are exempt, so new homes start outside the cap, but the landlord must file a notice of exemption. Ending a tenancy to demolish is a no-fault cause that requires relocation pay of $5,926 to $15,377 for each unit, depending on tenancy length, income, qualified status and the size of the landlord's holdings. See the three or more homes page.

Fees

New homes pay impact fees set by Resolution 2021-89 by home size: for a home of 501 to 1,499 square feet on an infill lot, a park fee of $9,649, a sewer connection fee of $4,326, a water connection fee of $4,321 and a storm drain fee of $45, plus $5.00 per trip for traffic signals and for roads and $0.25 per square foot for public safety. Planning fees come from the FY 2026-27 Master Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026. See the permits and fees page.

Where City Documents and State Law Differ

The guide pages flag each gap where it arises. The main ones:

• Section 830.A allows no more than two detached ADUs on a lot with an existing multi-unit dwelling, while Government Code 66323 allows up to eight, never more than the existing units. The statute controls.
• Section 830.A exempts ADUs of 749 square feet or less from impact fees and divides the house size by the ADU size in its example; Government Code 66311.5 exempts 750 square feet or less and charges in proportion to the house. The statute controls, and the City's impact fee report already uses the statute's formula.
• Section 70-72 says impact fees are paid at building permit and at certificate of occupancy, and Section 70-80 says park fees are paid before building permits; Government Code 66007 lets residential public facility fees wait until final inspection or certificate of occupancy.
• The live/work definition in Section 530.B allows 3,000 square feet, while the use standard in Section 540.A allows 4,000.
• Section 200.H says there are 2 Special Campus Districts and lists 3; the AB 2097 overlay and Section 810 point to "Sec. 11XX"; Section 800 points to "Sec. XX" in several places; Part 10 calls itself Part 12; and the 2026 by-right rule cites "Government Code Section 655583.2(I)."
• Section 830.A still cites Government Code 65852.2, 65852.22 and 65852.26, which no longer exist in the Legislature's code table.
• The FY 2026-27 fee study prints a $10,000 conditional use permit fee beside a note giving a $21,099 total built from the full cost.

Limits of This Guide

The City's website, pomonaca.gov, answered "Access Denied" to every request made for this guide, so no City web page, checklist or PDF hosted there was read. That includes the City's own copy of the zoning code, the 2014 General Plan, the six specific plans, the zoning map and any ADU or SB 9 handouts. The zoning text comes from the City Council record on Legistar instead, and the City Code from Municode Supplement 31. A search of Council matter titles through October 8, 2026 found no zoning code amendment after Ordinance No. 4365. Confirm the rules for your lot with the Planning Division before you budget or design.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the SB 9 page, the California rent and tenant rules page and the duplex to fourplex guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)