Cities | Richmond

Richmond, California Multiplex Rules 2026: Zoning, ADUs, SB 9, Apartments, Rent Control and Fees

Richmond, California is a charter city in Contra Costa County on San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. Its zoning and subdivision rules sit in Chapter 15.04 of Article XV of the Richmond Municipal Code, published on Municode. The code allows apartments in two multi-family districts and several mixed-use districts, duplexes on larger single-family lots with a permit, and small multiplexes under a form-based code on its corridors. In 2026 the City Council changed both the residential districts and the ADU rules, and Richmond's own rent control shapes any plan that replaces a rental. This page sums up the routes to two, three, four or more homes on a Richmond lot. The seven guide pages below cover each topic in depth.

Richmond Guide Pages

Start With State Law

Four state laws set the floor Richmond 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), 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 a house. SB 684 and SB 1123 allow maps of up to 10 lots with 10 homes. The state density bonus gives extra homes to projects of five or more units that include affordable homes.

Richmond writes ADU law into Section 15.04.610.020 and the density bonus into Article 15.04.602. It has no SB 9 section in its code, but it publishes an SB 9 application and checklists for two-unit projects and lot splits in RH, RL1 and RL2. Richmond is a charter city, a city that runs under its own charter; its City Charter was ratified by voters on February 9, 1909. The SB 9 statutes define a local agency as a city "whether general law or chartered."

SB 79 allows taller and denser projects near qualifying rail and bus stops. The state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) says in its SB 79 advisory that its upzoning took effect on July 1, 2026 in seven counties: Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Diego. Contra Costa County is not among them. Richmond's own code already halves parking near BART.

Richmond in Numbers

The US Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 city file estimates 114,861 people in the City of Richmond on July 1, 2025, down from a 2020 estimates base of 116,239. In that file Richmond is the 57th largest city in California, after Temecula (114,865) and ahead of Murrieta (114,124). Contra Costa County has 1,170,070 people in the same file.

The City's Housing Element Progress page says Richmond must plan for 3,614 new homes in the 2023 to 2031 cycle and had permitted 326 as of January 1, 2025. ADUs made up 157 of the 278 above-moderate income homes permitted. The City Council adopted the 6th Cycle Housing Element on January 24, 2023, and HCD found it in substantial compliance on October 2, 2023. Ordinance No. 9-26 N.S. of June 2026 carried out some of its programs.

Most housing decisions are made by the Zoning Administrator, the Design Review Board, the Planning Commission or the Historic Preservation Commission. The Zoning Administrator decides ADUs, administrative use permits and parcel maps; the Design Review Board decides major design review, including new apartment buildings; the Planning Commission decides conditional use permits, variances and tentative maps. Appeals must be filed within ten days. The permits and fees page has the details.

The Routes to More Homes Compared

Sources: Richmond Municipal Code Table 15.04.201.020, Table 15.04.201.050, Table 15.04.202.020 and Sec. 15.04.201.090 (Supplement 74); City ADU Info Sheet and SB 9 checklists; Gov. Code 65852.21, 66411.7 and 66499.41.

Zones That Allow Homes

Richmond has five residential districts. RH allows 5 homes per net acre, RL1 9 and RL2 15, while RM1 allows 27 in its standards table (26 in its purpose text) and RM2 40. RM1 and RM2 also require at least 10 and 15 homes per acre. The mixed-use districts CM-1 to CM-5 and LW allow 10 to 135 homes per net acre. A form-based code adopted in April 2023 governs Downtown and nearby corridors by building type, from duplexes to small multiplexes of 3 to 6 homes. Where the zoning and the General Plan conflict, "the General Plan prevails." See the zoning districts page.

House Lots: ADUs, Duplexes and SB 9

The ADU text in Supplement 74 dates from 2020. HCD found it out of line with state law on October 21, 2024, and the Council adopted Ordinance No. 11-26 N.S. on July 28, 2026 to conform with state law. VanPlex could not read the new text. The City's ADU Info Sheet already describes the state rules: one junior ADU, one attached ADU and one detached ADU on a house lot, 16 feet for a detached ADU or 18 feet near transit, and no owner occupancy for an ADU. See the ADUs and SB 9 page.

A duplex needs an administrative use permit on RL2 lots of 5,000 square feet or more and RL1 lots of 7,500 or more. SB 9 allows two main homes on RH, RL1 and RL2 lots, or a split into two lots of at least 1,200 square feet each, with an owner occupancy affidavit for a split. The lot size and subdivisions page covers lot splits, Richmond's small lot subdivisions down to 2,000 square feet in RL2, and parcel maps.

Three or More Homes

Multi-unit dwellings are permitted in RM1, RM2, CM-1 and CM-3. RM buildings may be 35 feet and three stories tall, and new apartment buildings go to the Design Review Board, with deposits from $8,500 for 3 to 10 homes. Projects of ten or more homes owe inclusionary affordable units or, in most areas, an in-lieu fee. See the three or more homes page.

Parking, Setbacks and Height

Richmond sets minimum parking 33 percent below an estimated demand table, which makes one space the minimum for a house and two for a duplex (VanPlex arithmetic), and halves parking within one-half mile of BART. An RL2 house sits 20 feet from the front and rear lot lines and may be 30 feet tall, with lot coverage of 50 percent. See the parking, setbacks and height page.

Rent Control and Demolition

Richmond's rent ordinance caps yearly increases on multi-unit properties built before February 1, 1995, and every tenancy needs a listed cause to end. Withdrawing a building to demolish it requires City permits before notices, 120 days' notice or a year for listed tenants, and relocation payments. A demolition permit is required for any structure 45 years or older, with historic review for older buildings. See the rent control and demolition page.

Fees

The FY 2026-27 Master Fee Schedule, adopted June 23, 2026, lists residential impact fees in its FY 2026-27 column of $18.90 per square foot for infill homes, a City traffic fee of $1,573 per multi-family home and the regional STMP fee of $3,407 per multi-family home. ADUs of 750 square feet or less pay no impact fees under state law. See the permits and fees page.

Where the Code, City Documents and State Law Differ

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

• Municode's Supplement 74 predates Ordinance No. 9-26 N.S. (June 16, 2026) and Ordinance No. 11-26 N.S. (July 28, 2026). The ordinances control.
• The 2020 ADU text caps ADUs at 16 feet, allows two detached ADUs on an apartment lot and requires a deed restriction; Government Code 66321 and 66323, the City's ADU Info Sheet and HCD's 2024 letter say otherwise. The statute controls.
• RM1's maximum density is 26 homes per acre in the district purpose and 27 in the standards table.
• The density bonus table stops at 35 and 40 percent; Government Code 65915 reaches 50 percent. The code says state law governs.
• Section 15.04.703.060 sends tentative parcel maps to a Planning Commission hearing, while Sections 15.04.702.010 and 15.04.703.090 give parcel maps to the Zoning Administrator.
• Section 15.04.803.110 ends an unused approval after one year; Section 15.04.101.040 allows two years.
• The Master Fee Schedule page, the Planning Division Fee Schedule and the Fees and Checklists page give three different effective dates for the same planning fees.

Limits of This Guide

The code comes from Municode's Supplement 74, current through March 3, 2026. Later City actions come from agendas, minutes, pages and documents on ci.richmond.ca.us, read on October 10, 2026. Staff reports and ordinance texts are kept on the City's eSCRIBE meeting portal, which answered automated file requests with a browser check (HTTP 403), so VanPlex stopped using it and did not read the texts of Ordinances No. 9-26 N.S. and 11-26 N.S. The Zoning Map, the General Plan, the Housing Element text, the specific plans and the form-based code regulating plan were not read. Ask the Planning Division at 510-620-6706 which standards the 2026 ordinances changed, and whether any later ordinance applies.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the SB 684 and SB 1123 page, the California rent and tenant rules page and the duplex to fourplex guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)