With a growing frustration towards a lack of affordable housing and restrictive zoning regulations in California, Governor Newsom recently signed a pair of bills into law that would effectively put an end to traditional single-family zoning restrictions in most neighborhoods statewide.

What Is Senate Bill 9 (SB 9)?

Taking effect on January 1, 2022, Senate Bill 9 will allow property owners to split a single-family lot into two lots, add a second home to their lot or split their lot into two and place duplexes on each. The last option would create four housing units on a property currently limited to a single-family house.

While the new bill is intended to create more housing while also preserving low-income affordable units, the proposed project under this new law cannot result in the demolition or alteration of affordable or rent-controlled housing or market-rate housing that has been occupied by a tenant in the past three years. In addition, if someone chooses to split their property in two, each new lot must be at least 1,200 square feet. Lastly, any unit created because of the law cannot be used for short-term rentals. It must be rented for a term longer than 30 days.

How Will SB 9 Affect Me?

Please give us a call about your single-family home parcels so that we can discuss and create a strategy tailored to your needs and options.