SB 9 in Los Angeles: What the HOME Act Actually Allows on Your Lot

By Simon Mulla, Founder & CEO, Cali Builders & Construction Inc., CSLB #1051566

Last reviewed: November 1, 2026 · Next scheduled review: late December 2026

A note on how this article is sourced. Two different things govern an SB 9 project: state law, and the way your city administers it. They are not always worded the same. Where they differ, this article says so rather than blending them.

What SB 9 allows

SB 9 — the California HOME Act — gives owners of single-family-zoned lots two separate rights:

• A two-unit development. Propose up to two primary homes — for example, adding one home to an existing home, or building two new homes — subject to SB 9's eligibility and housing-protection rules.
• An urban lot split. Divide one single-family parcel into two.

You can use one or both. Using both is where the "four units from one lot" figure comes from: two lots, two units each.

For an eligible project, the SB 9 approval itself is ministerial: no public hearing, no CEQA review, no discretionary SB 9 approval. The agency reviews your project against objective standards and approves or denies it. Neighbors do not get a vote. Other laws can still require separate approvals — in Los Angeles, a property in the Coastal Zone may need a Coastal Development Permit (see below).

The homes do not have to be detached. State law says an application shall not be rejected solely because it proposes adjacent or connected structures, provided they meet building-code safety standards and are sufficient to allow separate conveyance.

SB 9 took effect January 1, 2022. It has been amended since, and a further change takes effect January 1, 2027.

The amendments, in order

SB 450 — effective January 1, 2025

• The 60-day clock. An agency must approve or deny a complete application within 60 days. If it does neither, the application is deemed approved.
• The demolition cap is gone. The original law barred demolishing more than 25% of an existing home's exterior structural walls in a two-unit development. Removed entirely. Separate protections for tenant-occupied and rent-restricted housing remain.
• Objective standards must apply evenly. For two-unit developments, objective standards generally must apply uniformly to development within the underlying zone, though an agency may apply more permissive ones. Urban lot splits are governed by their own statutory limits on subdivision standards.
• Narrowed grounds for denial. The broader physical-environment basis was removed. What remains is narrow: an agency may deny a qualifying project only where the building official makes a written finding, based upon a preponderance of the evidence, of a specific adverse impact upon public health and safety for which there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid it. A denial must come with written comments identifying the deficiency and how to remedy it, inside the same 60 days.

That denial standard is worth reading twice. It is not a general public-health objection. It requires a named official, an evidentiary standard, and a finding that nothing can be done about it.

AB 1061 — effective January 1, 2026

Opened historic districts partway:

• Two-unit developments are permitted on sites in a historic district improved with non-contributing structures.
• Urban lot splits are permitted in historic districts provided the project does not require demolition or alteration of a contributing structure, or of any existing exterior structural wall of a structure in the district.
• Individually designated historic resources — city or state — remain ineligible either way.

In Los Angeles, many owners will meet this through an HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone). Ask City Planning whether your overlay and your structure's status qualify; a non-contributing property inside a historic district may now have a path it did not have before.

AB 2601 — Chapter 955, Statutes of 2026

Signed September 30, 2026. Effective January 1, 2027. Two changes:

• Concurrent processing. Agencies must allow an urban lot split application and its associated two-unit development application to be processed at the same time, rather than requiring the split to finish first. The agency may still condition building permits, grading permits, or certificates of occupancy on prior approval and recordation of the parcel map — and may require revisions to building or other post-entitlement permit applications in response to parcel-map review comments. Concurrent processing speeds the queue; it does not freeze your building plans while the subdivision is reviewed.
• Condominium plans. For SB 9 purposes, a "parcel map" may include a condominium plan if proposed by the subdivider, subject to applicable condominium-plan and Davis-Stirling requirements. If the urban lot split includes an existing residential unit at the time of subdivision approval, the subdivider must complete the condominium conversion required by state and local law before conveying that unit separately. The change does not guarantee separate ownership.

The condominium change is the more consequential one. Los Angeles's August 24, 2026 FAQ describes a separate condominium-conversion process after the lot split, without SB 9's streamlining, rather than creating condominiums as part of the split approval. From January 1, 2027, a condominium plan can be included with the parcel map when the subdivider proposes it.

If separately owned units are your goal, that date is worth building into your schedule.

Does SB 9 apply in the City of Los Angeles?

Los Angeles City Planning publishes and administers an SB 9 application pathway, and revised its implementation FAQ on August 24, 2026.

The confusion comes from litigation. In April 2024, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled in City of Redondo Beach v. Bonta that SB 9 was unconstitutional as applied to five charter cities — Redondo Beach, Carson, Torrance, Whittier, and Del Mar. Los Angeles is also a charter city, so the ruling raised a question about the City's authority even though it was never a party.

The Attorney General appealed. The Court of Appeal reversed and remanded on November 12, 2025 (Case No. B338990, an unpublished opinion), directing the trial court to reconsider the matter in light of the SB 450 amendments. The appellate court did not decide whether SB 9 is constitutional as to charter cities.

SB 450 states expressly that SB 9 applies to charter cities, and Los Angeles continues to process applications. The constitutional question returned to the trial court. If litigation risk matters to your project, confirm subsequent trial-court developments before committing design money.

Who qualifies

Your lot must be in a single-family zone

The threshold question, and it disqualifies a lot of people. Having a single-family house on the land does not establish eligibility — the zoning classification does. If your property is zoned for two or more units, SB 9 is not available. Other paths may be: additional ADUs on a multifamily site, the City's Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance, or the Starter Home Revitalization Act.

For qualifying projects of five or more homes near designated transit stops, see our Los Angeles SB 79 guide for the separate eligibility rules and local implementation limits.

The parcel must also be in an urban location

Zoning alone is not enough. The parcel must satisfy the statute's urban-location test. For unincorporated Los Angeles County property, the parcel must lie wholly within a Census-designated urbanized area or urban cluster. This catches owners on the edges of the County who assume single-family zoning is the only hurdle.

Confirm which agency has jurisdiction

A Los Angeles mailing address does not mean the City of Los Angeles processes your permits. Incorporated cities and unincorporated Los Angeles County run different procedures with different checklists. Settle this before you pay for drawings.

Urban lot split requirements

• The split creates no more than two new parcels of approximately equal lot area
• Each new lot must be at least 1,200 square feet — though a local agency may by ordinance adopt a smaller minimum
• Neither new lot may be smaller than 40% of the original parcel's lot area
• Sign an affidavit stating your intent to occupy one of the housing units as a principal residence for at least three years from approval of the split. This applies to lot splits only, not to two-unit developments. Statutory exceptions apply to community land trusts and qualified nonprofit corporations.
• A parcel created by an SB 9 split cannot be split again under SB 9
• Neither the owner nor a person acting in concert with the owner may have previously subdivided an adjacent parcel using an urban lot split

The 40% test, worked: on an 8,000 sq ft lot, a 4,000/4,000 split works, and so does 3,200/4,800. A 2,000/6,000 split fails, because the smaller parcel is 25% of the original. That is an area test only. It says nothing about whether the rest of the project qualifies.

Draw the new property line before you finalize building locations. A line that looks efficient on a survey can strand access, kill privacy, or complicate utility service.

What the agency cannot require just to approve the split

State law prohibits requiring dedications of right-of-way or construction of off-site improvements as a condition of approving an SB 9 parcel map. It also prohibits requiring the correction of nonconforming zoning conditions as a condition of ministerial map approval.

Public-service easements and access requirements are a different matter and still apply.

Easements

A workable lot line is only part of subdivision design. The City may require easements for fire access, public utilities, water, sewer, streetlights, storm drains or flood control, and slope rights, where the Advisory Agency determines they are necessary on the recommendation of the City Engineer or agencies such as LADWP and LAFD. Where future easements may be needed, a certificate can be placed on the final map.

Identify those easements before fixing building footprints or assuming either lot can function independently.

Rental restriction

Any unit created under SB 9 must be rented for terms longer than 30 days. Short-term rental is not an exit strategy here.

Property conditions that disqualify

Certain protected or hazardous categories: prime farmland, wetlands, conservation land, protected species habitat, and similar. Los Angeles pre-screens parcels for habitat and will tell you which declaration form you need.

Earthquake fault zones are eligible, provided the project meets seismic standards.

How many homes you can actually build

The four-home figure combines an urban lot split with two homes on each resulting parcel. Two things narrow it.

Your existing house counts. Four homes does not mean four additional homes.

HCD explains that a local agency may apply a two-unit maximum to a lot created by an urban lot split, counting primary homes, ADUs and JADUs together. The City of Los Angeles applies that combined two-unit limit; it is not a promise of extra ADUs beyond two homes on each split lot. On an unsplit parcel, separate ADU and JADU rights are evaluated under their own law.

An unsplit parcel is analyzed differently. HCD has stated in technical-assistance correspondence that using SB 9 for two primary dwellings without a lot split does not strip the parcel of its rights under ADU and JADU law. Those rights are evaluated under their own rules.

From January 1, 2027, AB 956 (Chapter 791, Statutes of 2026) expands the ministerial pathway to two detached, newly constructed ADUs on a qualifying lot with a proposed or existing single-family dwelling. A local agency may impose an 800-square-foot livable-space limit per ADU and the applicable statutory height limits, and it is not required to approve a JADU where two detached ADUs have been constructed under that pathway.

For a plain-language summary, see our new California ADU laws for 2027 guide.

Compare the total lawful program three ways — ADU law, SB 9 without a split, SB 9 with a split — rather than assuming subdivision produces the most homes. An SB 9 lot split creates two separately conveyable land parcels; condominium ownership is a different form of separate ownership, and other subdivision pathways may be available depending on zoning and eligibility.

Write the program down before anyone designs anything: existing house retained or removed, number of new primary dwellings, accessory units proposed, subdivision included or not.

The Los Angeles-specific issues that trip people up

Rent Stabilization Ordinance properties

An important eligibility issue in Los Angeles, and one that catches owners who do not think of themselves as landlords.

The RSO covers properties with two or more units where at least one was built before October 1, 1978 — which includes a pre-1978 single-family house with an ADU or JADU added.

• If the project demolishes or alters RSO units, it does not qualify for SB 9.
• If a lot split would strand an RSO unit as the only unit on a new lot, the project can qualify, but the owner must file a Notice of Intent to Withdraw under the Ellis Act and comply with all of it.
• If RSO units stay intact on one lot and the new lot had no prior units, this configuration may satisfy the City's RSO-related eligibility guidance. All other eligibility requirements still apply.

The 15-year restriction: the two-unit provision excludes sites where units were withdrawn from rent under the Ellis Act within the past 15 years, and the City's FAQ applies this from the withdrawal date. A lot split may still be possible if the withdrawn units are not demolished or altered.

Check ZIMAS before anything else — its Housing tab shows RSO status and any recorded Ellis Act withdrawal, and LADBS points to a ZIMAS "SB 9 Eligibility" view under Planning and Zoning.

Keeping the unit does not end your obligations. If an SB 9 project on an RSO lot reduces a tenant's access to parking, open space, living space, storage, laundry, or other housing services, the tenant may be entitled to a rent reduction, with written notice required.

SB 9 projects also cannot demolish or alter housing subject to affordability covenants, or housing occupied by a tenant within the past three years. Rental history matters even when a property sits vacant today. Every applicant signs a declaration to LADBS confirming this.

Housing Crisis Act replacement requirements

If your project demolishes any residential unit, the Housing Crisis Act and the City's Resident Protections Ordinance apply on top of SB 9. Many projects satisfy this with a signed No Net Loss Declaration (CP-4069). Others need a Replacement Unit Determination from the Los Angeles Housing Department.

Fire zones — unresolved in the City and County of Los Angeles

Executive Order N-32-25, issued July 30, 2025, suspended the SB 9 provisions within designated very high fire hazard severity zones inside the Palisades and Eaton burn areas to the extent those provisions limited local discretion over development approvals. Several jurisdictions restricted SB 9 on that basis.

YIMBY Law sued. Pasadena and Malibu each settled. Pasadena adopted Ordinance No. 7474 on August 3, 2026, repealing its Eaton-area prohibitions. Malibu's settlement was conditional on the city rescinding its restriction; confirm directly whether it has done so and how it now processes applications.

If your property is in either burn area, confirm the jurisdiction's completed ordinance actions and current application procedures directly. Do not rely on an article for this one.

Fire department requirements cannot be waived

LAFD's Hydrants and Access Unit reviews these projects for street and fire-lane access within 150 feet of any unit, roof access with a maximum 28-foot top-plate height, hydrants within 300 feet, and VHFHSZ compliance where applicable. Requirements can include fire lanes and turnarounds, hydrants, driveway access, perimeter setbacks, upgraded construction, or sprinklers.

Fire Code requirements are not objective zoning, subdivision, or design standards, so they cannot be waived under SB 9. On a hillside lot, this can be the factor that decides whether a project is buildable at all.

Coastal Zone

SB 9 does not override the California Coastal Act, and a Coastal Development Permit may still be required.

Here state law and local procedure diverge. State law provides that an agency is not required to hold public hearings for coastal development permit applications for an SB 9 housing development. Los Angeles's published guidance describes its CDP procedures as requiring a discretionary filing and a public hearing. Confirm the permit pathway and any applicable exemptions for your specific work and address.

Design standards: what the agency can and cannot require

Setbacks

An agency cannot require side or rear yards greater than four feet. The front yard setback of the underlying zone still applies, as do height and other objective standards.

For new construction outside the existing-structure exception, an agency may require up to four feet from the side and rear lot lines — an express exception to the general protection described next. No setback is required for an existing structure, or for a replacement built in the same location and to the same dimensions, subject to applicable building and fire requirements.

The 800-square-foot guarantee

This is the provision that makes SB 9 workable on constrained lots. You may request a waiver or modification of any objective zoning, subdivision, or design standard that would physically preclude a lot split, the construction of up to two units, or either unit reaching 800 square feet of floor area.

800 square feet is a floor the agency cannot block, not a ceiling on house size.

Standards Los Angeles identifies as potentially eligible for waiver on this basis include height limits, front setbacks, floor area, driveway width, passageway requirements, street frontage, minimum lot width, access strip requirements, plane break requirements, and material or transparency standards from specific plans and overlays. Whether any particular waiver is granted is project-specific.

An SB 9 two-unit development can exceed the site's floor area limit — but only by the difference between 800 square feet and whatever leftover floor area exists for the second unit. Units larger than 800 square feet get no floor area relief, and an existing home larger than 800 square feet does not prevent you from requesting waivers for a qualifying second unit. Per City guidance, use the LAMC 12.03 definition of floor area, including its exemptions.

This protection does not override the four-foot side and rear setback authority above, and it does not waive building or fire-code requirements.

Waivers for two-unit developments are requested after LADBS issues plan check corrections. Waivers for lot splits are requested as part of the City Planning application.

Parking — state law and City guidance differ

State law: an agency may require up to one off-street parking space per unit. No parking may be required where the parcel is within one-half mile walking distance of a high-quality transit corridor or a major transit stop, or where a car share vehicle is located within one block of the parcel. The state provision does not itself specify covered parking.

City of Los Angeles guidance: City Planning’s SB 9 page describes one covered parking space per existing and new unit, with no parking when the parcel meets its stated exemption criteria. Compare the applicable exemption with the state-law walking-distance and car-share tests above, and obtain written confirmation for your parcel before designing parking.

Lot geometry

Los Angeles's underlying lot standards generally call for a 20-foot-wide street frontage and access strip, and flag lots need a 20-foot access strip for legal street access.

Where a lot split requires a flag configuration and the distance between an existing structure and the side lot line is less than the required access strip or driveway width, that narrower dimension may be used instead — even if it leaves insufficient lot width. This is the kind of accommodation the "physically precludes" standard is designed to produce.

How SB 9 interacts with ADUs

A second primary unit built under SB 9 is a main use, not an accessory building. It is not an ADU and is not subject to the accessory building rules in LAMC 12.21 C.5.

If you use both the two-unit provision and the lot split, state law does not require the agency to permit additional ADUs or JADUs. Los Angeles City Planning limits each lot created by a split to two total dwelling units, counting primary homes, ADUs and JADUs. HCD’s March 21, 2025 technical-assistance letter explains the distinction from an unsplit parcel.

A two-unit development without a split is the more flexible path on this point. HCD's position is that it does not remove the parcel's separate ADU and JADU rights.

What it costs to process

The City Planning application for a Parcel Map Urban Lot Split (PMUL) is billed as Administrative Review – Major. Use the City Planning Fee Estimator for the current figure.

Beyond that: parcel map fees from other City agencies, plus applicable development fees. The City's FAQ identifies the LAUSD Developer Fee, a Park Fee, and the Affordable Housing Linkage Fee. Which apply depends on the project, and exemptions, credits, and the legal basis for each charge can differ; ask the agency which ones apply to yours. Ask the responsible agency to identify the legal basis and any exemption for a proposed park fee. Park Fees depend on whether the project is a subdivision and how many units are approved, and the Linkage Fee varies by market area and by whether the project is one unit or two. Plan check and permit fees are separate again.

A realistic project budget separates:

• Survey, parcel mapping, title review, subdivision documentation
• Architectural design, engineering, site investigations
• Agency applications, plan check, permits, development impact fees
• Demolition, grading, retaining walls, drainage, site access
• Construction — foundations, framing, systems, finishes
• Water, sewer, electrical service, meters, utility-provider work
• Financing, insurance, carrying costs, contingency

Require every estimate to state its exclusions and allowances. A preliminary construction number that omits utility work, agency fees, or site improvements is not comparable to one that includes them.

Utilities

Per the City's FAQ, separate water and power service is not permitted on a single-family lot with more than one dwelling unit; service is not required to complete a lot split, but new homes on the new lot need their own. Exact requirements are project- and provider-specific, so confirm with LADWP and other providers before finalizing the site plan.

Contact LADWP early. Depending on the load you are adding and the existing infrastructure, you may be responsible for some or all of the cost of equipment upgrades. Any construction within a LADWP easement, within 10 feet of one, or within 10 feet of poles or equipment needs an LADWP clearance.

Is Los Angeles writing its own SB 9 ordinance?

Possibly. City Planning's Missing Middle LA initiative includes draft ordinances that update the City's SB 9 program. City Planning held a public hearing on the revised drafts on October 1, 2026. Check the City's project page and legislative record for subsequent action before relying on any draft provision.

Unless and until the City adopts an ordinance, it processes SB 9 projects under state law and its implementation guidance. If you are planning over a long horizon, track the ordinance.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build four units on my Los Angeles lot under SB 9?

Potentially. In the City of Los Angeles, an eligible urban lot split creates two parcels, and City Planning limits each resulting lot to two total dwelling units, including existing homes, ADUs and JADUs. Whether four homes can actually be built depends on parcel eligibility, housing protections, objective standards, access, utilities and site constraints. Other jurisdictions must be checked separately.

Do I have to live there?

For an urban lot split, yes — an affidavit stating your intent to occupy one of the units as a principal residence for at least three years from approval of the split. A two-unit development without a lot split carries no owner-occupancy requirement. Exceptions apply to community land trusts and qualified nonprofits.

Can my neighbors stop it?

Neighbors have no approval vote over an otherwise qualifying ministerial SB 9 application: no public hearing and no CEQA for the SB 9 approval itself. Separate approvals, including an applicable Coastal Development Permit, may involve different procedures. The agency either finds the project meets objective standards or identifies in writing what fails and how to fix it, within 60 days after it receives a completed SB 9 application. If the agency denies an application, it must provide written comments identifying the deficiencies and how to remedy them. An otherwise qualifying project can be denied only on the statute's narrow public-health-and-safety ground, which requires the building official's written finding, supported by a preponderance of the evidence, of a specific adverse impact that cannot feasibly be mitigated or avoided.

What if the agency misses the 60-day deadline?

A complete application that is neither approved nor denied within 60 days is deemed approved. That deadline governs the decision on the completed SB 9 application. It does not guarantee that every later permit, clearance, map recordation, or utility step will finish on the same clock. Do not build a construction schedule on it.

Do the two homes have to be detached?

No. State law provides that an application shall not be rejected solely because it proposes adjacent or connected structures, provided they meet building-code safety standards and are sufficient to allow separate conveyance.

Can I create condominiums with an SB 9 lot split?

Not under the process Los Angeles currently describes. The City's August 24, 2026 FAQ treats condominium conversion as a separate step after the split, without SB 9's streamlining. From January 1, 2027, AB 2601 allows a parcel map to include a condominium plan if the subdivider proposes it, subject to applicable condominium-plan and Davis-Stirling requirements, and existing units must still go through condominium conversion to be conveyed separately. The City's August 24, 2026 FAQ reflects the pre-2027 rule.

My house is in an HPOZ. Am I out?

Not necessarily, as of January 1, 2026. If your structure is non-contributing, a two-unit development may be possible. A lot split may be possible if it requires no demolition or alteration of a contributing structure or any existing exterior structural wall in the district. Individually designated landmarks remain ineligible.

Does SB 9 work on a hillside lot?

Sometimes. Zoning standards like street access requirements can be waived where they physically preclude the project. Fire Code requirements cannot, and on steep sites LAFD access and hydrant requirements can be decisive.

Is SB 9 better than building ADUs?

Different tools, and the answer is project-specific. An SB 9 lot split creates two separately conveyable land parcels. If you use both SB 9 provisions together, the agency is not obligated to also allow an ADU, and Los Angeles limits each resulting lot to two total units, counting ADUs and JADUs. From January 1, 2027, AB 956 expands the ministerial detached-ADU pathway to two units, with its own size, height and JADU conditions. Compare subdivision, design, site work, utilities, fees and construction scope across all three paths against your specific lot.

How much does an SB 9 lot split cost in Los Angeles?

There is no single price, because the cost depends on the lot. The City Planning application for an urban lot split is billed as Administrative Review – Major (use the City Planning Fee Estimator for the current figure). On top of that come parcel map fees from other City agencies and development fees such as the LAUSD Developer Fee, a Park Fee and the Affordable Housing Linkage Fee, depending on the project. Survey and parcel mapping, design and engineering, demolition and site work, utility connections, construction, financing and contingency are separate again. Ask every estimate to state its exclusions and allowances so bids can be compared.

How long does an SB 9 lot split take?

The agency must approve or deny a complete SB 9 application within 60 days, and an application that is neither approved nor denied in that time is deemed approved. That deadline covers the decision on the completed application only. Map recordation, building permits, utility work and construction have their own timelines, so do not build a project schedule on the 60 days alone. From January 1, 2027, agencies must allow a lot split and its two-unit development application to be processed at the same time.

Can I sell one of the lots after an SB 9 lot split?

A lot split creates two separately conveyable land parcels. With specified statutory exceptions, a lot-split applicant signs an affidavit of intent to occupy one of the housing units as a principal residence for at least three years from approval of the split, and every unit created under SB 9 must be rented for terms longer than 30 days. Talk to a real estate attorney about the affidavit, your lender and your timing before you plan a sale.

Can I add an ADU if I use SB 9 on my lot?

It depends on the path. If you use both the two-unit provision and the lot split, the agency is not required to also permit an ADU or JADU, and Los Angeles limits each lot created by a split to two total units, counting ADUs and JADUs. A two-unit development without a lot split is more flexible: HCD's position is that it does not remove the parcel's separate ADU and JADU rights. Compare all three paths for your lot before designing.

What should I send a contractor to check whether SB 9 fits my lot?

Start with the property address, APN, lot dimensions or survey, existing-building information and what you want to build. Include the zoning shown on ZIMAS and relevant rental history, historic-overlay, hillside or fire-zone information, without sending tenants' personal details. A general contractor can discuss construction scope and a preliminary budget; eligibility and entitlement questions belong with the agency and your land-use professionals.

Does SB 9 work the same in the City of Los Angeles and in unincorporated Los Angeles County?

No. A Los Angeles mailing address does not mean the City of Los Angeles processes your permits. Incorporated cities and unincorporated County areas run different procedures and checklists. For unincorporated County property, the parcel must also lie wholly within a Census-designated urbanized area or urban cluster. Confirm which agency has jurisdiction before you pay for drawings.

Talk to us about your lot

Cali Builders & Construction Inc. is a licensed Class B General Building Contractor (CSLB #1051566, verify on the CSLB license lookup) based in Sherman Oaks, working across Los Angeles County.

If you are weighing a lot split, a second unit, or ADUs, the useful first step is confirming what your parcel actually supports — zoning, jurisdiction, urban-location test, RSO status, historic overlay, fire zone, easements, and lot geometry. Share the property city, address, intended unit count and available plans. We can discuss new-construction scope, access, utilities and preliminary budget assumptions; your agency and land-use professionals determine eligibility and entitlement.

(800) 863-0011 · Request a consultation

If you are weighing ADUs instead, see our ADU construction in Los Angeles and garage conversion ADU pages.

Sources

Current as of November 1, 2026.

Statute

• Gov. Code §65852.21 — two-unit developments
• Gov. Code §66411.7 — urban lot splits

Chaptered legislation

• SB 9 (Atkins), Chapter 162, Statutes of 2021 — effective January 1, 2022
• SB 450 (Atkins), Chapter 286, Statutes of 2024 — effective January 1, 2025
• AB 1061 (Quirk-Silva), signed October 10, 2025 — effective January 1, 2026
• AB 2601 (Lee), Chapter 955, Statutes of 2026 — effective January 1, 2027
• AB 956 (Quirk-Silva), Chapter 791, Statutes of 2026 — signed September 29, 2026; effective January 1, 2027

State guidance

• HCD — Housing Law Fact Sheet: Duplexes and Lot Splits (SB 9)
• HCD technical assistance letter — City of Riverside SB 9 implementation

Los Angeles

• LA City Planning — SB 9 program resources
• LA City Planning — Senate Bill 9 program page
• Los Angeles Housing Department — Rent Stabilization Ordinance
• ZIMAS — Zoning Information and Map Access System
• City Planning questions: planning.SB9@lacity.org

Litigation and executive action

• City of Redondo Beach v. Bonta, LASC No. 22STCP01143; Court of Appeal No. B338990 (unpublished opinion) — reversed and remanded November 12, 2025
• City of Pasadena Ordinance No. 7474, adopted August 3, 2026
• Executive Order N-32-25, July 30, 2025

This is construction guidance, not legal or land-use advice. Eligibility depends on your specific parcel, its zoning, jurisdiction, overlays, tenancy history, and current agency interpretation. Confirm with the agency that has jurisdiction over your address, and with your own counsel, before relying on anything here.