SB 9 (effective January 2022) allows ministerial approval of lot splits and duplex conversions on California single-family zoned parcels, with potential for 4–6 units on a formerly SFR lot.
Property owners can split a single-family parcel into two, or convert the existing dwelling plus a new one on the same parcel, all with ministerial (non-discretionary) approval. Combined with ADU/JADU allowances, some parcels can host 4–6 units.
For LA multifamily owners, SB 9 is mostly indirect. It affects SFR-zoned neighborhoods over time by enabling incremental density. In specific submarkets (lower-density Westside, parts of the Valley), SB 9 is slowly changing the neighborhood character — and with it, tenant demand profiles for nearby multifamily.
From the Sterman LA Multifamily Glossary — defined the way a broker with $1.41 billion across 254 closed transactions actually uses these terms.
Michael Sterman, Senior Managing Director Investments, Marcus & Millichap.
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