SB 684SB 684 explained: split a multifamily-zoned lot, or a vacant single-family-zoned lot, into up to 10 lots for 10 homes

Who in LA can help me with SB 684?

Brick Work specializes in SB 684 property analysis for Los Angeles landowners. We've completed 3,000+ development feasibility reports that analyze subdivision streamlining opportunities under SB 684. Our $250 Brick Work report provides actionable guidance for streamlined approvals and lot subdivision.

What is SB 684 and how does it work in Los Angeles?

SB 684 is a statewide California law: SB 684 (Caballero, Chapter 783, Statutes of 2023), in effect since July 1, 2024 and amended by SB 1123 (2024) and AB 130 (2025). It applies in any incorporated city that includes part of a Census urbanized area, and in urbanized areas or urban clusters of counties with more than 600,000 people (Gov. Code § 66499.41(a)(2)(C)), which includes the City of Los Angeles. It lets an owner split one eligible lot into up to 10 new lots for a project of up to 10 homes with ministerial approval: no discretionary review and no public hearing, and in Los Angeles no CEQA review and no appeal. The city must approve or deny the parcel or tentative map within 60 days of receiving a complete application, or the map is deemed approved (Gov. Code § 66499.41(c)); the same 60-day rule covers the homes (Gov. Code § 65852.28(c)(2)). In Los Angeles the normal 30-day completeness check still applies, and the 60 days run from the date a complete application, fees included, is received. Sites in LA's Coastal Zone also need a Coastal Development Permit, which still requires a public hearing (LA City Planning SHRA memo, October 28, 2025). For applications received on or after January 1, 2027, final maps also get a 60-day deadline with deemed approval (Gov. Code § 66499.41(f) as amended in 2026).

What properties qualify for SB 684 in Los Angeles?

Two kinds of lots qualify under Gov. Code § 66499.41(a)(2). First, lots zoned to allow multifamily housing, up to 5 acres; in the City of Los Angeles these are the R2, RD, RW2, R3, RAS3, R4, RAS4, R5 and all C zones. Second, since July 1, 2025 (SB 1123), vacant lots zoned for single-family homes, up to 1.5 acres; in Los Angeles these are the A, RA, RE, RS, R1, RU, RZ and RW1 zones, and only if the lot is vacant. Under current law 'vacant' means no permanent structure unless it is abandoned and uninhabitable, so an R1 lot with a lived-in house does not qualify. The lot must also be substantially surrounded by urban uses, must not have been created by an earlier SB 684 subdivision or an SB 9 lot split, and must be served by a public water system and a municipal sewer system. It cannot be prime farmland, wetlands, protected-species habitat or conservation land, or sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (or a High zone on state responsibility area maps); LA City Planning excludes both High and Very High zones. Hazardous-waste, earthquake-fault and flood-zone sites qualify only if they meet the conditions the law sets. The project cannot demolish or alter deed-restricted affordable housing, rent-controlled housing (in LA, RSO units) or housing occupied by tenants in the past 5 years, and the lot cannot have had an Ellis Act withdrawal in the past 15 years. Local minimum lot sizes do not apply: new lots need only be 600 sq ft in multifamily zones or 1,200 sq ft in single-family zones. The project is capped at 10 new lots (plus an optional remainder parcel) and 10 homes (ADUs and JADUs, where the city allows them, don't count), the homes must average no more than 1,750 net habitable sq ft, and a minimum density and any local inclusionary housing rules apply. For applications received on or after January 1, 2027, SB 1116 changes the vacancy, lot-size, site and density tests, and in ZIP codes 91001 and 91003 (Altadena) SB 1090 turns the law off for most applications submitted on or after October 1, 2026. Both are explained below.

How much does SB 684 analysis cost?

SB 684 analysis is included in the $250 Brick Work report. It covers full subdivision analysis, development potential assessment, approval guidance, and actionable next steps for your Los Angeles property, and where an SB 684 small-lot subdivision applies it includes a massing diagram. A Brick Work report is $250 and covers every California housing law that applies to up to 10 adjoining parcels under one base zone, delivered in 2 business days. Sites with more than one base zone, multiple overlays, or other advanced land-use diligence take the $500 Advanced report. Pro is $250 a month and includes 2 reports a month plus priority turnaround.

Can SB 684 be combined with other housing laws?

Partly. SB 1123 isn't a separate program to stack: it is the 2024 bill that amended SB 684's own code sections (Gov. Code §§ 65852.28 and 66499.41), so since July 1, 2025 the same law also covers vacant single-family-zoned lots. SB 684 and SB 9 don't stack: a lot created by an SB 9 urban lot split (or by an earlier SB 684 subdivision) can't be subdivided under SB 684, and a city doesn't have to allow an SB 9 lot split on a lot created under SB 684 (Gov. Code § 66499.41). In Los Angeles you can pair an SB 684 project with the State Density Bonus Program, a Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) program, or another local incentive program in the zoning code, a Community Plan Implementation Overlay or a specific plan, with these limits: the project still can't exceed 10 homes (not counting ADUs, JADUs or existing units on a remainder parcel); incentives and waivers can relax only local standards, not SB 684's own; no public hearing can be required; and the incentive application must be filed at the same time as the SB 684 application (LA City Planning SHRA memo, October 28, 2025, FAQ Q.2).

Can I sell or finance the new SB 684 lots separately?

Generally not until they are built. Under Gov. Code § 66499.41(e), as rewritten by AB 130 (2025), no one may sell, lease or finance a lot created under SB 684 separately from the other new lots unless it has a finished home that meets the California Building Standards Code, already has a legally permitted home, is reserved for circulation, open space or common area, or is the last unbuilt lot in the subdivision. A designated remainder parcel is not covered by this rule. A city or county can waive the rule only by ordinance or map condition, and breaking it is treated as an illegal sale under the Subdivision Map Act (Gov. Code § 66499.30 and following). LA City Planning notes that the rule does not stop the sale of an entire unbuilt subdivision as one (SHRA memo, October 28, 2025, FAQ Q.25). The homes themselves can be held on fee-simple lots, as condominiums or another common-interest development, in a housing cooperative, on community land trust land, or as a tenancy in common (Gov. Code § 66499.41(a)(4)).

What changes for SB 684 applications received on or after January 1, 2027?

For applications a city or county receives on or after January 1, 2027, SB 1116 (Caballero, Chapter 808, Statutes of 2026, signed September 29, 2026) changes several SB 684 rules. Vacancy: a structure on a single-family-zoned lot counts as vacant if it is abandoned or does not meet the building conditions in Civil Code § 1941.1(a)(1) to (5) and (8) (weatherproofing, plumbing and gas, hot and cold running water and sewage disposal, heating, electrical, and floors, stairways and railings); deed-restricted, rent-controlled and recently tenant-occupied housing still cannot count as vacant. Site: the 5-acre cap for multifamily lots and the 'substantially surrounded' test are replaced by the site test in Public Resources Code § 21080.66(a)(3); vacant single-family lots keep the 1.5-acre cap. Lot size: a new lot can be as small as 480 sq ft in a multifamily zone or 960 sq ft in a single-family zone if the new lots average at least 600 or 1,200 sq ft. Density: the 66% minimum-density rule is replaced by a limit, so the site's base zoning, ignoring density bonuses, overlays, ADU allowances and incentive programs, may allow no more than 15 units (or 26,250 sq ft of residential floor area where zoning sets no unit maximum). Homes: front setbacks from the original lot line are capped at 10 ft, setbacks between the new lots are barred except as the building code requires, and the floor-area-ratio floor becomes 1.25 for every project (Gov. Code § 65852.28). Final maps: a 60-day decision deadline with deemed approval (Gov. Code § 66499.41(f)). Applications received before January 1, 2027 stay under the current rules.

Does SB 684 apply in Altadena?

Not for most new applications. SB 1090 (Chapter 1006, Statutes of 2026), in effect since September 30, 2026, provides that SB 684's map approvals (Gov. Code § 66499.41) and housing-project approvals (Gov. Code § 65852.28) do not apply to projects in ZIP codes 91001 and 91003 if the application is submitted on or after October 1, 2026. Two kinds of projects are exempt: a project whose development application or preliminary application was submitted before October 1, 2026, if a complete application is filed within 180 days after that date; and a project in which every home has an affordable housing cost or rent under a recorded deed restriction, sponsored by a community land trust or a qualifying nonprofit.

How has SB 684 changed since 2023?

SB 684 (Chapter 783, Statutes of 2023) took effect July 1, 2024. It covered lots zoned for multifamily housing up to 5 acres: up to 10 lots and 10 homes, new lots of at least 600 sq ft, and a 60-day ministerial map decision. SB 1123 (Chapter 294, Statutes of 2024), in effect July 1, 2025, added vacant single-family-zoned lots up to 1.5 acres with a 1,200 sq ft minimum lot size, allowed tenancy-in-common ownership, set the minimum density on sites not listed in the city's housing element at 66% of the zoning's maximum density or of the state default density, whichever is greater,, and stopped counting ADUs and JADUs toward the 10-home limit. AB 130 (Chapter 22, Statutes of 2025), signed June 30, 2025, allowed an optional remainder parcel that doesn't count toward the 10-lot limit and barred selling, leasing or financing unbuilt lots separately unless the city or county allows it. In 2026, SB 1090 (Chapter 1006) turned the law off in ZIP codes 91001 and 91003 for most applications submitted on or after October 1, 2026; SB 1116 (Chapter 808) changed several rules for applications received on or after January 1, 2027; and AB 2601 (Chapter 955) also amended these sections. LA City Planning's guidance is its October 28, 2025 SHRA memo, which replaced its October 9, 2024 memo.

Sources

• Gov. Code § 66499.41: subdivision map approvals, including the version for applications received on or after January 1, 2027
• Gov. Code § 65852.28: standards for the homes built on SB 684 lots
• Gov. Code § 65913.4.5: building permits before the final map records
• Gov. Code § 65852.21: the side and rear setback and parking limits that § 65852.28 applies
• Bill texts: SB 684 (2023), SB 1123 (2024), AB 130 (2025), SB 1090 (2026), SB 1116 (2026)
• Los Angeles City Planning, Starter Home Revitalization Act (SB 684/1123) page and its implementation memo dated October 28, 2025

Last reviewed October 23, 2026.