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Starter Home Revitalization Act · SB 684 as expanded by SB 1123 · effective July 1, 2025

SB 1123: ten homes on one vacant lot

Turn a vacant lot into up to ten fee-simple homes, each on its own small lot, through a staff-level approval with a 60-day clock.

SB 684 opened this path on multifamily-zoned land in 2024. SB 1123 extended it to vacant single-family lots, and that's where most of the opportunity is, both in older neighborhoods and in fire-rebuild areas.

By Jeff Schneidereit, Architect · CA C-22524 · Updated

Short answer

SB 1123 lets you subdivide a vacant lot of up to 1.5 acres zoned single-family (5 acres on multifamily land under SB 684) into as many as 10 fee-simple lots with one home each. Approval is ministerial: no hearing, no CEQA, and a 60-day deadline or the project is deemed approved.

Plan diagram: one parcel subdivided into ten small lots along a shared drive STREET SHARED DRIVE LOT 1LOT 6LOT 5LOT 10
Ten parcels, ten homes, one shared drive. No setbacks between homes; 4 ft max at the side and rear of the original parcel.
10Lots and homes per project
60 daysTo approve or deny a complete application, or it is deemed approved
1.5 acMaximum vacant single-family lot (5 ac on multifamily zoning)
1,750 sfMaximum average home size, net habitable area

What it gets you

  • No public hearing, no discretionary design review, and no CEQA review.
  • Each home sits on its own fee-simple lot, so you sell houses, not condos, without an HOA mandated by the city.
  • Small lots are allowed: down to 1,200 sf on single-family land and 600 sf on multifamily land.
  • Cities cannot require setbacks between homes, covered or enclosed parking, or more than one space per home.
  • Building permits can be issued before the final map records, so construction can start sooner.
  • A denial requires written findings of a specific, unavoidable health or safety impact.

The catches

  • The lot must be vacant: no habitable structure, not occupied in the last five years, no rent control or affordability covenant.
  • At least 75% of the site perimeter must adjoin urban uses.
  • Sites not in the city's housing element must reach a minimum density, roughly two-thirds of the zone's maximum.
  • One SB 1123 subdivision per lot, and not on a lot already split under SB 9.
  • Local objective standards still apply, and ADUs on the new lots are at the city's option.
  • Altadena: SB 1090 (signed Sept. 30, 2026) pauses SB 1123 in two Altadena ZIP codes for applications filed from Oct. 1, 2026 into January 2030. Applications filed earlier are not affected, and SB 9 and ADUs remain available.

How we help

  • Yield studies that test 6, 8 and 10 home layouts against your city's objective standards before you buy.
  • Townhome and small-lot plans that hit the 1,750 sf average and still sell as three-bedroom homes.
  • Map and building permit sets coordinated with your civil engineer so permits can run in parallel.
  • Fire-rebuild experience in Altadena, including the new SB 1090 rules.

Gov. Code §§ 65852.28, 66499.41, 65913.4.5

Questions we get about SB 1123

How many homes can I build under SB 1123?

Up to 10 homes, each on its own fee-simple lot. Average home size is capped at 1,750 sf of net habitable area, and lots can be as small as 1,200 sf on single-family land or 600 sf on multifamily land.

How long does SB 1123 approval take?

The city must approve or deny a complete application within 60 days, or it is deemed approved. Review is ministerial, with no public hearing, no discretionary design review and no CEQA.

Can I use SB 1123 on a lot with an existing house?

No. The lot must be vacant: no habitable structure, not occupied in the last five years, and no rent control or affordability covenant. For a lot with a house on it, SB 9 or ADU law is usually the better fit.

Do SB 1123 homes need an HOA or covered parking?

Each home sits on its own fee-simple lot, so you sell houses rather than condos, and the city cannot mandate an HOA. Cities also cannot require covered or enclosed parking or more than one space per home.

Can SB 1123 still be used in Altadena after the Eaton Fire?

SB 1090, signed Sept. 30, 2026, pauses SB 1123 in two Altadena ZIP codes for applications filed from Oct. 1, 2026 into January 2030. Applications filed earlier are not affected, and SB 9 and ADUs remain available.

Is SB 1123 the same as the Los Angeles Small Lot Subdivision ordinance?

They are similar in result. Los Angeles has allowed fee-simple homes on small lots since 2005; SB 1123 brings a comparable path statewide, with a 60-day ministerial clock. Our Burnside Avenue project used the LA ordinance to turn two lots into ten homes.

Projects where we used it

This page is general information, not legal advice. It summarizes California law as of October 2026. Cities adopt their own implementing ordinances, and eligibility depends on site-specific facts. Confirm with the local planning department and your land use counsel before acquiring a site.

Send us an address

Tell us where the site is and what you are hoping to build. We will tell you which of these laws applies and roughly how many homes it can hold.

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