Multifamily and Duplex Properties for Sale in Bodega Bay: Zoning and Rent Rules

What multifamily in Bodega Bay looks like

Bodega Bay is a small unincorporated harbor town, and its income property is mostly small: houses with a coastal second unit, duplexes and a few small apartment groups near the harbor and Highway 1, apartments attached to shops in the commercial strip, and second homes in subdivisions such as Bodega Harbour and Sereno del Mar. It is one of only 21 Urban Service Areas the County maps, covering about 860 acres in the County’s GIS layer, which is why public sewer and higher densities are possible here at all. The town core is in the Coastal Zone, where the coastal zoning code sets its own Bodega Bay height rules, so coastal permits shape what you can add. For two to four units, read financing 2-4 unit properties; for larger buildings, see apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Sonoma County’s coastal zoning code, Chapter 26C, governs. It has no high-density R3 district, so medium density and commercial mixed use are the ceiling.

R2 details. Planned developments, condominiums and mobile home parks need a use permit. Parking is one covered space per unit, plus half a guest space per unit once a project reaches four units. Projects of more than eight units need 300 square feet of recreation area per unit.

Inclusionary housing. In coastal R2, projects of 11 or more units must make 15% of units affordable; projects of 5 to 10 units can do the same or pay a 6% in-lieu fee.

Height in the Core. In the Bodega Bay Core Area, residential buildings are limited to 16 feet, though up to 15% of units in a major development may exceed it. West of Highway 1, R2 homes are 16 feet unless findings allow up to 24.

Second units and SB 9. Permit Sonoma’s coastal ADU page calls coastal ADUs "second dwelling units" under Section 26C-325.1, says junior ADUs are not yet provided for in the Coastal Zone, and requires a coastal development permit with or without a hearing. SB 9 splits and duplexes still have to satisfy the Coastal Act. See our ADU investment guide and SB 9 lot split guide.

Rent rules: state law only

Rent cap. The Attorney General’s rent cap page, updated July 16, 2026, does not name Sonoma County in a regional group, so the All Other Counties figure applies: covered units may rise up to 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. No Sonoma County jurisdiction appears on the AG’s chart of local rent ordinances, and as an unincorporated town Bodega Bay has no rent ordinance of its own.

Just cause. Covered tenancies follow state just cause rules after 12 months, with relocation for no-fault terminations. Many Bodega Bay rentals are houses or condos that may be exempt if owned by individuals and the required exemption notice is given. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Bodega Bay rental property rules

• Vacation rentals. The County’s District 5 fact sheet says the 2022 rules bring vacation rental licensing and performance standards into the Coastal Zone. Each owner may hold one license, LLC and corporate ownership is restricted, guests are capped at 12, and managers must answer complaints within an hour, or 30 minutes at night.
• Caps and exclusions. Under Article 79, the County can bar new vacation rentals or cap them at 5% or 10% of homes in a district. Bodega Bay was not on the 2023 District 5 list, but check the parcel.
• Septic and wells. Outside BBPUD’s system, Permit Sonoma’s well and septic staff review added units, and the same septic and water standards that apply inland apply on the coast.
• Transfer tax. The County Recorder charges $0.55 per $500, less assumed loans, and Bodega Bay pays no city tax.

Water, sewer, coast and building issues

Utility district. The Bodega Bay Public Utility District has supplied groundwater since 1948 and has run the wastewater plant since 1975. It reports 1,058 water and 1,006 sewer connections, so parcels outside its system rely on wells and septic. Before adding units, get a written answer from BBPUD on capacity and fees.

Lot size follows service. In the coastal commercial districts, the minimum lot is 10,000 square feet with sewer but 1.5 acres with neither public water nor sewer, which is why the same density is not achievable everywhere in town.

Exposure. The LCP update focuses on sea-level rise, tsunami and wildfire, and the County publishes tsunami and sea-level maps with it. Salt air is hard on wood decks and stairs, so budget SB 721 balcony inspections for buildings of three or more units with elevated balconies, and review older wood-frame buildings for seismic retrofit needs.

Underwriting a Bodega Bay multifamily purchase

1. Confirm the parcel’s Chapter 26C district, whether it is in the Bodega Bay Core Area and whether units are legal or legal nonconforming.
2. Get BBPUD’s service status and any capacity charges for added units.
3. Classify each unit under AB 1482 and model covered increases at or below 8.6%.
4. If any unit is a vacation rental, confirm its license and that it can continue after a sale.
5. Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates.
6. Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes, coastal maintenance and insurance in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Sonoma County Code Chapter 26C, R2 district
2. Chapter 26C, C2 district and CS district
3. Permit Sonoma, Coastal Zone ADUs
4. Bodega Bay Public Utility District, About
5. Sonoma County GIS, Urban Service Areas
6. Chapter 26, Article 79, X combining district
7. Sonoma County, District 5 Vacation Rental Fact Sheet
8. Permit Sonoma, Local Coastal Plan Update
9. Sonoma County Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax
10. California Attorney General, rent caps

Note: The County is amending its coastal zoning code to carry out the Local Coastal Plan certified in 2024 and accepted in 2025, so standards may change. We did not read Section 26C-325.1, the PC Planned Community district text or Bodega Harbour’s plan conditions, and we did not confirm BBPUD capacity or fees. The description of local housing types is a general observation. For countywide context, see our Sonoma County multifamily guide and Sonoma County commercial guide.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

Related: Bodega Bay real estate guide · Commercial real estate in Bodega Bay · Multifamily investing guide · Investor services