Multifamily and Duplex Properties for Sale in Campbell: Zoning and Rent Rules

Find a property that fits your search

This page does not display a live listing feed for this area and property type. Tell us your preferred location, budget and property requirements so we can discuss the available search options and current opportunities.

Request a property search

Request a local market review

Ask for recent comparable sales, current competition and the records relevant to your property. This page does not display a live market report.

Discuss the local market

What multifamily in Campbell looks like

Campbell’s rental housing is a mix of older garden apartment complexes, duplexes and fourplexes on the streets around downtown and off Winchester Boulevard and Bascom Avenue, and newer mixed-use and transit-oriented buildings near the light rail stations. The city has no rent control, but it has run a rent increase dispute program, in its current form since 1997, which landlords of larger buildings must disclose with every increase. For two to four units, read financing 2-4 unit properties; for larger buildings, see apartment building loans.

Where the zoning allows it

Chapter 21.08, enacted by Ordinance 2293 on May 2, 2023, sets the residential districts. Design standards for the multifamily districts sit in Chapter 21.07.

District	Duplex	Apartments	Notes
R-1 Single-Family	Only under Chapter 21.25, two-unit developments	Prohibited	0.45 FAR; 40% coverage
LMDR Low-Medium Density	Permitted	Permitted	Standards from Chapter 21.07
MDR Medium Density	Permitted	Permitted	Chapter 21.07
MHDR Medium-High Density	Permitted	Permitted	Chapter 21.07
HDR High Density	Permitted	Permitted	Chapter 21.07
MHP Mobile Home Park	Prohibited	Prohibited	Mobile home parks
CB-MU, CC-MU, TO-MU and other mixed-use districts	—	Permitted per linked residential standards	Downtown, corridors and near light rail

Mixed use. Downtown CB-MU allows apartments over ground-floor retail, with residential units, leasing offices and amenity rooms kept off the ground floor, a 45-foot height limit and a 1.25 FAR. CC-MU covers Bascom, Hamilton, Winchester and parts of Campbell Avenue, and TO-MU allows very high density near light rail.

Minimum FAR. In the mixed-use districts, projects of 3 to 7 units need at least a 1.0 FAR and 8 to 10 units at least 1.25, with exceptions for historic and landmark properties.

SB 9 and ADUs. Chapter 21.25 governs two-unit developments on single-family lots and Chapter 20.14 governs urban lot splits, the city’s SB 9 rules. ADUs are in Chapter 21.23 and inclusionary housing in Chapter 21.24. See our SB 9 lot split guide and ADU investment guide.

Rent rules: state rent cap plus a local dispute program

Rent cap. The Attorney General’s rent cap page, updated July 16, 2026, does not place Santa Clara County in a named metro area, so it falls under All Other Counties: covered units may be raised up to 8.6% for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. The page lists Mountain View and San Jose, not Campbell, as Santa Clara County cities with local rent ordinances. AB 1482’s cap and just-cause rules apply to covered Campbell units. See our AB 1482 guide and just cause eviction guide.

Rental Increase Dispute Resolution. Chapter 6.09, adopted in its current form by Ordinance 1946 in 1997, covers units in multi-unit buildings and complexes, but not parcels with three or fewer units (mobile homes excepted).

Before move-in. Owners must give tenants the city’s pamphlet and weekday and after-hours contact information.
With every increase. Owners must attach the prescribed dispute notice. Without these items, an increase is not enforceable.
Process. A tenant who is current on rent can petition within 45 days of the notice or 15 days after the effective date, whichever is later. Conciliation comes first, then mandatory mediation within about three weeks.
Fact-finding. A five-member committee can review the increase, but its decision is not binding unless both sides agree.
Owner attendance. An owner who skips mediation cannot enforce the increase until they comply.
Retaliation. Retaliation is barred, with fines rising to a misdemeanor for repeat violations.

Demolition protections. Chapter 19.06, adopted September 3, 2024 by Ordinance 2319, applies when a housing project demolishes protected units under Government Code Section 66300.6. Tenants get six months’ written notice and can stay until six months before construction. Lower-income occupants get relocation benefits like those public agencies pay, and a first right of refusal on comparable new units.

Campbell rental property rules

BMR units. Title 19 also has a below-market-rate unit rent control chapter (Chapter 19.03) for deed-restricted affordable units; check any recorded affordability agreement.
Mobile home parks. The MHP district is reserved for parks, and the dispute program covers mobile homes and spaces regardless of parcel size.
Transfer tax. Santa Clara County’s transfer tax chapter sets $0.55 per $500 and credits a conforming city tax of half that amount. Campbell’s Chapter 3.36 is such a tax at 27.5 cents per $500, so the total should be $0.55 per $500; confirm in escrow.

Older buildings, seismic and balconies

Garden apartments with exterior stairs and elevated walkways fall under SB 721 balcony inspections for buildings of three or more units. Buildings with open parking under living space merit a seismic retrofit review. If you plan to demolish and rebuild, the Chapter 19.06 notice and relocation rules apply to protected units.

Underwriting a Campbell multifamily purchase

Confirm each rent increase in the past year included the Chapter 6.09 notice; increases without it may be unenforceable.
Classify units under AB 1482 and model increases at or below 8.6% for covered units.
Check the district and Chapter 21.07 standards before planning added units.
For redevelopment, budget six months’ notice, relocation for lower-income tenants and replacement unit rules.
Collect leases, the rent roll and estoppel certificates.
Rebuild expenses with reassessed taxes, SB 721 and seismic costs in our rental property analysis.

Questions people ask

Is there rent control in Campbell?

No local rent cap. AB 1482 applies to covered units, at up to 8.6% from August 1, 2026, and the city’s dispute program offers mediation.

Which buildings are covered by Campbell’s rent dispute program?

Units in multi-unit buildings on parcels with more than three units, plus mobile homes and spaces.

Is mediation binding?

Mediation is mandatory to attend, and signed agreements bind the tenants who signed. Fact-finding results bind only if both sides agree.

Can I build a duplex on an R-1 lot in Campbell?

Only as a two-unit development under Chapter 21.25, the city’s SB 9 rules.

What happens if I demolish an occupied building?

Chapter 19.06 requires six months’ notice to tenants of protected units, relocation for lower-income occupants and a right of first refusal.

What transfer tax applies in Campbell?

The County’s $0.55 per $500, with Campbell’s 27.5-cent tax credited within it; confirm in escrow.

Sources & notes

Note: We did not read Chapter 21.07 (densities and design sites), Chapter 21.23 (ADUs), Chapter 21.25 or Chapter 20.14 text, or the BMR chapter. Building age and construction descriptions are general observations, not from a source.

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

Inquire about a listing or to schedule a meeting

Matthew Martinez

Your inquiry is processed through our iHomefinder service. Review the form’s contact choices before submitting. Privacy Policy · Terms of Use.